L  I  E>  RA  FLY 

OF   THE 
UNIVER.S  ITY 
or    ILLI  NOIS 

920.0T1T734\ 
?83 


ILLINOIS  HISTOWCAl  SURVEY 


j.oTV- 


PREFACE. 


y  HE  greatest  of  English  historians,  Macaulay,  and  one  of  the  most  brilliant  writers  of  the 
[C  present  century,  has  said:  "The  history  of  a  country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the  lives  of 
VS/  its  people."  In  conformity  with  this  idea,  the  Portrait  and  Biographical  Album  of  this 
county  has  been  prepared.  Instead  of  going  to  musty  records,  and  taking  therefrom  dry  statistical 
matter  that  can  be  appreciated  by  but  few,  our  corps  of  writers  have  gone  to  the  people,  the  men 
and  women  who  have,  by  their  enterprise  and  industry,  brought  the  county  to  a  rank  second  to 
none  among  those  comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of 
their  life  struggles.  No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelligent 
public.  In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the  imitation  of 
coming  generations.  It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  poverty,  by  industry  and  economy 
have  accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how  others,  with  limited  advantages  for  securing  an  education, 
have  become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an  influence  extending  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who  have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  to  eminence  as 
statesmen,  and  whose  names  have  become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in  every  walk  in  life  who 
have  striven  to  succeed,  and  records  how  that  success  has  usually  crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells 
also  of  many,  very  many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the  world,  have  pursued  ' '  the  even 
tenor  of  their  way,"  content  to  have  it  said  of  them,  as  Christ  said  of  the  woman  performing  a 
deed  of  mercy — "They  have  done  what  they  could."  It  tells  how  that  many  in  the  pride  and 
strength  of  young  manhood  left  the  plow  and  the  anvil,  the  lawyer's  office  and  the  counting- 
room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country's  call  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or 
die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the  Union  was  restored  and  peace  once  more  reigned  in  the 
land.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every  woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not  be  lost  upon 
those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from 
the  fact  that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which 
would  otherwise  be  inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work,  and 
every  opportunity  possible  given  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has  been 
written;  and  the  publishers  flatter  themselves  that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with  few 
errors  of  consequence.  In  addition  to  the  biographical  sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of  repre- 
sentative citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volume.  For 
this  the  publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some  refused 
to  give  the  information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent.  Occasionally 
i  some  member  of  the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such  opposition  the 
support  of  the  interested  one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  could  never  be  found, 
though  repeated  calls  were  made  at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 

May,   1894.  Lake  City  Publishing  Co. 


I  1 5622 1 


Portraits  and  Biographies 


OF  THE 


PRESIDENTS 


OF  THE 


United  States 


Presidents. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


y  HE  Father  of  our  Country  was  bora  in  West- 
/C  nioreland  County,  Va. ,  February  22.  1752. 
Vj2/  His  parents  were  Augustine  and  Mary  I  Ball ) 
Washington.  The  family  to  which  he  belonged 
has  not  been  satisfactorily  traced  in  England. 
His  great-grandfather,  John  Washington,  emi- 
grated to  Virginia  about  1657,  and  became  a 
prosperous  planter.  He  had  two  sons,  Lawrence 
and  John.  The  former  married  Mildred  Warner, 
and  had  three  children,  John,  Augustine  and 
Mildred.  Augustine,  the  father  of  George,  first 
married  Jane  Butler,  who  bore  him  four  children, 
two  of  whom,  Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.  Of  six  children  by  his  second  mar- 
riage, George  was  the  eldest,  the  others  being 
Betty,  Samuel,  John  Augustine,  Charles  and 
Mildred. 

Augustine  Washington,  the  father  of  George, 
died  in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed  property. 
To  his  eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an 
estate  on  the  Potomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mt. 
Vernon,  and  to  George  he  left  the  parental  resi- 
dence. George  received  only  such  education  as 
the  neighborhood  schools  afforded,  save  for  a 
short  time  after  he  left  school,  when  he  received 
private  instruction  in  mathematics.  His  spelling 
was  rather  defective.  Remarkable  stories  are 
told  of  his  great  physical  strength  and  develop- 
ment at  an  early  age.  He  was  an  acknowledged 
leader  among  his  companions,  and  was  early 
noted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fairness  and 
veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  fourteen  years  old  he  had  a 
desire  to  go  to  sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant 
was  secured  for  him,  but  through  the  opposition 
of  his   mother   the    idea    was  abandoned.     Two 


years  later  he  was  appointed  surveyor  to  the  im- 
mense estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  In  this  business 
he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier  life, 
gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  very 
essential  to  him.  In  1751,  though  only  nineteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  appointed  Adjutant, with  the 
rank  of  Major,  in  the  Virginia  militia,  then  being 
trained  for  active  service  against  the  French  and 
Indians.  Soon  after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West 
Indies  with  his  brother  Lawrence,  who  went  there 
to  restore  his  health.  They  soon  returned,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence  died,  leaving  a 
large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter,  who  did  not 
long  survive  him.  On  her  demise  the  estate  of 
Mt.  Vernon  was  given  to  George. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddie  as  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia 
was  reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into 
four  military  districts,  of  which  the  northern  was 
assigned  to  Washington  as  Adjutant- General. 
Shortly  after  this  a  very  perilous  mission,  which 
others  had  refused,  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cepted. This  was  to  proceed  to  the  French  post 
near  Lake  Erie,  in  northwestern  Pennsylvania. 
The  distance  to  be  traversed  was  about  six  hun- 
dred miles.  Winter  was  at  hand,  and  the  journey 
was  to  be  made  without  military  escort,  through 
a  territory  occupied  by  Indians.  The  trip  was  a 
perilous  one,  and  several  times  he  nearly  lost  his 
life,  but  he  returned  in  safety  and  furnished  a  full 
and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  three  hundred  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and 
put  in  command  of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Maj. 
Washington  was  commissioned  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel. Active  war  was  then  begun  against  the 
French  and   Indians,  in  which  Washington   took 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


a  most  important  part.  In  the  memorable  event 
of  July  g,  1755,  known  as  "Braddock's  defeat," 
Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer  of  dis- 
tinction who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor. 

Having  been  for  five  years  in  the  military-  serv- 
ice, and  having  vainly  sought  promotion  in  the 
royal  army,  he  took  advantage  of  the  fall  of  Ft.  Du- 
quesne  and  the  expulsion  of  the  French  from  the 
valley  of  the  Ohio  to  resign  his  commission.  Soon 
after  he  entered  the  Legislature,  where,  although 
not  a  leader,  he  took  an  active  and  important 
part.  January  17,  1759,  he  married  Mrs.  Martha 
(Dandridge)  Custis,  the  wealthy  widow  of  John 
Parke  Custis. 

When  the  British  Parliament  had  closed  the 
port  of  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the 
provinces,  ' '  The  cause  ol  Boston  is  the  cause  of 
us  all!  "  It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Vir- 
ginia, that  a  congress  of  all  the  colonies  was 
called  to  meet  at  Philadelphia  September  5, 
1774,  to  secure  their  common  liberties,  peaceably 
if  possible.  To  this  congress  Col.  Washington 
was  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
congress  re-assembled,  when  the  hostile  inten- 
tions of  England  were  plainly  apparent.  The 
battles  of  Concord  and  Lexington  had  been  fought, 
and  among  the  first  acts  of  this  congress  was  the 
election  of  a  commander-in-chief  of  the  Colonial 
forces.  This  high  and  responsible  office  was  con- 
ferred upon  Washington,  who  was  still  a  member 
of  the  congress.  He  accepted  it  on  June  19,  but 
upon  the  express  condition  that  he  receive  no  sal- 
ary. He  would  keep  an  exact  account  of  ex- 
penses, and  expect  congress  to  pay  them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch 
to  trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom 
the  fortunes  and  liberties  of  the  people  of  this 
country  were  so  long  confided.  The  war  was 
conducted  by  him  under  every  possible  disadvan- 
tage; and  while  his  forces  often  met  with  reverses, 
yet  he  overcame  every  obstacle,  and  after  seven 
years  of  heroic  devotion  and  matchless  skill  he 
gained  liberty  for  the  greatest  nation  of  earth. 
On  December  23,  1783,  Washington,  in  a  parting 
address  of  surpassing  beauty,  resigned  his  com- 
mission as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  army  to  the 


Continental  Congress  sitting  at  Annapolis.  He 
retired  immediately  to  Mt.  Vernon  and  resumed 
his  occupation  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning 
all  connection  with  public  life. 

In  February,  1789,  Washington  was  unani- 
mously elected  President,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  his  first  term  he  was  unanimously  re-elected. 
At  the  end  of  this  term  many  were  anxious  that  he 
be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely  refused  a  third 
nomination.  On  March  4,  1797, .at  the  expiration 
of  his  second  term  as  President,  he  returned  to  his 
home,  hoping  to  pass  there  his  few  remaining 
years  free  from  the  annoyances  of  public  life. 
Later  in  the  year,  however,  his  repose  seemed 
likely  to  be  interrupted  by  war  with  France.  At 
the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  army,  but  he  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate officers  and  left  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  the  field,  which  he  superintended  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command,  he  made  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  prepara- 
tions his  life  was  suddenly  cut  off.  December  12 
he  took  a  severe  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain, 
which,  settling  in  his  throat,  produced  inflamma- 
tion, and  terminated  fatally  on  the  night  of  the 
14th.  On  the  1 8th  his  bod}*  was  borne  with  mili- 
tary honors  to  its  final  resting-place,  and  interred 
in  the  family  vault  at  Mt.  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible 
to  speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and 
admiration.  The  more  we  see  of  the  operations 
of  our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel 
the  difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common 
interest,  the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the 
force  of  his  talent  and  character,  which  have  been 
able  to  challenge  the  reverence  of  all  parties, 
and  principles,  and  nations,  and  to  win  a  fame  as 
extended  as  the  limits  of  the  globe,  and  which  we 
cannot  but  believe  will  be  as  lasting  as  the  exist- 
ence of  man. 

In  person,  Washington  was  unusually  tall,  erect 
and  well  proportioned,  and  his  muscular  strength 
was  great.  His  features  were  of  a  beausiful  sym- 
metry. He  commanded  respect  without  any  ap- 
pearance of  haughtiness,  and  was  ever  serious 
without  being  dull. 


UNIVERi 

URBMiMrt 


WF* 


wu 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


(JOHN  AD  AIMS,  the  second  President  and  the 
I  first  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  was 
(2/  born  in  Braintree  (now  Quiney)  Mass.,  and 
about  ten  miles  from  Boston,  October  19,  1735. 
His  great-grandfather,  Henry  Adams,  emigrated 
from  England  about  1640,  with  a  family  of  eight 
sons,  and  settled  at  Braintree.  The  parents  of 
John  were  John  and  Susannah  (Boylston) 
Adams.  His  father,  who  was  a  farmer  of  limited 
means,  also  engaged  in  the  business  of  shoe- 
making.  He  gave  his  eldest  son,  John,  a  classical 
education  at  Harvard  College.  John  graduated 
in  1755,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  the  school  at 
Worcester,  Mass.  This  he  found  but  a  "school 
of  affliction,"  from  which  he  endeavored  to  gain 
relief  by  devoting  himself,  in  addition,  to  the 
study  of  law.  For  this  purpose  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town. 
He  had  thought  seriously  of  the  clerical  profes- 
sion, but  seems  to  have  been  turned  from  this  by 
what  he  termed  "  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesi- 
astical councils,  of  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvin- 
istic  good  nature, ' '  of  the  operations  of  which  he 
had  been  a  witness  in  his  native  town.  He  was 
well  fitted  for  the  legal  profession,  possessing  a 
clear,  sonorous  voice,  being  read}'  and  fluent  of 
speech,  and  having  quick  perceptive  powers.  He 
gradually  gained  a  practice,  and  in  1764  married 
Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister,  and  a 
lad}-  of  superior  intelligence.  Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  in  1765,  the  attempt  at  parliamentary 
taxation  turned  him  from  law  to  politics.  He 
took  initial  steps  toward  holding  a  town  meeting, 
and  the  resolutions  he  offered  on  the  subject  be- 
came very  popular  throughout  the  province,  and 
were  adopted  word  for  word  by  over  forty  differ- 
ent towns.  He  moved  to  Boston  in  1768,  and 
became  one  of  the  most  courageous  and  promi- 
nent advocates  of  the  popular  cause,  and  was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
islature) in  1770. 

Mr.   Adams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  dele- 


gates from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continent- 
al Congress,  which  met  in  1774.  Here  he  dis- 
tinguished himself  by  his  capacity  for  business 
and  for  debate,  and  advocated  the  movement  for 
independence  against  the  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers. In  May,  1776,  he  moved  and  carried  a  res- 
olution in  Congress  that  the  Colonies  should 
assume  the  duties  of  self-government.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  five  ap- 
pointed June  1 1  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. This  article  was  drawn  by  Jefferson, 
but  on  Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it 
through  Congress  in  a  three-days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence was  passed,  while  his  soul  was  yet  warm 
with  the  glow  of  excited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter 
to  his  wife,  which,  as  we  read  it  now,  seems  to 
have  been  dictated  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 
"Yesterday,"  he  says,  "the  greatest  question 
was  decided  that  ever  was  debated  in  America; 
and  greater,  perhaps,  never  was  or  will  be  de- 
cided among  men.  A  resolution  was  passed 
without  one  dissenting  colony,  'that  these  United 
States  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  in- 
dependent states.'  The  day  is  passed.  The 
Fourth  of  July,  1776,  will  be  a  memorable  epoch 
in  the  history  of  America.  I  am  apt  to  believe  it 
will  be  celebrated  by  succeeding  generations  as 
the  great  anniversary  festival.  It  ought  to  be 
commemorated  as  the  day  of  deliverance  by 
solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  Almighty  God.  It 
ought  to  be  solemnized  with  pomp,  shows,  games, 
sports,  guns,  bells,  bonfires  and  illuminations 
from  one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  from 
this  time  forward  forever.  You  will  think  me 
transported  with  enthusiasm,  but  I  am  not.  I 
am  well  aware  of  the  toil  and  blood  and  treas- 
ure that  it  will  cost  to  maintain  this  declaration 
nnd  support  and  defend  these  States;  yet,  through 
all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the  rays  of  light  and 
glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is  worth  more  than 
all  the  means,  and  that  posterity  will  triumph, 


-I 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


although  you  and  I  inay  rue,  which  I  hope  we 
shall  not." 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed 
a  delegate  to  France,  and  to  co-uperate  with  Ben- 
jamin Franklin  and  Arthur  Lee,  who  were  then 
in  Paris,  in  the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in 
arms  and  money  from  the  French  government. 
This  was  a  severe  trial  to  his  patriotism,  as  it 
separated  him  from  his  home,  compelled  him  to 
cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  exposed  him  to 
great  peril  of  capture  by  the  British  cruisers,  who 
were  seeking  him.  He  left  France  June  17, 
1779.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was 
again  chosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  him- 
self in  readiness  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and 
of  commerce  with  Great  Britain,  as  soon  as  the 
British  cabinet  might  be  found  willing  to  listen 
to  such  proposals.  He  sailed  for  France  in  No- 
vember, and  from  there  he  went  to  Holland,  where 
he  negotiated  important  loans  and  formed  im- 
portant commercial  treaties. 

Finally,  a  treaty  of  peace  with  England  was 
signed,  January  2 1 ,  1783.  The  re-action  from  the 
excitement,  toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr. 
Adams  had  passed  threw  him  into  a  fever.  After 
suffering  from  a  continued  fever  and  becoming 
feeble  and  emaciated,  he  was  advised  to  go  to 
England  to  drink  the  waters  of  Bath.  While  in 
England,  still  drooping  and  desponding,  he  re- 
ceived dispatches  from  his  own  government  urg- 
ing the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Amsterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health 
was  delicate,  yet  he  immediately  set  out,  and 
through  storm,  on  sea,  on  horseback  and  foot,  he 
made  the  trip. 

February  24,  1785,  Congress  appointed  Mr. 
Adams  envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here 
he  met  face  to  face  the  King  of  England,  who 
had  so  long  regarded  him  as  a  traitor.  As  Eng- 
land did  not  condescend  to  appoint  a  minister  to 
the  United  States,  and  as  Mr.  Adams  felt  that  he 
was  accomplishing  but  little,  he  sought  permis- 
sion to  return  to  his  own  country,  where  he  ar- 
rived in  June,  1788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President, 
John  Adams,  rendered  illustrious  by  his  signal 
services  at  home  and  abroad,  was  chosen  Vice- 


President.  Again,  at  the  second  election  of  Wash- 
ington as  President,  Adams  was  chosen  Vice- 
President.  In  1796,  Washington  retired  from 
public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was  elected  President, 
though  not  without  much  opposition.  Serving 
in  this  office  four  years,  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Jefferson,  his  opponent  in  politics. 

While  Mr.  Adams  was  Vice-President  the 
great  French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of 
Europe,  and  it  was  upon  this  point  that  he  was 
at  issue  with  the  majority  of  his  countrymen,  led 
by  Mr.  Jefferson.  Mr.  Adams  felt  no  sympathy 
with  the  French  people  in  their  struggle,  for  he 
had  no  confidence  in  their  power  of  self-govern- 
ment, and  he  utterly  abhorred  the  class  of  atheist 
philosophers  who,  he  claimed,  caused  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  Jefferson's  sympathies  were  strongly 
eidisted  in  behalf  of  the  French  people.  Hence 
originated  the  alienation  between  these  distin- 
tinguished  men,  and  the  two  powerful  parties  were 
thus  soon  organized,  with  Adams  at  the  head  of 
the  one  whose  sympathies  were  with  England, 
and  Jefferson  leading  the  other  in  sympathy  with 
France. 

The  Fourth  of  Jul}-,  1826,  which  completed  the 
half-century  since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  arrived,  and  there  were  but 
three  of  the  signers  of  that  immortal  instrument 
left  upon  the  earth  to  hail  its  morning  light. 
And,  as  it  is  well  known,  on  that  day  two  of 
these  finished  their  earthly  pilgrimage,  a  coinci- 
dence so  remarkable  as  to  seem  miraculous.  For 
a  few  days  before  Mr.  Adams  had  been  rapidly 
failing,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  Fourth  he 
found  himself  too  weak  to  rise  from  his  bed.  On 
being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the  cus- 
tomary celebration  of  the  day,'  he  exclaimed 
"Independence  forever!"  When  the  day  was 
ushered  in  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing 
of  cannons,  he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  attend- 
ants if  he  knew  what  day  it  was  ?  He  replied, 
' '  O  yes,  it  is  the  glorious  Fourth  of  July — God 
bless  it — God  bless  you  all!"  In  the  course  of 
the  day  he  said,  "It  is  a  great  and  glorious 
day."  The  last  words  he  uttered  were,  "  Jeffer- 
son survives."  But  he  had,  at  one  o'clock, 
resigned  his  spirit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


z, 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


<^"HOMAS  JEFFERSON  was  born  April  2, 
I  C  1743,  at  Shadwell,  Albemarle  County,  Va. 
V2/  His  parents  were  Peter  and  Jane  (Ran- 
dolph) Jefferson,  the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  the  latter  born  in  London.  To  them  were 
born  six  daughters  and  two  sons,  of  whom  Thomas 
was  the  elder.  When  fourteen  years  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  received  a  most  liberal  educa- 
tion, having  been  kept  diligently  at  school  from 
the  time  he  was  five  years  of  age.  In  1760  he 
entered  William  and  Mary  College.  Williams- 
burg was  then  the  seat  of  the  Colonial  court,  and 
it  was  the  abode  of  fashion  and  splendor.  Young 
Jefferson,  who  was  then  seventeen  years  old,  lived 
somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine  horses,  and 
going  much  into  gay  society;  yet  he  was  ear- 
nestly devoted  to  his  studies,  and  irreproachable  in 
his  morals.  In  the  second  year  of  his  college 
course,  moved  by  some  unexplained  impulse,  he 
discarded  his  old  companions  and  pursuits,  and 
often  devoted  fifteen  hours  a  day  to  hard  study. 
He  thus  attained  very  high  intellectual  culture, 
and  a  like  excellence  in  philosophy  and  the  lan- 
guages. 

Immediately  upon  leaving  college  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  For  the  short  time  he  continued 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly, 
and  distinguished  himself  by  his  energy  and 
acuteness  as  a  lawyer.  But  the  times  called  for 
greater  action.  The  policy  of  England  had  awak- 
ened the  spirit  of  resistance  in  the  American  Col- 
onies, and  the  enlarged  views  which  Jefferson  had 
ever  entertained  soon  led  him  into  active  politi- 
cal life.  In  1 769  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Virginia  House  of  Burgesses.     In  1772  he  mar- 


ried Mrs.  Martha  Skelton,  a  very  beautiful, 
wealth}-,  and  highly  accomplished  young  widow. 

In  1775  he  was  sent  to  the  Colonial  Congress, 
where,  though  a  silent  member,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  he 
was  placed  upon  a  number  of  important  com- 
mittees, and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed 
for  the  drawing  up  of  a  declaration  of  independ- 
ence. This  committee  consisted  of  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson, John  Adams,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger 
Sherman  and  Robert  R.  Livingston.  Jefferson, 
as  chairman,  was  appointed  to  draw  up  the  paper. 
Franklin  and  Adams  suggested  a  few  verbal 
changes  before  it  was  submitted  to  Congress.  On 
June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made  in  it  by 
Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July  4, 
1776. 

In  1779  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henry  as  Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one 
time  the  British  officer  Tarleton  sent  a  secret 
expedition  to  Monticello  to  capture  the  Governor. 
Scarcely  five  minutes  elapsed  after  the  hurried 
escape  of  Mr.  Jefferson  and  his  family  ere  his 
mansion  was  in  possession  of  the  British  troops. 
His  wife's  health,  never  very  good,  was  much 
injured  by  this  excitement,  and  in  the  summer 
of  1782  she  died. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United 
States  in  September,  1789,  he  became  Secretary 
of  State  in  Washington's  cabinet.  This  position 
he  resigned  January  1,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was 
chosen  Vice-President,  and  four  years  later  was 
elected   President  over  Mr.   Adams,  with  Aaron 


28 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


Burr  as  Vice-President.  In  1S04  he  was  re- 
elected with  wonderful  unanimity,  George  Clin- 
ton being  elected  Vice-President. 

The  early  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  ad- 
ministration was  disturbed  by  an  event  which 
threatened  the  tranquillity  and  peace  of  the  Union; 
tiiis  was  the  conspiracy  of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated 
111  the  late  election  to  the  Vice-Presidency,  and 
led  on  by  an  unprincipled  ambition,  this  extraor- 
dinary man  formed  the  plan  of  a  military  ex- 
pedition into  the  Spanish  territories  on  our  south- 
western frontier,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  there 
a  new  republic.  This  was  generally  supposed 
to  have  been  a  mere  pretext;  and  although  it  has 
not  been  generally  known  what  his  real  plans 
were,  there  is  no  doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far 
more  dangerous  character. 

In  1809,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  term 
for  which  Mr.  Jefferson  had  been  elected,  he  de- 
termined to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period 
of  nearly  forty  years  he  had  been  continually  be- 
fore the  public,  and  all  that  time  had  been  em- 
ployed in  offices  of  the  greatest  trust  and  respon 
sibility.  Having  thus  devoted  the  best  part  of 
his  life  to  the  sen-ice  of  his  country,  he  now  felt 
desirous  of  that  rest  which  his  declining  years  re- 
quired, and  upon  the  organization  of  the  new  ad- 
ministration, in  March,  1809,  he  bade  farewell  for- 
ever to  public  life  and  retired  to  Monticello,  his 
famous  country  home,  which,  next  to  Mt.  Vernon, 
was  the  most  distinguished  residence  in  the  land. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  1826,  being  the  fiftieth  an- 
niversary of  the  Declaration  of  American  Inde- 
pendence, great  preparations  were  made  in  every 
part  of  the  Union  for  its  celebration  as  the  nation's 
jubilee,  and  the  citizens  of  Washington,  to  add  to 
the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son, as  the  framer  and  one  of  the  few  surviving 
signers  of  the  Declaration,  to  participate  in  their 
festivities.  But  an  illness,  which  had  been  of 
several  weeks'  duration  and  had  been  continually 
increasing,  compelled  him  to  decline  the  invita- 
tion. 

On  the  2d  of  July  the  disease  under  which  he 
was  laboring  left  him,  but  in  such  a  reduced 
state  that  his  medical  attendants  entertained  no 
hope  of  his  recovery.     From  this  time  he  was 


perfectly  sensible  that  his  last  hour  was  at  hand. 
On  the  next  day,  which  was  Monday,  he  asked 
of  those  around  him  the  day  of  the  month,  and 
on  being  told  it  was  the  3d  of  July,  he  ex- 
pressed the  earnest  w'ish  that  he  might  be  per- 
mitted to  breathe  the  air  of  the  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary. His  prayer  was  heard — that  day  whese 
dawn  was  hailed  with  such  rapture  through  our 
land  burst  upon  his  eyes,  and  then  they  were 
closed  forever.  And  what  a  noble  consummation 
of  a  noble  life!  To  die  on  that  day — the  birth- 
day of  a  nation — the  day  which  his  own  name 
and  his  own  act  had  rendered  glorious,  to  dis 
amidst  the  rejoicings  and  festivities  of  a  whole- 
nation,  who  looked  up  to  him  as  the  author,  un- 
der God,  of  their  greatest  blessings,  was  all  that 
was  wanting  to  fill  up  the  record  of  his  life. 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin- 
dred spirit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  bear 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors. 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  the  cham- 
pions of  freedom;  hand  in  hand,  during  the  dark 
and  desperate  struggle  of  the  Revolution,  they 
had  cheered  and  animated  their  desponding  coun- 
trymen; for  half  a  century  they  had  labored  to- 
gether for  the  good  of  the  country,  and  now  hand 
in  hand  they  departed.  In  their  lives  they  had 
been  united  in  the  same  great  cause  of  liberty, 
and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not  divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and  thin,  rather 
above  six  feet  in  height,  but  well  formed;  his  eyes 
were  light,  his  hair,  originally  red,  in  after  life  be- 
came white  and  silvery,  his  complexion  was  fair, 
his  forehead  broad,  and  his  wrhole  countenance 
intelligent  and  thoughtful.  He  possessed  great 
fortitude  of  mind  as  well  as  personal  courage,  and 
his  command  of  temper  was  such  that  his  oldest 
and  most  intimate  friends  never  recollected  to 
have  seen  him  in  a  passion.  His  manners,  though 
dignified,  were  simple  and  unaffected,  and  his 
hospitality  Was  so  unbounded  that  all  found  at 
his  house  a  ready  welcome.  In  conversation  he 
was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic,  and  his 
language  was  remarkably  pure  and  correct.  He 
was  a  finished  classical  scholar,  and  in  his  writ- 
ings is  discernible  the  care  with  which  he  formed 
his  style  upon  the  best  models  of  antiquity. 


LIBRARY 
LKSI1Y  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


. 


/£"£-£-"L-<~      tsC{  gt^^t^r , 


JAMES  MADISON. 


(TAMES  MADISON,    "Father  of  the   Consti- 

I  tution,"  and  fourth  President  of  the  United 
Q/  States,  was  born  March  16,  1757,  and  died 
at  his  home  in  Virginia  June  28,  1836.  The 
name  of  James  Madison  is  inseparably  connected 
with  most  of  the  important  events  in  that  heroic 
period  of  our  country  during  which  the  founda- 
tions of  this  great  republic  were  laid.  He  was 
the  last  of  the  founders  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  to  be  called  to  his  eternal  reward. 

The  Madison  family  were  among  the  early  emi- 
grants to  the  New  World,  landing  upon  the  shores 
of  the  Chesapeake  but  fifteen  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.  The  father  of  James  Madison 
was  an  opulent  planter,  residing  upon  a  very  fine 
estate  called  Montpelier,  in  Orange  County,  Va. 
It  was  but  twenty-five  miles  from  the  home  of  Jef- 
ferson at  Monticello,  and  the  closest  personal  and 
political  attachment  existed  between  these  illustri- 
ous men  from  their  early  youth  until  death. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  con- 
ducted mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  Col- 
lege, in  New  Jersey.  Here  he  applied  himself  to 
study  with  the  most  imprudent  zeal,  allowing  him- 
self for  months  but  three  hours'  sleep  out  of  the 
twenty-four.  His  health  thus  became  so  seriously 
impaired  that  he  never  recovered  any  vigor  of 
constitution.  He  graduated  in  1 77 1 ,  with  a  feeble 
body,  but  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and 
a  mind  highly  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with 
learning,  which  embellished  and  gave  efficiency 
to  his  subsequent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study 
of  law  and  a  course  of  extensive  and  systematic 
reading.  This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of 
the  times  in  which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with 
which  he  associated,  all  combined  to  inspire  him 
with  a  strong  love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for 
his  life-work  as  a  statesman. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  twenty-six  years  of 


age,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Con- 
vention to  frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The 
next  year  (1777  ),  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly.  He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky-lov- 
ing voters,  and  consequently  lost  his  election;  but 
those  who  had  witnessed  the  talent,  energy  and 
public  spirit  of  the  modest  young  man  enlisted 
themselves  in  his  behalf,  and  he  was  appointed  to 
the  Executive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Governors  of  Virginia  while  Mr.  Madison  re- 
mained member  of  the  Council,  and  their  apprecia- 
tion of  his  intellectual,  social  and  moral  worth 
contributed  not  a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence. 
In  the  year  17S0  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Continental  Congress.  Here  he  met  the  most  il- 
lustrious men  in  our  land,  and  he  was  immediately 
assigned  to  one  ol  the  most  conspicuous  positions 
among  them.  For  three  years  he  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  mem- 
bers. In  1784,  his  term  having  expired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  than  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no 
national  government,  and  no  power  t  >  form  trea- 
ties which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law. 
There  was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than 
Virginia  in  the  declaration  that  an  efficient  na- 
tional government  must  be  formed.  In  January, 
1786,  Mr.  Madison  carried  a  resolution  through 
the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  inviting  the 
other  States  to  appoint  commissioners  to  meet  in 
convention  at  Annapolis  to  discuss  this  subject. 
Five  States  only  were  represented.  The  conven- 
tion, however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up  by 
Mr.  Madison,  urging  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadelphia  in  May,  1787,  to  draft 
a  Constitution  for  the  United  States,  to  take  the 
place  of  the  Confederate  League.  The  delegates 
met  at  the  time  appointed.  Every  State  but 
Rhode  Island  was  represented.    George  Washing- 


32 


JAMES  MADISON. 


ton  was  chosen  president  of  the  convention,  and  the 
present  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  then 
and  there  formed.  There  was,  perhaps,  no  mind 
and  no  pen  more  active  in  framing  this  immortal 
document  than  the  mind  and  the  pen  of  James 
Madison. 

The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  of  eighty-one 
to  seventy-nine,  was  to  be  presented  to  the  several 
States  for  acceptance.  But  grave  solicitude  was 
felt.  Should  it  be  rejected,  we  should  be  left  but  a 
conglomeration  of  independent  States,  with  but 
little  power  at  home  and  little  respect  abroad.  Mr. 
Madison  was  elected  by  the  convention  to  draw  up 
an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  ex- 
pounding the  principles  of  the  Constitution,  and 
urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  opposition 
to  it  at  first,  but  at  length  it  triumphed  over  all, 
and  went  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  Madison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became 
the  avowed  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  While 
in  New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs. 
Todd,  a  young  widow  of  remarkable  power  of  fas- 
cination, whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person 
and  character  queenly,  and  probaby  no  lady  has 
thus  far  occupied  so  prominent  a  position  in  the 
very  peculiar  society  which  has  constituted  our 
republican  court  as  did  Mrs.  Madison. 

Mr.  Madison  served  as  Secretary  of  State  under 
Jefferson,  and  at  the  close  of  his  administration 
was  chosen  President.  At  this  time  the  encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of 
war.  British  orders  in  council  destroyed  our  com- 
merce, and  our  flag  was  exposed  to  constant  insult. 
Mr.  Madison  was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in 
his  taste,  retiring  in  his  disposition,  war  had  no 
charms  for  him.  But  the  meekest  spirit  can  be 
roused.  It  makes  one's  blood  boil,  even  now,  to 
think  of  an  American  ship  brought  to  upon  the 
ocean  by  the  guns  of  an  English  cruiser.  A 
young  lieutenant  steps  on  board  and  orders  the 
crew  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With  great  non- 
chalance he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may 
please  to  designate  as  British  subjects,  orders  them 
down  the  ship's  side  into  his  boat,  and  places  them 
on  the  gundeck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by 
compulsion,  the  battles  of  England.     This  right 


of  search  and  impressment  no  efforts  of  our  Gov- 
ernment could  induce  the  British  cabinet  to  re- 
linquish. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  1812,  President  Madison 
gave  his  approval  to  an  act  of  Congress  declaring 
war  against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the 
bitter  hostility  of  the  Federal  party  to  the  war,  the 
country  in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison, 
on  the  4th  of  March,  1813,  was  re-elected  by  a 
large  majority,  and  entered  upon  his  second  term 
of  office.  This  is  not  the  place  to  describe  the 
various  adventures  of  this  war  on  the  laud  and  on 
the  water.  Our  infant  navy  then  laid  the  found- 
ations of  its  renown  in  grappling  with  the  most 
formidable  power  which  ever  swept  the  seas.  The 
contest  commenced  in  earnest  by  the  appearance 
of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  February,  1813,  in 
Chesapeake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole  coast 
of  the  United  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  offered  his  services  as 
mediator.  America  accepted;  England  refused. 
A  British  force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  the 
banks  of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into 
Chesapeake  Bay,  and  marched  rapidly,  by  way  of 
Bladeusburg,  upon  Washington. 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was 
thrown  into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the 
brief  conflict  at  Bladeusburg  echoed  through  the 
streets  of  the  metropolis.  The  whole  population 
fled  from  the  city.  The  President,  leaving  Mrs. 
Madison  in  the  White  House,  with  her  carriage 
drawn  up  at  the  door  to  await  his  speedy  return, 
hurried  to  meet  the  officers  in  a  council  of  war. 
He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed,  and  he  could  not 
go  back  without  danger  of  being  captured.  But 
few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidential  Mansion, 
the  Capitol,  and  all  the  public  buildings  in  Wash- 
ington were  in  flames. 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and 
on  February  13,  1S15,  the  treaty  of  peace  was 
signed  at  Ghent.  On  the  4th  of  March,  18 17,  his 
second  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the 
Presidential  chair  to  his  friend,  James  Monroe. 
He  retired  to  his  beautiful  home  at  Montpelier,  and 
there  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days.  On  June 
28,  1836,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  he  fell 
asleep  in  death.   Mrs.  Madison  died  July  12,  1849. 


LIBRARY 

UMVcKSIIY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


j£t^Z^T^^'7    /^-Z^ 


^  **: 


JAMES  MONROE. 


(I  AMES  MONROE,  the  fifth  President  of  the 
I  United  States,  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
G)  County,  Va.,  April  2S,  1758.  His  early  life 
was  passed  at  the  place  of  his  nativity.  His  an- 
cestors had  for  many  years  resided  in  the  province 
in  which  he  was  born.  When  he  was  seventeen 
years  old,  and  in  process  of  completing  his  educa- 
tion at  William  and  Man-  College,  the  Colonial 
Congress,  assembled  at  Philadelphia  to  deliberate 
upon  the  unjust  and  manifold  oppressions  of  Great 
Britain,  declared  the  separation  of  the  Colonies, 
and  promulgated  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before,  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the 
signers  of  that  celebrated  instrument.  At  this 
time  he  left  school  and  enlisted  among  the  pa- 
triots. 

He  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked 
hopeless  and  gloom)-.  The  number  of  deserters 
increased  from  day  to  day.  The  invading  armies 
came  pouring  in,  and  the  Tories  not  only  favored 
the  cause  of  the  mother  country,  but  disheartened 
the  new  recruits,  who  were  sufficiently  terrified 
at  the  prospect  of  contending  with  an  enemy 
whom  they  had  been  taught  to  deem  invincible. 
To  such  brave  spirits  as  James  Monroe,  who  went 
right  onward  undismayed  through  difficulty  and 
danger,  the  United  States  owe  their  political 
emancipation.  The  young  cadet  joined  the  ranks 
and  espoused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
with  a  firm  determination  to  live  or  die  in  her 
strife  for  liberty.  Firmly,  yet  sadly,  he  shared  in 
the  melancholy  retreat  from  Harlem  Heights 
and  White  Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited 
army  as  it  fled  before  its  foes  through  Xew  Jersey. 
In  four  months  after  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, the  patriots  had  been  beaten  in  seven 
battles.  At  the  battle  of  Trenton  he  led  the  van- 
guard, and  in  the  act  of  charging  upon  the  enemy 
he  received  a  wound  in  the  left  shoulder. 


As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was 
promoted  to  be  captain  of  infantry,  and,  having  re- 
covered from  his  wounds,  he  rejoined  the  army. 
He,  however,  receded  from  the  line  of  promotion 
by  becoming  an  officer  on  the  staff  of  Lord  Ster- 
ling. During  the  campaigns  of  1777  and  1778, 
in  the  actions  of  Brandywine,  Germantown  and 
Monmouth,  he  continued  aide-de-camp;  but  be- 
coming desirous  to  regain  his  position  in  the 
army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a  regiment  for 
the  Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed,  owing  to 
the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon  this 
failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued  with  consid- 
erable ardor  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did 
not,  however,  entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for 
the  green  bag,  but  on  the  invasion  of  the  enemy 
served  as  a  volunteer  during  the  two  years  of  his 
legal  pursuits. 

In  17S2  he  was  elected  from  King  George 
County  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Virginia, 
and  by  that  body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the 
Executive  Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with 
the  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  at  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  having  at  this  early  period 
displayed  some  of  that  ability  and  aptitude  for 
legislation  which  were  afterward  employed  with 
unremitting  energy  for  the  public  good,  he  was 
in  the  succeeding  year  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States. 

Deeply  as  Mr.  Monroe  felt  the  imperfections  of 
the  old  Confederacy,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new 
Constitution,  thinking,  with  many  others  of  the 
Republican  party,  that  it  gave  too  much  power  to 
the  Central  Government,  and  not  enough  to  the 
individual  States.  Still  he  retained  the  esteem 
of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm  supporters,  and 
who.  notwithstanding  his  opposition,  secured  its 
adoption.  In  1789  he  became  a  member  of  the 
United   States   Senate,  which    office    he  held  for  . 


3& 


JAMES  MONROE. 


four  years.  Every  month  the  line  of  distinction 
between  the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the 
nation,  the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was 
growing  more  distinct.  The  differences  which 
now  separated  them  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  in  sympathy  with  France,  and 
also  in  favor  of  such  a  strict  construction  of  the 
Constitution  as  to  give  the  Central  Government  as 
little  power,  and  the  State  Governments  as  much 
power,  as  the  Constitution  would  warrant;  while 
the  Federalists  sympathized  with  England,  and 
were  in  favor  of  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, which  would  give  as  much  power  to  the 
Central  Government  as  that  document  could  pos- 
sibly authorize. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the 
principles  of  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe 
was  drawn  into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and 
far  away.  Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of 
neutrality  between  these  contending  powers. 
France  had  helped  us  in  the  struggles  for  our 
liberties.  All  the  despotisms  of  Europe  were  now 
combined  to  prevent  the  French  from  escaping 
from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse  than  that 
which  we  had  endured.  Col.  Monroe,  more  mag- 
nanimous than  prudent,  was  anxious  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
their  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  gener- 
ous and  noble  nature,  and  Washington,  who  could 
appreciate  such  a  character,  showed  his  calm,  se- 
rene, almost  divine,  greatness,  by  appointing  that 
very  James  Monroe  who  was  denouncing  the  pol- 
icy of  the  Government,  as  the  minister  of  that 
Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Conven- 
tion in  France  with  the  most  enthusiastic  dem- 
onstration. 

Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  country,  Mr. 
Monroe  was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
held  the  office  for  three  years.  He  was  again 
sent  to  France  to  co-operate  with  Chancellor  Liv- 
ingston in  obtaining  the  vast  territory  then  known 
as  the  province  of  Louisiana,  which  France  had 
but  shortly  before  obtained  from  Spain.  Their 
united  efforts  were  successful.  For  the  compara- 
tively small  sum  of  fifteen  millions  of  dollars,  the 


entire  territory  of  Orleans  and  district  of  Loui- 
siana were  added  to  the  United  States.  This  was 
probably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate  which 
was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  the  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to 
obtain  from  that  country  some  recognition  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against 
those  odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  But 
England  was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to 
England  on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive 
no  redress.  He  returned  to  his  home  and  was 
again  chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon 
resigned  to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of 
State  under  Madison.  While  in  this  office  war 
with  England  was  declared,  the  Secretary  of  War 
resigned,  and  during  these  trying  times  the 
duties  of  the  War  Department  were  also  put  upon 
him.  He  was  truly  the  armor-bearer  of  President 
Madison,  and  the  most  efficient  business  man  in 
his  cabinet.  Upon  the  return  of  peace  he  re- 
signed the  Department  of  War,  but  continued  in 
the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  until  the  expira- 
tion of  Mr.  Madison's  administration.  At  the 
election  held  the  previous  autumn,  Mr.  Monroe 
himself  had  been  chosen  President  with  but  little 
opposition,  and  upon  March  4,  1817,  he  was  in- 
augurated. Four  years  later  he  was  elected  for 
a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presi- 
dency were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United 
States,  the  Missouri  Compromise,  and  the  famous 
"  Monroe  doctrine."  This  doctrine  was  enun- 
ciated by  him  in  1823,  and  was  as  follows:  "  That 
we  should  consider  any  attempt  on  the  part  of 
European  powers  to  extend  their  system  to  any 
portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous  to  our 
peace  and  safety,"  and  that  "  we  could  not  view 
any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing  or 
controlling  American  governments  or  provinces 
in  any  other  light  than  as  a  manifestation  by 
European  powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition 
toward  the  United  States." 

At  the  end  of  his  second  term,  Mr.  Monroe  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  un- 
til 1830,  when  he  went  to  New  York  to  live  with 
his  son-in-law.  In  that  city  he  died,  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1831. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


/ 


■v; 


J,        2  .     jblcut-nj, 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 


(JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the  sixth  President 

I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  the  rural 
G/  liome  of  his  honored  father,  John  Adams,  in 
Quincy,  Mass.,  on  the  nth  of  July,  1767.  His 
mother,  a  woman  of  exalted  worth,  watched  over 
his  childhood  during  the  almost  constant  ab- 
sence of  his  father.  When  but  eight  years  of 
age,  he  stood  with  his  mother  on  an  eminence, 
listening  to  the  booming  of  the  great  battle  on 
Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  out  upon  the  smoke 
and  flames  billowing  up  from  the  conflagration  of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he  took  a  tearful 
adieu  of  his  mother,  to  sail  with  his  father  for  Eu- 
rope, through  a  fleet  of  hostile  British  cruisers. 
The  bright,  animated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a-half 
in  Paris,  where  his  father  was  associated  with 
Franklin  and  Lee  as  Minister  Plenipotentiary. 
His  intelligence  attracted  the  notice  of  these  dis- 
tinguished men,  and  he  received  from  them  flat- 
tering marks  of  attention. 

John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
country,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad. 
Again  John  Quincy  accompanied  his  father.  At 
Paris  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  great  dil- 
igence for  six  months,  and  then  accompanied  his 
father  to  Holland,  where  he  entered  first  a  school 
in  Amsterdam,  then  the  University  at  Leyden. 
About  a  year  from  this  time,  in  1781,  when  the 
manly  boy  was  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  was 
selected  by  Mr.  Dana,  our  Minister  to  the  Rus- 
sian court,  as  his  private  secretary. 

In  this  school  of  incessant  labor  and  of  ennobl- 
ing culture  he  spent  fourteen  months,  and  then 
returned  to  Holland,  through  Sweden,  Denmark, 
Hamburg  and  Bremen.  This  long  journey  he 
took  alone  in  the  winter,  when  in  his  sixteenth 
year.  Again  he  resumed  his  studies,  under  a  pri- 
vate tutor,  at  The  Hague.  Then ,  in  the  spring  of 
1782,  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Paris,  travel- 
ing leisurely,  and  forming  acquaintances  with  the 
most  distinguished  men  on  the  continent,  examin- 


ing architectural  remains,  galleries  of  paintings, 
and  all  renowned  works  of  art.  At  Paris  he 
again  became  associated  with  the  most  illustrious 
men  of  all  lands  in  the  contemplation  of  the 
loftiest  temporal  themes  which  can  engross  the 
human  mind.  After  a  short  visit  to  England  he 
returned  to  Paris,  and  consecrated  all  his  energies 
to  study  until  May,  1785,  when  he  returned  to 
America  to  finish  his  education. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  he  studied  law  for  three  years.  In  June, 
1794,  being  then  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
he  was  appointed  by  Washington  Resident  Min- 
ister at  the  Netherlands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in 
July,  he  reached  London  in  October,  where  he 
was  immediately  admitted  to  the  deliberations  of 
Messrs.  Jay  &  Pinckney,  assisting  them  in  nego- 
tiating a  commercial  treaty  with  Great  Britain. 
After  thus  spending  a  fortnight  in  London,  he 
proceeded  to  The  Hague. 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  The  Hague  to  go  to  Por- 
tugal as  Minister  Plenipotentiary.  On  his  way  to 
Portugal,  upon  arriving  in  London,  he  met  with 
despatches  directing  him  to  the  court  of  Berlin,  but 
requesting  him  to  remain  in  London  until  he 
should  receive  his  instructions.  While  waiting 
he  was  married  to  an  American  lady,  to  whom  he 
had  been  previously  engaged — Miss  Louisa  Cath- 
erine Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  Johnson, 
American  Consul  in  London,  and  a  lady  en- 
dowed with  that  beauty  and  those  accomplish- 
ments which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  the 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  was  destined.  He 
reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1797, 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  hav- 
ing fulfilled  all  the  purposes  of  his  mission,  he  so- 
licited his  recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen 
to  the  Senate  of  Massachusetts  from  Boston,  and 
then  was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for 
six  years,  from  the  4th  of  March,  1S04.  His  rep- 
utation,   his    ability  and    his  experience    placed 


4° 

him  immediately  among  the  most  prominent  and 
influential  members  of  that  body. 

In  1809,  Madison  succeeded  Jefferson  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated 
John  Quincy  Adams  Minister  to  St.  Petersburgh. 
Resigning  his  professorship  in  Harvard  Col- 
lege, he  embarked  at  Boston  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Russia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense 
student.  He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  lan- 
guage and  history  of  Russia;  to  the  Chinese  trade; 
to  the  European  system  of  weights,  measures  and 
coins;  to  the  climate  and  astronomical  observa- 
tions; while  he  kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance 
with  the  Greek  and  Latin  classics.  In  all  the 
universities  of  Europe,  a  more  accomplished 
scholar  could  scarcely  be  found.  All  through 
life  the  Bible  constituted  an  important  part  of  his 
studies.  It  was  his  rule  to  read  five  chapters 
every  day. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  Mr.  Monroe  took 
the  Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  appointed 
Mr.  Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave  of 
his  numerous  friends  in  public  and  private  life  in 
Europe,  he  sailed  in  June,  18 19,  for  the  United 
States.  On  the  18th  of  August,  he  again  crossed 
the  threshold  of  his  home  in  Quincy.  During  the 
eight  years  of  Mr.  Monroe's  administration,  Mr. 
Adams  continued  Secretary  of  State. 

Some  time  before  the  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's 
second  term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be 
presented  for  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr. 
Adams  brought  forward  his  name.  It  was  an 
exciting  campaign,  and  party  spirit  was  never- 
more bitter.  Two  hundred  and  sixty  electoral 
votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jacksorr  received  ninety- 
nine;  John  Quincy  Adams  eighty-four;  William 
H.  Crawford  forty-one;  and  Henry  Clay  thirty- 
seven.  As  there  was  no  choice  by  the  people, 
the  question  went  to  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. Mr.  Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to 
Mr.  Adams,  and  he  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates 
now  combined  irr  a  venomous  and  persistent  as- 
sault upon  Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more 
disgraceful  in  the  past  history  of  our  country  than 
the  abuse  which  was  poured  in  one  uninterrupted 
stream  upon  this  high-minded,  upright  and  pa- 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 


triotic  man.  There  never  was  an  administration 
more  pure  in  principles,  more  conscientiously  de- 
voted to  the  best  interests  of  the  country,  than 
that  of  John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  perhaps, 
was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupulously 
and  outrageously  assailed. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  T829,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  An- 
drew Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected 
Vice-President.  The  slavery  question  now  be- 
gan to  assume  portentous  magnitude.  Mr.  Adams 
returned  to  Quincy  and  to  his  studies,  which  he 
pursued  with  unabated  zeal.  But  he  was  not 
long  permitted  to  remain  in  retirement.  In  No- 
vember, rS30,  he  was  elected  Representative  in 
Congress.  For  seventeen  years,  or  until  his  death, 
he  occupied  the  post  as  Representative,  towering 
above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to  do  brave  battle 
for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of  "the  Old 
Man  Eloquent."  Upon  taking  his  seat  in  the 
House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  him- 
self bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never 
was  a  member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He 
was  usually  the  first  in  his  place  irr  the  morning, 
arrd  the  last  to  leave  his  seat  in  the  evening. 
Not  a  measure  could  be  brought  forward  and  es- 
cape his  scrutiny.  The  battle  which  Mr.  Adams 
fought,  almost  singly,  against  the  pro-slavery 
party  in  the  Government  was  sublime  in  its 
moral  daring  and  heroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitiorrs  for  the  abolition  of  slavery, 
he  was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grarrd 
jury,  with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assas- 
sination; but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and 
his  final  triumph  was  complete. 

On  the  2  r st  of  February,  rS4S,  he  rose  on  the 
floor  of  Congress  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to 
address  the  speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again 
stricken  by  paralysis,  and  was  caught  irr  the  arms 
of  those  arourrd  him.  For  a  time  he  was  sense- 
less, as  he  was  conveyed  to  the  sofa  in  the  ro- 
tunda. With  reviving  consciousness,  he  opened 
his  eyes,  looked  calmly  arourrd  arrd  said  "This 
is  the  end  of  earth;"  then  after  a  moment's  pause 
he  added,  "  I  am  content."  These  were  the  last 
words  of  the  grand  ' '  Old  Man  Eloquent. ' ' 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSHY  Of  ILI 
URbAM 


,   </ 


^=Z^€?  /*</££  s  / 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


61  NDREW  JACKSON,  the  seventh  President 
Ll  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Waxhaw 
/  I  settlement,  N.  C,  March  15,  1767,  a  few 
days  after  his  father's  death.  His  parents  were 
poor  emigrants  from  Ireland,  and  took  up  their 
abode  in  Waxhaw  settlement,  where  they  lived 
in  deepest  poverty. 

Andrew,  or  Andy,  as  he  was  universally  called, 
grew  up  a  very  rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.  His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  ungainly,  and  there 
was  but  very  little  in  his  character  made  visible 
which  was  attractive. 

When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the 
volunteers  of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion. 
In  1 78 1,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured 
and  imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British 
officer  ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered 
boots.  "lam  a  prisoner  of  war,  not  your  serv- 
ant," was  the  reply  of  the  dauntless  boy. 

Andrew  supported  himself  in  various  wa}-s,  such 
as  working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school, 
and  clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  when 
he  entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He, 
however,  gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amuse- 
ments of  the  times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788, 
he  was  appointed  solicitor  for  the  Western  District 
of  North  Carolina,  of  which  Tennessee  was  then 
a  part.  This  involved  many  long  journeys  amid 
dangers  of  every  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never 
knew  fear,  and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  re- 
peat a  skirmish  with    "Sharp  Knife." 

In  1791,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman 
who  supposed  herself  divorced  from  her  former 
husband.  Great  was  the  surprise  of  both  parties, 
two  years  later,  to  find  that  the  conditions  of  the 
divorce  had  just  been  definitely  settled  by  the 
first  husband.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed a  second  time,  but  the  occurrence  was 
often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr.  Jackson 
into  disfavor. 


In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee 
then  containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, the  people  met  in  convention  at  Knoxville 
to  frame  a  constitution.  Five  were  sent  from 
each  of  the  eleven  counties.  Andrew  Jackson 
was  one  of  the  delegates.  The  new  State  was 
entitled  to  but  one  member  in  the  National  House 
of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jackson  was  chosen 
that  member.  Mounting  his  horse,  he  rode  to 
Philadelphia,  where  Congress  then  held  its  ses- 
sions, a  distance  of  about  eight  hundred  miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  Jefferson  was  his  idol.  He  ad- 
mired Bonaparte,  loved  France,  and  hated  Eng- 
land. As  Mr.  Jackson  took  his  seat,  Gen.  Wash- 
ington, whose  second  term  of  office  was  then 
expiring,  delivered  his  last  speech  to  Congress. 
A  committee  drew  up  a  complimentary  address  in 
reply.  Andrew  Jackson  did  not  approve  of  the 
address,  and  was  one  of  the  twelve  who  voted 
against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to  say  that  Gen. 
Washington's  administiation  had  been  "wise, 
firm  and  patriotic. ' ' 

Mr.  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned 
home.  Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  his  State,  which  position  he 
held  for  six  years. 

When  the  War  of  18 12  with  Great  Britain  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  Burr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there 
was  an  unknown  man  in  the  West,  Andrew  Jack- 
son, who  would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one 
were  conferred  upon  him.  Just  at  that  time  Gen. 
Jackson  offered  his  services  and  those  of  twenty- 
five  hundred  volunteers.  His  offer  was  accepted, 
and  the  troops  were  assembled  at  Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  expected  to  make 
an  attack  upon  New  Orleans,  where  Gen.  Wil- 
kinson was  in  command,  he  was  ordered  to  de- 


44 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


scend  the  river  with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid 
Wilkinson.  The  expedition  reached  Natchez, 
and  after  a  delay  of  several  weeks  there  without 
accomplishing  anything,  the  men  were  ordered 
back  to  their  homes.  But  the  energy  Gen.  Jack- 
son had  displayed,  and  his  entire  devotion  to  the 
comfort  of  his  soldiers,  won  for  him  golden  opin- 
ions, and  he  became  the  most  popular  man  in  the 
State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his  tough- 
ness gave  him  the  nickname  of   "Old  Hickory." 

Soon  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhip 
Col.  Thomas  Benton  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  part  as  second  in  a  duel 
in  which  a  younger  brother  of  Benton's  was  en- 
gaged, he  received  two  severe  pistol  wounds. 
While  he  was  lingering  upon  a  bed  of  suffering, 
news  came  that  the  Indians,  who  had  combined 
under  Tecumseh  from  Florida  to  the  Lakes  to  ex- 
terminate the  white  settlers,  were  committing  the 
most  awful  ravages.  Decisive  action  became  nec- 
essary. Gen.  Jackson,  with  his  fractured  bone 
just  beginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in  a  sling,  and 
unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assistance, 
gave  his  amazing  energies  to  the  raising  of  an 
army  to  rendezvous  at  Fayettesville,  Ala. 

The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong 
fort  on  one  of  the  bends  of  the  Tallapoosa  River, 
near  the  center  of  Alabama,  about  fifty  miles  be- 
low Ft.  Strother.  With  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  Gen.  Jackson  traversed  the  pathless  wilder- 
ness in  a  march  of  eleven  days.  He  reached  their 
fort,  called  Tohopeka  or  Horse-shoe,  on  the  27th 
of  March,  1814.  The  bend  of  the  river  enclosed 
nearly  one  hundred  acres  of  tangled  forest  and 
wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow  neck  the  Indians 
had  constructed  a  formidable  breastwork  of  logs 
and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors,  with 
an  ample  supply  of  arms,  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly 
desperate.  Not  an  Indian  woidd  accept  quarter. 
When  bleeding  and  dying,  they  would  fight  those 
who  endeavored  to  spare  their  lives.  From  ten 
in  the  morning  until  dark  the  battle  raged.  The 
carnage  was  awful  and  revolting.  Some  threw 
themselves  into  the  river;  but  the  unerring  bul- 
lets struck  their  heads  as  they  swam.  Nearly 
even'   one    of  the   nine   hundred    warriors   was 


killed.  A  few,  probably,  in  the  night  swam 
the    river   and   escaped.      This   ended  the   war. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  War  enabled  us  to 
concentrate  all  our  militia  upon  the  British,  who 
were  the  allies  of  the  Indians.  No  man  of  less 
resolute  will  than  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  con- 
ducted this  Indian  campaign  to  so  successful  an 
issue.  Immediately  he  was  appointed  Major- 
General. 

Late  in  August,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men  on  a  rushing  march,  Gen.  Jackson  went  to 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  went  from  Pensacola, 
landed  a  force  upon  the  beach,  anchored  near  the 
little  fort,  and  from  both  ship  and  shore  com- 
menced a  furious  assault.  The  battle  was  long 
and  doubtful.  At  length  one  of  the  ships  was 
blown  up  and  the  rest  retired. 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his 
little  army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
and  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  which  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  very  arduous  campaign.  This 
won  for  Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishable  name. 
Here  his  troops,  which  numbered  about  four 
thousand  men,  won  a  signal  victory  over  the 
British  army  of  about  nine  thousand.  His  loss 
was  but  thirteen,  while  the  loss  of  the  British  was 
twenty-six  hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Presidency, 
but  in  1824  he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams. 
He  was,  however,  successful  in  the  election  of 
1828,  and  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term  in 
1832.  In  1829,  just  before  he  assumed  the  reins 
of  government,  he  met  with  the  most  terrible 
affliction  of  his  life  in  the  death  of  his  wife,  whom 
he  had  loved  with  a  devotion  which  has  perhaps 
never  been  surpassed.  From  the  shock  of  her 
death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  mem- 
orable in  the  annals  of  our  country — applauded 
by  one  party,  condemned  by  the  other.  No  man 
had  more  bitter  enemies  or  wanner  friends.  At 
the  expiration  of  his  two  terms  of  office  he  retired 
to  the  Hermitage,  where  he  died  JuneS,  1845.  The 
last  years  of  Mr.  Jackson's  life  were  those  of  a  de- 
voted Christian  man. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSI1Y  Uf  ILLINOIS 

URESANA 


7  2//ZS&:  ^^/^J  t-ot^^ 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


y>|ARTlN  VAN  BUREN,  the  eighth  Presi- 
Y  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  at  Kill- 
ed derhook,  N.  Y.,  December  5,  17S2.  He 
died  at  the  same  place,  July  24,  1862.  His  body 
rests  in  the  cemetery1  at  Kinderhook.  Above  it  is 
a  plain  granite  shaft,  fifteen  feet  high,  bearing  a 
simple  inscription  about  half-way  up  on  one  face. 
The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordered  or  unbounded 
by  shrub  or  flower. 

There  is  but  little  in  the  life  of  Martin  Van 
Buren  of  romantic  interest.  He  fought  no  battles, 
engaged  in  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life 
was  stormy  in  political  and  intellectual  conflicts, 
and  he  gained  many  signal  victories,  his  days 
passed  uneventful  in  those  incidents  which  give 
zest  to  biography.  His  ancestors,  as  his  name  indi- 
cates, were  of  Dutch  origin,  and  were  among  the 
earliest  emigrants  from  Holland  to  the  banks  of 
the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  residing 
in  the  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother,  also 
of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  exemplary  piety. 

He  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing 
unusual  activity,  vigor  and  strength  of  mind.  At 
the  age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic 
studies  in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the 
study  of  law.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion, seven  years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  re- 
quired of  him  before  he  could  be  admitted  to  the 
Bar.  Inspired  with  a  lofty  ambition,  and  con- 
scious of  his  powers,  he  pursued  his  studies  with 
indefatigable  industry.  After  spending  six  years 
in  an  office  in  his  native  village,  he  went  to  the  city 
of  New  York,  and  prosecuted  his  studies  for  the 
seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  twenty-one  years 


of  age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  na- 
tive village.  The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal 
and  Republican  parties  was  then  at  its  height. 
Mr.  Van  Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politi- 
cian. He  had,  perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while 
listening  to  the  many  discussions  which  had  been 
carried  on  in  his  father' s  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial 
sympathy  with  Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  elo- 
quently espoused  the  cause  of  State  Rights,  though 
at  that  time  the  Federal  part}'  held  the  supremacy 
both  in  his  town  and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  reputation  led  him 
after  six  years  of  practice  to  remove  to  Hudson, 
the  county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent 
seven  years,  constantly  gaining  strength  by  con- 
tending in  the  courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men 
who  have  adorned  the  Bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  for  Hudson,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomplishments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  a  victim  of  con- 
sumption, leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to 
weep  over  her  loss.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  was  an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous 
lawyer.  The  record  of  those  years  is  barren  in 
items  of  public  interest.  In  18 12,  when  thirty 
years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to  the  State  Senate, 
and  gave  his  strenuous  support  to  Mr.  Madison's 
administration.  In  181 5,  he  was  appointed  At- 
torney-General, and  the  next  year  moved  to  Al- 
bany, the  capital  of  the  State. 

While  he  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  leaders  of  the  Democratic  party,  he  had 
the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  that  "universal  suffrage"  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  right 


*8 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


of  governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with 
his  democratic  principles,  he  contended  that,  while 
the  path  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should 
he  open  to  even  man  without  distinction,  no  one 
should  be  invested  with  that  sacred  prerogative 
unless  he  were  in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by 
intelligence,  virtue,  and  some  property  interests  in 
the  welfare  of  the  State. 

In  [821  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate,  and  in  the  same  year  he  took  a 
seat  in  the  convention  to  revise  the  Constitution  of 
his  native  State.  His  course  in  this  convention 
secured  the  approval  of  men  of  all  parties.  No 
one  could  doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to 
promote  the  interests  of  all  classes  in  the  com- 
munity. In  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  he 
rose  at  once  to  a  conspicuous  position  as  an  active 
and  useful  legislator. 

In  [827,  John  Quincy  Adams  being  then  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected 
to  the  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning 
a  determined  opposer  of  the  administration,  adopt- 
ing the  "State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what 
was  deemed  the  Federal  proclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Soon  after  this,  in  1S2S,  he  was  chosen  Governor 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned 
his  seat  in  the  Senate.  Probably  no  one  in  the 
United  States  contributed  so  much  towards  eject- 
ing John  O.  Adams  from  the  Presidential  chair, 
and  placing  in  it  Andrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin 
Van  Buren.  Whether  entitled  to  the  reputation 
or  not.  he  certainly  was  regarded  throughout  the 
United  States  as  one  of  the  most  skillful,  sagacious 
and  cunning  of  politicians.  It  was  supposed  that 
no  one  knew  so  well  as  he  how  to  touch  the  secret 
springs  of  action,  how  to  pull  all  the  wires  to 
put  his  machinery  in  motion,  and  how  to  organize 
a  political  army  which  would  secretly  and  stealth- 
ily accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By  these 
powers  it  is  said  that  he  outwitted  Mr.  Adams.  Mr. 
Clay,  and  Mr.  Webster,  and  secured  results  which 
few  then  thought  could  be  accomplished. 

When  Andrew  Jackson  was  elected  President 
he  appointed  Mr.  Van  Buren  Secretary  of  State. 
This  position  he  resigned  in  1831,  and  was  im- 
mediately appointed  Minister  to  England,  where 
he  went  the  same  autumn.     The  Senate,  however. 


when  it  met,  refused  to  ratify  the  nomination,  and 
he  returned  home,  apparently  untroubled.  Later 
he  was  nominated  Vice-President  in  the  place  of 
Calhoun,  at  the  re-election  of  President  Jackson, 
and  with  smiles  for  all  and  frowns  for  none,  he 
took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that  Senate  which  had 
refused  to  confirm  his  nomination  as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  by  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal 
of  President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated 
favorite;  and  this,  probably,  more  than  any  other 
cause  ^ecured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the 
Chief  Executive.  On  the  20th  of  May,  1836,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  received  the  Democratic  nomination 
to  succeed  Gen.  Jackson  as  President  of  the  United 
States.  He  was  elected  by  a  handsome  majority, 
to  the  delight  of  the  retiring  President.  '  "Leaving 
New  York  out  of  the  canvass,"  says  Mr.  Partou, 
"the  election  of  Mr.  Van  Buren  to  the  Presidency 
was  as  much  the  act  of  Gen.  Jackson  as  though 
the  Constitution  had  conferred  upon  him  the  power 
to  appoint  a  successor." 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting 
events.  The  insurrection  in  Canada,  which 
threatened  to  involve  this  country  in  war  with 
England,  the  agitation  of  the  slavery  question, 
and  finally  the  great  commercial  panic  which 
spread  over  the  country,  all  were  trials  of  his  wis- 
dom. The  financial  distress  was  attributed  to 
the  management  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  he 
tailed  of  re-election,  and  on  the  4th  of  March. 
1841,  he  retired  from  the  presidency. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
acy  by  the  "Free  Soil"  Democrats  in  1S48, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  quietly  upon  his  estate  until 
his  death.  He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of 
frugal  habits,  and,  living  within  his  income,  had 
now  fortunately  a  competence  for  his  declining 
years.  From  his  fine  estate  at  Lindenwald,  he 
still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  politics 
of  the  country.  From  this  time  until  his  death, 
on  the  24th  of  July,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years,  he  resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of 
leisure,  of  culture  and  wealth,  enjoying  in  a 
healthy  old  age  probably  far  more  happiness  than 
he  had  before  experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes 
of  his  active  life. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSilY  OF  ILUNOIS 

URBANA 


&  M//#^. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


(ILUAM  HENRY  HARRISON,  the  ninth 
President  of  the  United  States,  was  born 
at  Berkeley,  Va.,  February  9,  1773.  His 
father,  Benjamin  Harrison,  was  in  comparatively 
opulent  circumstances,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  of  his  day.  He  was  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  George  Washington,  was  early 
elected  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress, 
and  was  conspicuous  among  the  patriots  of  Vir- 
ginia in  resisting  the  encroachments  of  the  British 
crown.  In  the  celebrated  Congress  of  1775,  Ben- 
jamin Harrison  and  John  Hancock  were  both 
candidates  for  the  office  of  Speaker. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  subsequently  chosen  Gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  and  was  twice  re-elected.  His 
son  William  Henry,  of  course,  enjoyed  in  child- 
hood all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and  intel- 
lectual and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
ing received  a  thorough  common-school  educa- 
tion, he  entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where 
he  graduated  with  honor  soon  after  the  death  of 
his  father.  He  then  repairtd  to  Philadelphia  to 
study  medicine  under  the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush 
and  the  guardianship  of  Robert  Morris,  both  of 
whom  were,  with  his  father,  signers  of  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and 
notwithstanding  the  remonstrances  of  his  friends, 
he  abandoned  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the 
army,  having  obtained  a  commission  as  Ensign 
from  President  Washington.  He  was  then  but 
nineteen  years  old.  From  that  time  he  passed 
gradually  upward  in  rank  until  he  became  aide 
to  Gen.  Wayne,  after  whose  death  he  resigned 
his  commission.  He  was  then  appointed  Secre- 
tary of  the  Northwestern  Territory.  This  Terri- 
tory was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in  Con- 


gress, and  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that  position. 
In  the  spring  of  1800  the  Northwestern  Terri- 
tory was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions. 
The  eastern  portion,  comprising  the  region  now 
embraced  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  "The 
Territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio."  The  western 
portion,  which  included  what  is  now  called  Indi- 
ana, Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  was  called  "the  Indi- 
ana Territory."  William  Henry  Harrison,  then 
twenty-seven  years  of  age,  was  appointed  by  John 
Adams  Governor  of  the  Indiana  Territory,  and 
immediately  after  also  Governor  of  Upper  Loui- 
siana. He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as  exten- 
sive a  realm  as  any  sovereign  upon  the  globe. 
He  was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and 
was  invested  with  powers  nearly  dictatorial  over 
the  then  rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The 
ability  and  fidelity  with  which  he  discharged 
these  responsible  duties  may  be  inferred  from  the 
fact  that  he  was  four  times  appointed  to  this 
office — first  by  John  Adams,  twice  by  Thomas 
Jefferson,  and  afterwards  by  President  Madison. 

When  he  began  his  administration  there  were 
but  three  white  settlements  in  that  almost  bound- 
less region,  now  crowded  with  cities  and  resound- 
ing with  all  the  tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic. 
One  of  these  settlements  was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly 
opposite  Louisville;  one  at  Vincennes,  on  the 
Wabash;  and  the  third  was  a  French  settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  Gov.  Harrison 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians. 
About  the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men. 
twin  brothers  of  the  Shawnee  tribe,  rose  among 
them.  One  of  these  was  called  Tecumseh,  or 
"the  Crouching  Panther;"  the  other  Olliwa- 
checa,  or  "the  Prophet."  Tecumseh  was  not 
only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man  of  great  sagac- 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLIuUli 
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52 


WILUAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


ity,  far-reaching  foresight  and  indomitable  perse- 
verance in  any  enterprise  in  which  he  might  en- 
gage. His  brother,  the  Prophet,  was  an  orator, 
who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untutored  In- 
dians as  the  gale  tossed  the  tree-tops  beneath 
which  they  dwelt.  With  an  enthusiasm  unsur- 
passed by  Peter  the  Hermit  rousing  Europe  to  the 
crusades,  he  went  from  tribe  to  tribe,  assuming 
that  he  was  specially  sent  by  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harrison  made  many  attempts  to  con- 
ciliate the  Indians,  but  at  last  war  came,  and  at 
Tippecanoe  the  Indians  were  routed  with  great 
slaughter.  October  28,  18 12,  his  army  began  its 
march.  When  near  the  Prophet's  town,  three 
Indians  of  rank  made  their  appearance  and  in- 
quired why  Gov.  Harrison  was  approaching  them 
in  so  hostile  an  attitude.  After  a  short  confer- 
ence, arrangements  were  made  for  a  meeting  the 
next  day  to  agree  upon  terms  of  peace. 

But  Gov.  Harrison  was  too  well  acquainted 
with  the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such 
protestations.  Selecting  a  favorable  spot  for  his 
night's  encampment,  he  took  every  precaution 
against  surprise.  His  troops  were  posted  in  a 
hollow  square  and  slept  upon  their  arms.  The 
wakeful  Governor,  between  three  and  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting 
in  conversation  with  his  aides  by  the  embers 
of  a  waning  fire.  It  was  a  chill,  cloudy  morning, 
with  a  drizzling  rain.  In  the  darkness,  the  In- 
dians had  crept  as  near  as  possible,  and  just  then, 
with  a  savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all  the  despera- 
tion which  superstition  and  passion  most  highly 
inflamed  could  give,  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
little  army.  The  savages  had  been  amply  pro- 
vided with  guns  and  ammunition  by  the  English, 
and  their  war-whoop  was  accompanied  by  a 
shower  of  bullets. 

The  camp-fires  were  instantly  extinguished,  as 
the  light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim,  and 
Gen.  Harrison's  troops  stood  as  immovable  as 
the  rocks  around  them  until  clay  dawned,  when 
they  made  a  simultaneous  charge  with  the  bayo- 
net and  swept  everything  before  them,  completely 
routing  the  foe. 

Gov.  Harrison  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 
to  the  utmost.     The  British,  descending  from  the 


Canadas,  were  of  themselves  a  very  formidable 
force,  but  with  their  savage  allies  rushing  like 
wolves  from  the  forest,  burning,  plundering,  scalp- 
ing torturing,  the  wide  frontier  was  plunged  into 
a  state  of  consternation  which  even  the  most  vivid 
imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive.  Gen.  Hull 
had  made  an  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at 
Detroit.  Under  these  despairing  circumstances, 
Gov.  Harrison  was  appointed  by  President  Madi- 
son Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Northwestern 
Army,  with  orders  to  retake  Detroit  and  to  protect 
the  frontiers.  It  would  be  difficult  to  place  a  man 
in  a  situation  demanding  more  energy,  sagacity 
and  courage,  but  he  was  found  equal  to  the 
position,  and  nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  meet 
all  the  responsibilities. 

In  1816,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  member 
of  the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  rep- 
resent the  District  of  Ohio.  In  Congress  he  proved 
an  active  member,  and  whenever  he  spoke  it  was 
with  a  force  of  reason  and  power  of  eloquence 
which  arrested  the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  18 1 9,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio,  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  Presidential  Elec- 
tors of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry 
Clay.  The  same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  Uni- 
ted States  Senate.  In  1836  his  friends  brought 
him  forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency 
against  Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the 
close  of  Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  was  re-nom- 
inated by  his  party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unani- 
mously nominated  by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler 
for  the  Vice-Presidency.  The  contest  was  very 
animated.  Gen.  Jackson  gave  all  his  influence  to 
prevent  Harrison's  election,  but  his  triumph  was 
signal. 

The  cabinet  which  he  formed,  with  Daniel  Web- 
ster at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  with  which  any  President  had 
ever  been  surrounded.  Never  were  the  prospects 
of  an  administration  more  flattering,  or  the  hopes 
of  the  country  more  sanguine.  In  the  midst  of 
these  bright  and  joyous  prospects,  Gen.  Harrison 
was  seized  by  a  pleurisy-fever,  and  after  a  few 
days  of  violent  sickness  died,  on  the  4th  of  April, 
just  one  month  after  his  inauguration  as  President 
of  the  United  States. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URSANA 


JOHN  TYLER. 


(JOHN  TYLER,  the  tenth  President  of  the 
I  United  States,  and  was  born  in  Charles 
(2/  City  County,  Va.,  March  29,  1790.  He  was 
the  favored  child  of  affluence  and  high  social  po- 
sition. At  the  early  age  of  twelve,  John  entered 
William  and  Mary  College,  and  graduated  with 
much  honor  when  but  seventeen  years  old.  After 
graduating,  he  devoted  himself  with  great  assi- 
duity to  the  study  of  law,  partly  with  his  father 
and  partly  with  Edmund  Randolph,  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  His  success  was  rapid  and  as- 
tonishing. It  is  said  that  three  months  had  not 
elapsed  ere  there  was  scarcely  a  case  on  the 
docket  of  the  court  in  which  he  was  not  retained. 
When  but  twenty -one  years  of  age,  he  was  almost 
unanimously  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature. He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures 
of  Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive 
years  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving 
nearly  the  unanimous  vote  of  his  county. 

When  but  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was 
elected  a  Member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  ear- 
nestly and  ably  with  the  Democratic  party,  oppos- 
ing a  national  bank,  internal  improvements  by 
the  General  Government,  and  a  protective  tariff; 
advocating  a  strict  construction  of  the  Constitu- 
tion and  the  most  careful  vigilance  over  State 
rights.  His  labors  in  Congress  were  so  arduous 
that  before  the  close  of  his  second  term  he  found 
it  necessary  to  resign  and  retire  to  his  estate  in 
Charles  City  County  to  recruit  his  health.  He, 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  in 
the  State  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was 
powerful  in  promoting  public  works  of  great 
utility.  With  a  reputation  thus  constantly  in- 
creasing, he  was  chosen  by  a  very  large  majority 
of  votes  Governor  of  his  native  State.  His  ad- 
ministration was  a  signally  successful  one,  and  his 
popularity  secured  his  re-election. 


John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  erratic,  half-crazed 
man,  then  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic 
party  was  displeased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  way- 
ward course,  and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as 
his  opponent,  considering  him  the  only  man  in 
Virginia  of  sufficient  popularity  to  succeed 
against  the  renowned  orator  of  Roanoke.  Mr. 
Tyler  was  the  victor. 

In  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  tak- 
ing his  seat  in  the  Senate  he  joined  the  ranks  of 
the  opposition.  He  opposed  the  tariff,  and  spoke 
against  and  voted  against  the  bank  as  unconsti- 
tutional; he  strenuously  opposed  all  restrictions 
upon  slavery,  resisting  all  projects  of  internal  im- 
provements by  the  General  Government,  and 
avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr.  Calhoun's  view 
of  nullification;  he  declared  that  Gen.  Jackson, 
by  his  opposition  to  the  nullifiers,  had  abandoned 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  Such 
was  Mr.  Tyler's  record  in  Congress — a  record  in 
perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  There  was  a  split  in  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a 
true  Jeffersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  show- 
ered compliments  upon  him.  He  had  now  at- 
tained the  age  of  forty-six,  and  his  career  had  been 
very  brilliant.  In  consequence  of  his  devotion  to 
public  business,  his  private  affairs  had  fallen  into 
some  disorder,  and  it  was  not  without  satisfac- 
tion that  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  and  de- 
voted himself  to  the  cultivation  of  his  plantation. 
Soon  after  this  he  removed  to  Williamsburg,  for 
the  better  education  of  his  children,  and  he  again 
took  his  seat  in  the  Legislature  of  Virginia. 

By  the  southern  Whigs  he  was  sent  to  the 
national  convention  at  Harrisburg  in  1839  to  nom- 
inate a  President.  The  majority  of  votes  were 
given  to  Gen  Harrison,  a  genuine  Whig,  much 
to  the  disappointment  of  the  South,  which  wished 


56 


JOHN  TYLER. 


for  Henry  Clay.  To  conciliate  the  southern 
Whigs  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the  convention 
then  nominated  John  Tyler  for  Vice-President. 
It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympathy 
with  the  Whig  party  in  the  North;  but  the  Vice- 
President  has  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to 
preside  over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it 
happened  that  a  Whig  President  and,  in  reality, 
a  Democratic  Vice-President  were  chosen. 

In  1 84 1,  Mr.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States.  In  one  short 
month  from  that  time,  President  Harrison  died, 
and  Mr.  Tyler  thus  found  himself,  to  his  own 
surprise  and  that  of  the  whole  nation,  an  occu- 
pant of  the  Presidential  chair.  Hastening  from 
Williamsburg  to  Washington,  on  the  6th  of 
April  he  was  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  re- 
sponsible office.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of 
exceeding  delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  long 
life  he  had  been  opposed  to  the  main  principles  of 
the  party  which  had  brought  him  into  power. 
He  had  ever  been  a  consistent,  honest  man,  with 
an  unblemished  record.  Gen.  Harrison  had  se- 
lected a  Whig  cabinet.  Should  he  retain  them, 
and  thus  surround  himself  with  counselors  whose 
views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own  ?  or,  on  the 
other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him,  and  select  a  cabinet  in 
harmony  with  himself,  and  which  would  oppose 
all  those  views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essen- 
tial to  the  public  welfare  ?  This  was  his  fearful 
dilemma.  He  invited  the  cabinet  which  Presi- 
dent Harrison  had  selected  to  retain  their  seats, 
and  recommended  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer, 
that  God  would  guide  and  bless  us. 

The  Whigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for 
the  incorporation  of  a  fiscal  bank  of  the  United 
States.  The  President,  after  ten  days'  delay,  re- 
turned it  with  his  veto.  He  suggested,  however, 
that  he  would  approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon 
such  a  plan  as  he  proposed.  Such  a  bill  was  ac- 
cordingly prepared,  and  privately  submitted  to 
him.  He  gave  it  his  approval.  It  was  passed 
without  alteration,  and  he  sent  it  back  with  his 
veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture.  It  is 
said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 


ure by  a  published  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Botts,  a  distinguished  Virginia  Whig,  who  se- 
verely touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opposition  now  exultingly  received  the 
President  into  their  arms.  The  party  which 
elected  him  denounced  him  bitterly.  All  the 
members  of  his  cabinet,  excepting  Mr.  Webster, 
resigned.  The  Whigs  of  Congress,  both  the 
Senate  and  the  House,  held  a  meeting  and  issued 
an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
proclaiming  that  all  political  alliance  between  the 
Whigs  and  President  Tyler  was  at  an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabinet  of  distinguished  Whigs 
and  Conservatives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong 
party  men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessary 
to  resign,  forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  his  Whig 
friends.  Thus  the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  un- 
fortunate administration  passed  sadly  away.  No 
one  was  satisfied.  The  land  was  filled  with  mur- 
murs and  vituperation.  Whigs  and  Democrats 
alike  assailed  him.  More  and  more,  however,  he 
brought  himself  into  sympathy  with  his  old 
friends,  the  Democrats,  until  at  the  close  of  his 
term  he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  support 
of  Mr.  Polk,  the  Democratic  candidate  for  his 
successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  President  Tyler  re- 
tired from  the  harassments  of  office,  to  the  regret 
of  neither  party,  and  probably  to  his  own  unspeak- 
able relief.  The  remainder  of  his  days  were 
passed  mainly  in  the  retirement  of  his  beautiful 
home — Sherwood  Forest,  Charles  City  County, 
Va.  His  first  wife,  Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died 
in  Washington  in  1842;  and  in  June,  1844, 
he  was  again  married,  at  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia 
Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of  many  personal  and 
intellectual  accomplishments. 

When  the  great  Rebellion  rose,  which  the 
State  Rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  John  C. 
Calhoun  had  inaugurated,  President  Tyler  re- 
nounced his  allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and 
joined  the  Confederates.  He  was  chosen  a  mem- 
ber of  their  Congress,  and  while  engaged  in 
active  measures  to  destroy,  by  force  of  arms,  the 
Government  over  which  he  had  once  presided,  he 
was  taken  sick  and  soon  died. 


LIBRARY 
UNJVEKSUY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


JAMES  K.  POLK. 


HAMES  K.  POLK,  the  eleventh  President  of 
I  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Meeklenburgh 
Q)  County,  N.  C,  November  2,  1795.  His 
parents  were  Samuel  and  Jane  (Knox)  Polk,  the 
former  a  son  of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 
at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the  first  pioneers,  in 
1735.  In  1806,  with  his  wife  and  children,  and 
soon  after  followed  by  most  of  the  members  of  the 
Polk  family,  Samuel  Polk  emigrated  some  two  or 
three  hundred  miles  farther  west,  to  the  rich  val- 
ley of  the  Duck  River.  Here,  in  the  midst  of  the 
wilderness,  in  a  region  which  was  subsequently 
called  Maury  County,  they  erected  their  log  huts 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the  hard  toil  of 
a  new  farm  in  the  wilderness,  James  K.  Polk 
spent  the  early  years  of  his  childhood  and  youth. 
His  father,  adding  the  pursuit  of  a  surveyor  to 
that  of  a  farmer,  gradually  increased  in  wealth, 
until  he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
region.  His  mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of 
strong  common  sense  and  earnest  piety. 

Very  early  in  life  James  developed  a  taste  for 
reading,  and  expressed  the  strongest  desire  to  ob- 
tain a  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training 
had  made  him  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught 
him  punctuality  and  industry,  and  had  inspired 
him  with  lofty  principles  of  morality.  His  health 
was  frail,  and  his  father,  fearing  that  he  might  not 
be  able  to  endure  a  sedentary  life,  got  a  situation 
for  him  behind  the  counter,  hoping  to  fit  him  for 
commercial  pursuits. 

This  was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He 
had  no  taste  for  these  duties,  and  his  daily  tasks 
were  irksome  in  the  extreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupation  but  a  few  weeks,  when, 
at  his  earnest  solicitation,  his  father  removed 
him  and  made  arrangements  for  him  to  pros- 
ecute his  studies.  Soon  after  he  sent  him  to  Mur- 
freesboro  Academy.  With  ardor  which  could 
scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed  forward  in  his 


studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a-half  years,  in 
the  autumn  of  18 15,  entered  the  sophomore  class 
in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  exemplary  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exercise,  never  allow- 
ing himself  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a 
religious  sen-ice. 

Mr.  Polk  graduated  in  1818,  with  the  highest 
honors,  being  deemed  the  best  scholar  of  his  class, 
both  in  mathematics  and  the  classics.  He  was 
then  twenty-three  years  of  age.  His  health  was 
at  this  time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with 
which  he  had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a 
short  season  of  relaxation,  he  went  to  Nashville, 
and  entered  the  office  of  Felix  Grundy,  to  study 
law.  Here  Mr.  Polk  renewed  his  acquaintance 
with  Andrew  Jackson,  who  resided  on  his  planta- 
tion, the  "Hermitage,"  but  a  few  miles  from 
Nashville.  They  had  probably  been  slightly  ac- 
quainted before. 

Mr.  Polk's  father  was  a  Jeffersoniau  Republican 
and  James  K.  adhered  to  the  same  political  faith. 
He  was  a  popular  public  speaker,  and  was  con- 
stantly called  upon  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
party  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such 
that  he  was  popularly  called  the  Napoleon  of  the 
stump.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  morals, 
genial  and  courteous  in  his  bearing,  and  with  that 
sympathetic  nature  in  the  joys  and  griefs  of  oth- 
ers which  gave  him  hosts  of  friends.  In  1823, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee, 
and  gave  his  strong  influence  toward  the  election 
of  his  friend,  Mr.  Jackson,  to  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States. 

In  January,  1824,  Mr.  Polk  married  Miss  Sarah 
Childress,  of  Rutherford  County,  Tenn.  His 
bride  was  altogether  worthy  of  him — -a  lady  of 
beauty  and  culture.  In  the  fall  of  1825  Mr.  Polk 
was  chosen  a  member  of  Congress,  and  the  satis- 
faction he  gave  his  constituents  may  be  inferred 


JAMES  K.  POLK. 


from  the  fact,  that  for  fourteen  successive  years, 
or  until  1839,  he  was  continued  in  that  office.  He 
then  voluntarily  withdrew,  only  that  he  might 
accept  the  Gubernatorial  chair  of  Tennessee.  In 
Congress  he  was  a  laborious  member,  a  frequent 
and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was  always  in  his 
seat,  always  courteous,  and  whenever  he  spoke 
it  was  always  to  the  poiut,  without  any  ambitious 
rhetorical  display. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House.  Strong  passions  were 
roused  and  stormy  scenes  were  witnessed,  but  he 
performed  his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general 
satisfaction,  and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to 
him  was  passed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on 
the  4th  of  March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk, 
as  a  candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State. 
He  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  Octo- 
ber 14,  1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville. 
In  1841  his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was 
again  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party,  but 
was  defeated. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Polk  was  in- 
augurated President  of  the  United  States.  The 
verdict  of  the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexation 
of  Texas  exerted  its  influence  upon  Congress, 
and  the  last  act  of  the  administration  of  President 
Tyler  was  to  affix  his  signature  to  a  joint  resolu- 
tion of  Congress,  passed  on  the  3d  of  March,  ap- 
proving of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to  the  Union. 
As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas  as  one  of  her 
provinces,  the  Mexican  Minister,  Almonte,  im- 
mediately demanded  his  passports  and  left  the 
country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation  to  be 
an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

In  his  first  message,  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediately,  by  act  of  Congress,  be 
received  into  the  Union  on  the  same  footing  with 
the  other  States.  In  the  mean  time,  Gen.  Taylor 
was  sent  with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the 
country.  He  was  first  sent  to  Nueces,  which  the 
Mexicans  said  was  the  western  boundary  of  Tex- 
as. Then  he  was  sent  nearly  two  hundred  miles 
further  west,  to  the  Rio  Grande,  where  he  erected 
batteries  which  commanded  the  Mexican  city  of 
Matamoras,    which  was  situated  on  the  western 


banks.  The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place, 
and  war  was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President 
Polk.  The  war  was  pushed  forward  by  his  ad- 
ministration with  great  vigor.  Gen.  Taylor, 
whose  army  was  first  called  one  of  ' '  observation , ' ' 
then  of  "occupation,"  then  of  "invasion,"  was 
sent  forward  to  Monterey.  The  feeble  Mexicans 
in  every  encounter  were  hopelessly  slaughtered. 
The  day  of  judgment  alone  can  reveal  the  misery 
which  this  war  caused.  It  was  by  the  ingenuity 
of  Mr.  Polk's  administration  that  the  war  was 
brought  on. 

' '  To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils. ' '  Mexico 
was  prostrate  before  us.  Her  capital  was  in  our 
hands.  We  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the 
condition  that  Mexico  should  surrender  to  us,  in 
addition  to  Texas,  all  of  New  Mexico,  and  all  of 
Upper  and  Lower  California.  This  new  demand 
embraced,  exclusive  of  Texas,  eight  hundred 
thousand  square  miles.  This  was  an  extent  of 
territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the  size  of  New 
York.  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen  ma- 
jestic States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  There 
were  some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  right; 
there  were  others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.  In 
the  prosecution  of  this  war  we  expended  twenty 
thousand  lives  and  more  than  $100,000,000.  Of 
this  money  $15,000,000  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1849,  Mr.  Polk  retired 
from  office,  having  served  one  term.  The  next 
day  was  Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was 
inaugurated  as  his  successor.  Mr.  Polk  rode  to 
the  Capitol  in  the  same  carriage  with  Gen.  Tay- 
lor, and  the  same  evening,  with  Mrs.  Polk,  he 
commenced  his  return  to  Tennessee.  He  was 
then  but  fifty-four  years  of  age.  He  had  always 
been  strictly  temperate  in  all  his  habits,  and  his 
health  was  good.  With  an  ample  fortune,  a 
choice  library,  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic 
ties  of  the  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though 
long  years  of  tranquillity  and  happiness  were  be- 
fore him.  But  the  cholera — that  fearful  scourge 
— was  then  sweeping  up  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  he  contracted  the  disease,  dying  on  the 
15th  of  June,  1849,  in  the  fifty-fourth  year  of  his 
age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  countrymen. 


LIBR'RV 

UNIVEKSIIY  OF  ILLINUIS 

URBANA 


^ 


"/ ' /5t~<^£&<^r-y/  y&^y 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


y/ACHARY  TAYLOR,  twelfth  President  of 
I,  the  United  States,  was  horn  on  the  24th  of 
/  -)  November,  1784,  in  Orange  County,  Ya. 
His  father,  Col.  Taylor,  was  a  Virginian  of 
note,  and  a  distinguished  patriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  When  Zachary  was  an  infant, 
his  father,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  emi- 
grated to  Kentucky ,  where  he  settled  in  the  path- 
less wilderness,  a  few  miles  from  Louisville.  In 
this  frontier  home,  away  from  civilization  and  all 
its  refinements,  young  Zachary  could  enjoy  but 
few  social  and  educational  advantages.  When 
six  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common  school, 
and  was  then  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  boy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bluntness  and  decision  of 
character.  He  was  strong,  fearless  and  self-reli- 
ant, and  manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the 
army  to  fight  the  Indians,  who  were  ravaging  the 
frontiers.  There  is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the 
uneventful  years  of  his  childhood  on  his  father's 
large  but  lonely  plantation. 

In  1808,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for 
him  a  commission  as  Lieutenant  in  the  United 
States  army,  and  he  joined  the  troops  which  were 
stationed  at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson. 
Soon  after  this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith, 
a  young  lady  from  one  of  the  first  families  of 
Maryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with 
England,  in  1812,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then 
been  promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command 
of  Ft.  Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  about  fifty  miles 
above  Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the 
wilderness  by  Gen.  Harrison,  on  his  march  to 
Tippecanoe.  It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  at- 
tack by  the  Indians,  led  by  Tecumseh.  Its  garri- 
son consisted  of  a  broken  company  of  infantry, 
numbering  fifty  men,  many  of  whom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  181 2,  the  Indians, 
stealthily,  and  in  large  nnmbers,  moved  upon  the 


fort.  Their  approach  was  first  indicated  by  the 
murder  of  two  soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade. 
Capt.  Taylor  made  every  possible  preparation  to 
meet  the  anticipated  assault.  On  the  4th  of  Sep- 
tember, a  band  of  forty  painted  and  plumed  sav- 
ages came  to  the  fort,  waving  a  white  flag,  and 
informed  Capt.  Taylor  that  in  the  morning  their 
chief  would  come  to  have  a  talk  with  him.  It 
was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely  to  ascer- 
tain the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt. 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages, 
kept  them  at  a  distance. 

The  sun  went  down;  the  savages  disappeared; 
the  garrison  slept  upon  their  arms.  One  hour 
before  midnight  the  war-whoop  burst  from  a 
thousand  lips  in  the  forest  around,  followed  by 
the  discharge  of  musketry  and  the  rush  of  the 
foe.  Every  man,  sick  and  well,  sprang  to  hi 
post.  Every  man  knew  that  defeat  was  not 
merely  death,  but,  in  the  case  of  capture,  death  by 
the  most  agonizing  and  prolonged  torture.  No 
pen  can  describe,  no  imagination  can  conceive,  the 
scenes  which  ensued.  The  savages  succeeded  in 
setting  fire  to  one  of  the  block-houses.  Until  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning  this  awful  conflict  con- 
tinued, when  the  savages,  baffled  at  every  point 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired. 
Capt.  Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defense,  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  Major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  Maj.  Taylor  was 
placed  in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little 
more  of  active  service.  He  was  sent  far  away 
into  the  depths  of  the  wilderness  to  Ft.  Craw- 
ford, on  Fox  River,  which  empties  into  Green 
Bay.  Here  there  was  little  to  be  done  but  to 
wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one  best  could. 
There  were  no  books,  no  society,  no  intellectual 
stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful  years 
rolled  on.  Gradually  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
Colonel.      In    the    Black  Hawk   War,    which   re- 


64 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


suited  in  the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain, 
Col.  Taylor  took  a  subordinate,  but  a  brave  and 
efficient,  part. 

For  twenty-four  years  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged 
in  the  defense  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  re- 
mote, and  in  employments  so  obscure,  that  his 
name  was  unknown  beyond  the  limits  of  his  own 
immediate  acquaintance.  In  the  year  1836,  he 
was  sent  to  Florida  to  compel  the  Seminole  Indi- 
ans to  vacate  that  region,  and  retire  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  as  their  chiefs  by  treaty  had  prom- 
ised they  should  do.  The  sen-ices  rendered  here 
secured  for  Col.  Taylor  the  high  appreciation  of 
the  Government,  and  as  a  reward  he  was  ele- 
vated to  the  high  rank  of  Brigadier-General  by 
brevet,  and  soon  after,  in  May,  1838,  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  chief  command  of  the  United 
States  troops  in  Florida. 

After  two  years  of  wearisome  employment 
amidst  the  everglades  of  the  Peninsula,  Gen.  Tay- 
lor obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of 
command,  and  was  stationed  over  the  Department 
of  the  Southwest.  This  field  embraced  Louisiana, 
Mississippi,  Alabama  and  Georgia.  Establishing 
his  headquarters  at  Ft.  Jessup,  in  Louisiana,  he 
removed  his  family  to  a  plantation  which  he  pur- 
chased near  Baton  Rouge.  Here  he  remained 
for  five  years,  buried,  as  it  were,  from  the  world, 
but  faithfully  discharging  every*  duty  imposed 
upon  him. 

In  1846,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the 
land  between  the  Nueces  and  Rio  Grande,  the 
latter  river  being  the  boundary  of  Texas,  which 
was  then  claimed  by  the  United  States.  Soon 
the  war  with  Mexico  was  brought  on,  and  at  Palo 
Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Gen.  Taylor  won 
brilliant  victories  over  the  Mexicans.  The  rank 
of  Major-General  by  brevet  was  then  conferred 
upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name  was  received 
with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in  the  na- 
tion. Then  came  the  battles  of  Monterey  and 
Buena  Vista,  in  which  he  won  signal  victories 
over  forces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

The  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena 
Vista  spread  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the 
country.  The  name  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on 
every  one's  lips.     The   Whig  party  decided  to 


take  advantage  of  this  wonderful  popularity  in 
bringing  forward  the  unpolished,  unlettered,  hon- 
est soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the  Presidency. 
Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  announce- 
ment, and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to  it,  de- 
claring that  he  was  not  at  all  qualified  for  such 
an  office.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  poli- 
tics, that  for  forty  years  he  had  not  cast  a  vote. 
It  was  not  without  chagrin  that  several  distin- 
guished statesmen,  who  had  been  long  years  in 
the  public  service,  found  their  claims  set  aside  in 
behalf  of  one  whose  name  had  never  been  heard 
of,  save  in  connection  with  Palo  Alto,  Resaca  de 
la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena  Vista.  It  is  said 
that  Daniel  Webster,  in  his  haste,  remarked,  "  It 
is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made. ' ' 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker  nor  a 
fine  writer.  His  friends  took  possession  of  him, 
and  prepared  such  few  communications  as  it  was 
needful  should  be  presented  to  the  public.  The 
popularity  of  the  successful  warrior  swept  the 
land.  He  was  triumphantly  elected  over  two 
opposing  candidates, — Gen.  Cass  and  Ex-Presi- 
dent Martin  Van  Buren.  Though  he  selected  an 
excellent  cabinet,  the  good  old  man  found  himself 
in  a  very  uncongenial  position,  and  was  at  times 
sorely  perplexed  and  harassed.  His  mental  suf- 
ferings were  very  severe,  and  probably  tended  to 
hasten  his  death.  The  pro-slavery  party  was 
pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energy;  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba;  California 
was  pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while 
slavery  stood  at  the  door  to  bar  her  out.  Gen. 
Taylor  found  the  political  conflicts  in  Washington 
to  be  far  more  trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles 
with  Mexicans  or  Indians. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles,  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but 
little  over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief 
sickness  of  but  little  over  five  days,  died,  on  the 
9th  of  July,  1850.  His  last  words  were,  "I  am 
not  afraid  to  die.  I  am  ready.  I  have  endeav- 
ored to  do  my  duty."  He  died  universally  re- 
spected and  beloved.  An  honest,  unpretending 
man,  he  had  been  steadily  growing  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people,  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la- 
mented his  death. 


UNIVERc 

UKbrtrtA 


■/D 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


^ILLARD  FILLMORE,  thirteenth  President 
lr  I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  at  Summer 
01  Hill,  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  7th  of 
January,  1800.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and,  owing 
to  misfortune,  in  humble  circumstances.  Of  his 
mother,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Abiathar  Millard,  of 
Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it  has  been  said  that  she  pos- 
sessed an  intellect  of  a  high  order,  united  with 
much  personal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  disposi- 
tion, graceful  manners  and  exquisite  sensibilities. 
She  died  in  1831,  having  lived  to  see  her  son  a 
young  man  of  distinguished  promise,  though  she 
was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high  dignity 
which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  home  and  limited 
means  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slender 
advantages  for  education  in  his  early  years.  The 
common  schools,  which  he  occasionally  attended, 
were  very  imperfect  institutions,  and  books  were 
scarce  and  expensive.  There  was  nothing  then 
in  his  character  to  indicate  the  brilliant  career 
upon  which  he  was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a 
plain  farmer's  boy — intelligent,  good-looking, 
kind-hearted.  The  sacred  iufluences  of  home 
had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible,  and  had  laid 
the  foundations  of  an  upright  character.  When 
fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  him  some 
hundred  miles  from  home  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier. 
Near  the  mill  there  was  a  small  village,  where 
some  enterprising  man  had  commenced  the  col- 
lection of  a  village  library.  This  proved  an  in- 
estimable blessing  to  young  Fillmore.  His  even- 
ings were  spent  in  reading.  Soon  every  leisure 
moment  was  occupied  with  books.  His  thirst  for 
knowledge  became  insatiate,  and  the  selections 
which  he  made  were  continually  more  elevating 
and  instructive.  He  read  history,  biography, 
oratory,   and  thus  gradually  there  was  enkindled 


in  his  heart  a  desire  to  be  something  more  than  a 
mere  worker  with  his  hands. 

The  young  clothier  had  now  attained  the  age 
of  nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine  personal  appear- 
ance and  of  gentlemanly  demeanor.  It  so  hap- 
pened that  there  was  a  gentleman  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  ample  pecuniary  means  and  of  benev- 
olence,— Judge  Walter  Wood, — who  was  struck 
with  the  prepossessing  appearance  of  young  Fill- 
more. He  made  his  acquaintance,  and  was  so 
much  impressed  with  his  ability  and  attainments 
that  he  advised  him  to  abandon  his  trade  and  de- 
vote himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  The  young 
man  replied  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  own, 
no  friends  to  help  him,  and  that  his  previous  edu- 
cation had  been  very  imperfect.  But  Judge  Wood 
had  so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly 
offered  to  take  him  into  his  own  office,  and  to 
lend  him  such  money  as  he  needed.  Most  grate- 
fullv  the  generous  offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange  delusion 
about  a  collegiate  education.  A  young  man  is 
supposed  to  be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  gradu- 
ated at  some  college.  But  many  a  boy  who  loi- 
ters through  university  halls  and  then  enters  a 
law  office  is  by  no  means  as  well  prepared  to 
prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was  Millard  Fill- 
more when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing-mill  at 
the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  even-  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to 
intense  mental  culture. 

In  1823,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 
He  then  went  to  the  village  of  Aurora,  and  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded, 
quiet  region,  his  practice,  of  course,  was  limited, 
and  there  was  no  opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in 
fortune  or  in  fame.  Here,  in  1826,  he  married  a 
lady  of  great  moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of 


68 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


adorning  any  station  she  might  be  called  to  fill, — 
Miss  Abigail  Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industry, 
his  legal  acquirements,  and  his  skill  as  an  advo- 
cate, gradually  attracted  attention,  and  he  was 
invited  to  enter  into  partnership,  under  highly  ad- 
vantageous circumstances,  with  an  elder  member 
of  the  Bar  in  Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to 
Buffalo,  in  1829,  he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  New  York,  as  a  Repre- 
sentative from  Erie  County.  Though  he  had 
never  taken  a  very  active  part  in  politics,  his  vote 
and  sympathies  were  with  the  Whig  party.  The 
State  was  then  Democratic,  and  he  found  himself 
in  a  helpless  minority  in  the  Legislature;  still  the 
testimony  comes  from  all  parties  that  his  courtesy, 
ability  and  integrity  won,  to  a  very  unusual  de- 
gree, the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autumn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a 
seat  in  the  United  States  Congress.  He  entered 
that  troubled  arena  in  the  most  tumultuous  hours 
of  our  national  history,  when  the  great  conflict 
respecting  the  national  bank  and  the  removal  of 
the  deposits  was  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed,  and  he  returned 
to  his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increas- 
ing reputation  and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two 
years  he  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress; 
was  re-elected,  and  took  his  seat  in  1837.  His 
past  experience  as  a  Representative  gave  him 
strength  and  confidence.  The  first  term  of  service 
in  Congress  to  any  man  can  be  but  little  more 
than  an  introduction.  He  was  now  prepared  for 
active  duty.  All  his  energies  were  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  public  good.  Every  measure  re- 
celled  his  impress. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute, 
and  his  popularity  filled  the  State.  In  the  year 
1847,  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of  forty  - 
seven  years,  he  was  elected  Comptroller  of  the 
State.  His  labors  at  the  Bar,  in  the  Legisla- 
ture, in  Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given 
him  very  considerable  fame.  The  Whigs  were 
casting  about  to  find  suitable  candidates  for  Presi- 
dent and  Vice-President  at  the  approaching  elec- 
tion. Far  away  on  the  waters  of  the  Rio  Grande, 
there  was  a  rough  old  soldier,  who  had  fought 


one  or  two  successful  battles  with  the  Mexicans, 
which  had  caused  his  name  to  be  proclaimed  in 
trumpet-tones  all  over  the  land  as  a  candidate  for 
the  presidency.  But  it  was  necessary  to  associate 
with  him  on  the  same  ticket  some  man  of  repu- 
tation as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  the 
names  of  Zachary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore 
became  the  rallying-cry  of  the  Whigs,  as  their 
candidates  for  President  and  Vice-President.  The 
Whig  ticket  was  signally  triumphant.  On  the 
4th  of  March,  1849,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
President,  and  Millard  Fillmore  Vice-President, 
of  the  United  States. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor, 
about  one  year  and  four  months  after  his  inaugura- 
tion, was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the 
Constitution,  Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  be- 
came President.  He  appointed  a  very  able  cabi- 
net, of  which  the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was 
Secretary  of  State;  nevertheless,  he  had  serious 
difficulties  to  contend  with,  since  the  opposition 
had  a  majority  in  both  Houses.  He  did  all  in  his 
power  to  conciliate  the  South;  but  the  pro-slavery 
part}'  in  the  South  felt  the  inadequacy  of  all 
measures  of  transient  conciliation.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  free  States  was  so  rapidly  increasing 
over  that  of  the  slave  States,  that  it  was  inevitable 
that  the  power  of  the  Government  should  soon 
pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The  fa- 
mous compromise  measures  were  adopted  under 
Mr.  Fillmore's  administration,  and  the  Japan  ex- 
pedition was  sent  out.  On  the  4th  of  March, 
1853,  he,  having  served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Know-Nothing"  part}-,  but 
was  beaten  by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr. 
Fillmore  lived  in  retirement.  During  the  terri- 
ble conflict  of  civil  war,  he  was  mostly  silent.  It 
was  generally  supposed  that  his  sympathies  were 
rather  with  those  who  were  endeavoring  to  over- 
throw our  institutions.  President  Fillmore  kept 
aloof  from  the  conflict,  without  any  cordial  words 
of  cheer  to  one  party  or  the  other.  He  was  thus 
forgotten  by  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age, 
and  died  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  March  8,  1S74. 


LIBR'RY 

UNIVERSIIY  U^  iLLirtuia 

URBANA 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


fRANKLIN  PIERCE,  the  fourteenth  Presi- 
r3  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Hills- 
I  f  borough,  N.  H.,  November  23,  1804.  His 
father  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  with  his 
own  strong  arm  hewed  out  a  home  in  the  wilder- 
ness. He  was  a  man  of  inflexible  integrity,  of 
strong,  though  uncultivated,  mind,  and  was  an  un- 
compromising Democrat.  The  mother  of  Frank- 
lin Pierce  was  all  that  a  son  could  desire — an  in- 
telligent, prudent,  affectionate,  Christian  woman. 
Franklin,  who  was  the  sixth  of  eight  children, 
was  a  remarkably  bright  and  handsome  boy, 
generous,  warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won 
alike  the  love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on 
the  play-ground  loved  him.  His  teachers  loved 
him.  The  neighbors  looked  upon  him  with  pride 
and  affection.  He  was  by  instinct  a  gentleman, 
always  speaking  kind  words,  and  doing  kind 
deeds,  with  a  peculiar,  unstudied  tact  which 
taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar,  and  in 
b  idv  and  mind  a  finely  developed  boy. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  1820, 
he  entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  popular  young  men  in 
the  college.  The  purity  of  his  moral  character, 
the  unvarying  courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank 
as  a  scholar,  and  genial  nature,  rendered  him  a 
universal  favorite.  There  was  something  pe- 
culiarly winning  in  his  address,  and  it  was  evi- 
dently not  in  the  slightest  degree  studied— it  was 
the  simple  ontgushing  of  his  own  magnanimous 
and  loving  nature. 

Upon  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin 
Pierce  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office 
of  Judge  Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 


lawyers  of  the  State,  and  a  man  of  great  private 
worth.  The  eminent  social  qualities  of  the  young 
lawyer,  his  father's  prominence  as  a  public  man, 
and  the  brilliant  political  career  into  which  Judge 
Woodbury  was  entering,  all  tended  to  entice  Mr. 
Pierce  into  the  fascinating  yet  perilous  path  of 
political  life.  With  all  the  ardor  of  his  nature  he 
espoused  the  cause  of  Gen.  Jackson  for  the  Presi- 
dency. He  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in 
Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  elected  to  represent 
the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.  Here  he 
served  for  four  years.  The  last  two  years  he  was 
chosen  Speaker  of  the  House  by  a  very  large 
vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  Congress.  In  1837,  being 
then  but  thirty-three  years  old,  he  was  elected  to 
the  Senate,  taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren 
commenced  his  administration.  He  was  the 
youngest  member  in  the  Senate.  In  the  year 
1834,  he  married  Miss  Jane  Means  Appleton,  a 
lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accomplishments,  and  one 
admirably  fitted  to  adorn  every  station  with  which 
her  husband  was  honored.  Of  the  three  sons  who 
were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with  their  par- 
ents in  the  grave. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing 
fame  and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up 
his  residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New 
Hampshire.  President  Polk,  upon  his  accession 
to  office,  appointed  Mr.  Pierce  Attorney-General 
of  the  United  States;  but  the  offer  was  declined 
in  consequence  of  numerous  professional  engage- 
ments at  home,  and  the  precarious  state  of  Mrs. 
Pierce's  health.  He  also,  about  the  same  time, 
declined  the  nomination  for  Governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.     The  war  with   Mexico  called 


72 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


Mr.  Pierce  into  the  army.  Receiving  the  appoint- 
ment of  Brigadier- General,  he  embarked  with  a 
portion  of  his  troops  at  Newport,  R  I.,  on  the 
27th  of  May,  1847.  He  took  an  important  part 
in  this  war,  proving  himself  a  brave  and  true  sol- 
dier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  na- 
tive State,  he  was  received  enthusiastically  by  the 
advocates  of  the  Mexican  War,  and  coldly  by  his 
opponents.  He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, very  frequently  taking  an  active  part  in 
political  questions,  giving  his  cordial  support  to 
the  pro-slavery  wing  of  the  Democratic  party. 
The  compromise  measures  met  cordially  with  his 
approval,  and  he  strenuously  advocated  the  en- 
forcement of  the  infamous  Fugitive  Slave  Law, 
which  so  shocked  the  religious  sensibilities  of  the 
North.  He  thus  became  distinguished  as  a 
"  Northern  man  with  Southern  principles."  The 
strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
safely  trust  in  office  to  carry  out  their  plans. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  con- 
vention met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate 
for  the  Presidency.  For  four  days  they  contin- 
ued in  session,  and  in  thirty-five  ballotings  no  one 
had  obtained  a  two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus 
far  had  been  thrown  for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the 
Virginia  delegation  brought  forward  his  name. 
There  were  fourteen  more  ballotings,  during  which 
Gen.  Pierce  constantly  gained  strength,  until,  at 
the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he  received  two  hundred 
and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all  other  candidates 
eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was  the  Whig  can- 
didate. Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with  great  una- 
nimity. Only  four  States — Vermont,  Massachu- 
setts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee — cast  their  elec- 
toral votes  against  him.  Gen.  Franklin  Pierce 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States  on  the  4th  of  March,  1853. 

His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most 
stormy  our  country  had  ever  experienced.  The 
controversy  between  slavery'  and  freedom  was 
then  approaching  its  culminating  point.  It  be- 
came evident  that  there  was  to  be  an  irrepressible 
conflict  between  them,  and  that  this  nation 
could  not  long  exist  "  half  slave  and  half  free." 


President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  admin- 
istration, did  everything  he  could  to  conciliate  the 
South;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  disso- 
lution of  the  Union  were  borne  to  the  North  on 
every  Southern  breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  Presi- 
dent Pierce  approached  the  close  of  his  four- 
years  term  of  office.  The  North  had  become 
thoroughly  alienated  from  him.  The  anti-slavery 
sentiment,  goaded  by  great  outrages,  had  been 
rapidly  increasing;  all  the  intellectual  ability  and 
social  worth  of  President  Pierce  were  forgotten  in 
deep  reprehension  of  his  administrative  acts.  The 
slaveholders  of  the  South  also,  unmindful  of  the 
fidelity  with  which  he  had  advocated  those  meas- 
ures of  Government  which  they  approved,  and 
perhaps  feeling  that  he  had  rendered  himself 
so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be  able  to  accepta- 
bly serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped  him,  and 
nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  President  Pierce  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Concord.  His  three  chil- 
dren were  all  dead,  his  last  surviving  child  hav- 
ing been  killed  before  his  eyes  in  a  railroad  acci- 
dent; and  his  wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and 
accomplished  of  ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in 
consumption.  The  hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon 
came,  and  he  was  left  alone  in  the  world  without 
wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth  which 
divided  our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two 
only,  Mr.  Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  prin- 
ciples which  he  had  always  cherished,  and  gave 
his  sympathies  to  that  pro-slavery  part}-  with 
which  he  had  ever  been  allied.  He  declined  to 
do  anything,  either  by  voice  or  pen,  to  strengthen 
the  hand  of  the  National  Government.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  Concord  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  October,  1869.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of  men,  an  hon- 
ored communicant  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and 
one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors.  Generous  to  a 
fault,  he  contributed  liberally  toward  the  allevia- 
tion of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his 
towns-people  were  often  gladdened  by  his  material 
bounty. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSIIY  Oh  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


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JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


(TAMES  BUCHANAN,  the  fifteenth  President 
I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  a  small 
G/  frontier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the  eastern  ridge 
of  the  Alleghanies,  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  on 
the  23d  of  April,  1791.  The  place  where  the 
humble  cabin  home  stood  was  called  Stony  Bat- 
ter. His  father  was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ire- 
land, who  had  emigrated  in  1783,  with  little  prop- 
erty save  his  own  strong  arms.  Five  years  after- 
ward he  married  Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter 
of  a  respectable  farmer,  and,  with  his  young  bride, 
plunged  into  the  wilderness,  staked  his  claim, 
reared  his  log  hut,  opened  a  clearing  with  his 
axe,  and  settled  down  thereto  perform  his  obscure 
part  in  the  drama  of  life.  When  James  was  eight 
years  of  age,  his  father  removed  to  the  village  of 
Mercersburg,  where  his  son  was  placed  at  school, 
and  commenced  a  course  of  study  in  English, 
Latin  and  Greek.  His  progress  was  rapid,  and 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  he  entered  Dickinson  Col- 
lege, at  Carlisle.  Here  he  developed  remarkable 
talent,  and  took  his  stand  among  the  first  scholars 
in  the  institution. 

In  the  year  1809,  he  graduated  with  the  high- 
est honors  of  his  class.  He  was  then  eighteen 
years  of  age;  tall  and  graceful,  vigorous  in  health, 
fond  of  athletic  sports,  an  unerring  shot,  and  en- 
livened with  an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits, 
lie  immediately  commenced  the  study  of  law  in 
the  city  of  Lancaster,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  18 12,  when  he  was  but  twenty-one  years 
of  age. 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  a 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  for 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  Lower 
House.     During  the  vacations  of  Congress,   he 


occasionally  tried  some  important  case.  In  1831 
he  retired  altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profes- 
sion, having  acquired  an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jackson,  upon  his  elevation  to  the  Presi- 
dency, appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  Minister  to  Rus- 
sia. The  duties  of  his  mission  he  performed 
with  ability,  and  gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties. 
Upon  his  return,  in  1833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat 
in  the  United  States  Senate.  He  there  met  as 
his  associates  Webster,  Clay,  Wright  and  Cal- 
houn. He  advocated  the  measures  proposed  by 
President  Jackson,  of  making  reprisals  against 
France  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our  claims 
against  that  country,  and  defended  the  course  of 
the  President  in  his  unprecedented  and  wholesale 
removal  from  office  of  those  who  were  not  the 
supporters  of  his  administration.  Upon  this 
question  he  was  brought  into  direct  collision  with 
Henry  Clay.  He  also,  with  voice  and  vote,  ad- 
vocated expunging  from  the  journal  of  the  Senate 
the  vote  of  censure  against  Gen.  Jackson  for  re- 
moving the  deposits.  Earnestly  he  opposed  the 
abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
and  urged  the  prohibition  of  the  circulation  of 
anti-slavery  documents  by  the  United  States 
mails.  As  to  petitions  on  the  subject  of  slavery, 
he  advocated  that  they  should  be  respectfully  re- 
ceived, and  that  the  reply  should  be  returned 
that  Congress  had  no  power  to  legislate  upon  the 
subject.  "Congress,"  said  he,  "might  as  well 
undertake  to  interfere  with  slavery  under  a  for- 
eign government  as  in  any  of  the  States  where  it 
now  exists. ' ' 

Upon  Mr.  Polk's  accession  to  the  Presidency, 
Mr.  Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  a9 
such   took  his  share  of  the  responsibility  in  the 


7* 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


conduct  of  the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed 
that  crossing  the  Nueces  by  the  American 
troops  into  the  disputed  territory  was  not  wrong, 
but  for  the  Mexicans  to  cross  the  Rio  Grande 
into  Texas  was  a  declaration  of  war.  No  candid 
man  can  read  with  pleasure  the  account  of  the 
course  our  Government  pursued  in  that  movement. 

Mr.  Buchanan  identified  himself  thoroughly 
with  the  party  devoted  to  the  perpetuation  and 
extension  of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies 
of  his  mind  to  bear  against  the  Wilmot  Proviso. 
He  gave  his  cordial  approval  to  the  compromise 
measures  of  1850,  which  included  the  Fugitive 
Slave  Law.  Mr.  Pierce,  upon  his  election  to  the 
Presidency,  honored  Mr.  Buchanan  with  the  mis- 
sion to  England. 

In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  Con- 
vention nominated  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presi- 
dency. The  political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most 
severe  in  which  our  country  has  ever  engaged. 
All  the  friends  of  slavery  were  on  one  side;  all 
the  advocates  of  its  restriction  and  final  abolition 
on  the  other.  Mr.  Fremont,  the  candidate  of  the 
enemies  of  slavery,  received  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
one  hundred  and  seventy-four,  and  was  elected. 
The  popular  vote  stood  1,340,618  for  Fremont, 
1,224,750  for  Buchanan.  On  March  4,  1857, 
the  latter  was  inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only 
four  years  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  three-score 
years  and  ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with 
whom  he  had  been  allied  in  political  principles 
and  action  for  years,  were  seeking  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Government,  that  they  might  rear 
upon  the  ruins  of  our  free  institutions  a  nation 
whose  corner-stone  should  be  human  slavery.  In 
this  emergency,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  hopelessly 
bewildered.  He  could  not,  with  his  long-avowed 
principles,  consistently  oppose  the  State  Rights 
party  in  their  assumptions.  As  President  of  the 
United  States,  bound  by  his  oath  faithfully  to 
administer  the  laws,  he  could  not,  without  per- 
jury of  the  grossest  kind,  unite  with  those  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  the  Republic.  He  there- 
fore did  nothing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administra- 


tion nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  stand- 
ard-bearer in  the  next  Presidential  canvass. 
The  pro-slavery  party  declared  that  if  he  were 
elected  and  the  control  of  the  Government  were 
thus  taken  from  their  hands,  they  would  secede 
from  the  Union,  taking  with  them  as  they  retired 
the  National  Capitol  at  Washington  and  the 
lion's  share  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States. 

As  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  the  slave- 
holders claiming  the  right  to  secede,  and  Mr. 
Buchanan  avowing  that  Congress  had  no  power 
to  prevent  it,  one  of  the  most  pitiable  exhibitions 
of  governmental  imbecility  was  exhibited  that  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  He  declared  that  Congress 
had  no  power  to  enforce  its  laws  in  any  State 
which  had  withdrawn,  or  which  was  attempting 
to  withdraw,  from  the  Union.  This  was  not  the 
doctrine  of  Andrew  Jackson,  when,  with  his  hand 
upon  his  sword-hilt,  he  exclaimed:  "The  Union 
must  and  shall  be  preserved!" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  i860, 
nearly  three  months  before  the  inauguration  of 
President  Lincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in 
listless  despair.  The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in 
Charleston;  Ft.  Sumter  was  besieged;  our  forts, 
navy-yards  and  arsenals  were  seized;  our  depots 
of  military  stores  were  plundered,  and  our  cus- 
tom-houses and  post-offices  were  appropriated  by 
the  rebels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels  and  the  imbecility  of 
our  Executive  were  alike  marvelous.  The  na- 
tion looked  on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  slow 
weeks  to  glide  away  and  close  the  administration, 
so  terrible  in  its  weakness.  At  length  the  long- 
looked-for  hour  of  deliverance  came,  when  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  was  to  receive  the  scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamitous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  can  not  recall  it  with 
pleasure.  And  still  more  deplorable  it  is  for  his 
fame,  that  in  that  dreadful  conflict  which  rolled 
its  billows  of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole 
land,  no  word  came  from  his  lips  to  indicate  his 
wish  that  our  country's  banner  should  triumph 
over  the  flag  of  the  Rebellion.  He  died  at  his 
Wheatland  retreat,  June  1,   1868. 


LIPR'RY 
UMVERSM  &  iu.1 
URBANA 


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Q^//1&^<-'jr-fcl/ 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


61  BRAHAM  LINCOLN,  the  sixteenth  Presi- 
Ll  dent  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Hardin 
/  I  County,  Ky.,  February  12,  1809.  About 
the  year  1780,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  left  Virginia  with  his  family  and  moved 
into  the  then  wilds  of  Kentucky.  Only  two  years 
after  this  emigration,  and  while  still  a  young  man, 
he  was  working  one  day  in  a  field,  when  an  Indian 
stealthily  approached  and  killed  him.  His  widow 
was  left  in  extreme  poverty  with  five  little  chil- 
dren, three  boys  and  two  girls.  Thomas,  the 
youngest  of  the  boys,  and  the  father  of  President 
Abraham  Lincoln,  was  four  years  of  age  at  his 
father's  death. 

When  twenty-eight  years  old,  Thomas  Lincoln 
built  a  log  cabin,  and  married  Nancy  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  poor  Kentucky- 
emigrants,  who  had  also  come  from  Virginia. 
Their  second  child  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was 
a  noble  woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created 
to  adorn  a  palace,  but  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and 
die  in  a  hovel.  "  All  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be,'' 
exclaimed  the  grateful  son,  "  I  owe  to  my  angel- 
mother."  When  he  was  eight  years  ol  age,  his 
father  sold  his  cabin  and  small  farm  and  moved 
to  Indiana,  where  two  years  later  his  mother  died. 

As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly 
family  was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  There 
were  joys  and  griefs,  weddings  and  funerals. 
Abraham' s  sister  Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly 
attached,  was  married  when  a  child  of  but  four- 
teen years  of  age,  and  soon  died.  The  family 
was  gradually  scattered,  and  Thomas  Lincoln 
sold  out  his  squatter's  claim  in  1830,  and  emi- 
grated to  Macon  County,  111. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father 
in  rearing  another  log  cabin,  and  worked  quite 
diligently  at  this  until  he  saw  the  family  com- 
fortably settled,  and  their  small  lot  of  enclosed 
prairie  planted  with  corn,  when  he  announced  to 


his  father  his  intention  to  leave  home,  and  to  go 
out  into  the  world  and  seek  his  fortune.  Little 
did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  brilliant  that 
fortune  was  to  be.  •  He  saw  the  value  of  educa- 
tion and  was  intensely  earnest  to  improve  his 
mind  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  Religion  he 
revered.  His  morals  were  pure,  and  he  was  un- 
contaminated  by  a  single  vice. 

Young  Abraham  worked  for  a  time  as  a  hired 
laborer  among  the  farmers.  Then  he  went  to 
Springfield,  where  he  was  employed  in  building 
a  large  flat-boat.  In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine, 
floated  them  down  the  Sangamon  to  Illinois,  and 
thence  by  the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans.  What- 
ever Abraham  Lincoln  undertook,  he  performed 
so  faithfully  as  to  give  great  satisfaction  to  his 
employers.  In  this  adventure  the  latter  were 
so  well  pleased,  that  upon  his  return  they  placed 
a  store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

In  1832,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  he  enlisted  and  was  chosen  Captain  of  a 
company.  He  returned  to  Sangamon  County, 
and,  although  only  twenty-three  years  of  age,  was 
a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but  was  defeated. 
He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew  Jackson  the 
appointment  of  Postmaster  of  New  Salem.  His 
only  post-office  *as  his  hat.  All  the  letters  he 
received  he  carried  there,  ready  to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.  He  studied  surveying,  and 
soon  made  this  his  business.  In  1834  he  again 
became  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature  and  was 
elected.  Mr.  Stuart,  of  Springfield,  advised  him 
to  study  law.  He  walked  from  New  Salem  to 
Springfield,  borrowed  of  Mr.  Stuart  a  load  of 
books,  carried  them  back,  and  began  his  legal 
studies.  When  the  Legislature  .assembled,  he 
trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  on  his  back  one 
hundred  miles  to  Vandalia,  then  the  capital.  In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.  Here 
it  was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1839 
he  removed  to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice 
of  law.      His  success  with  the  jury  was  so  great 


8o 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


that  he  was  soon  engaged  in  almost  even-  noted 
case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  the  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr.  Douglas  on  the  slavery  ques- 
tion. In  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
in  Illinois,  in  1856,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at 
once  became  one  of  the  leaders  in  that  party. 
Mr.'  Lincoln's  speeches  in  opposition  to  Senator 
Douglas  in  the  contest  in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the 
Senate,  form  a  most  notable  part  of  his  history. 
The  issue  was  on  the  slavery-  question,  and  he 
took  the  broad  ground  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, that  all  men  are  created  equal.  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  contest,  but  won  a 
far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Convention  met  at  Chi- 
cago on  the  1 6th  of  June,  i860.  The  delegates 
and  strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to 
twenty-five  thousand.  An  immense  building 
called  "  The  Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommo- 
date the  convention.  There  were  eleven  candi- 
dates for  whom  votes  were  thrown.  William  H. 
Seward,  a  man  whose  fame  as  a  statesman  had 
long  filled  the  land,  was  the  most  prominent.  It 
was  generally  supposed  he  would  be  the  nomi- 
nee. Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received  the 
nomination  on  the  third  ballot. 

Election  day  came,  and  Mr.  Lincoln  received 
one  hundred  and  eighty  electoral  votes  out  of  two 
hundred  and  three  cast,  and  was,  therefore,  con- 
stitutionally elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  was  poured  upon  this 
good  and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  slave- 
holders, was  greater  than  upon  any  other  man 
ever  elected  to  this  high  position.  In  February, 
1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  started  for  Washington,  stop- 
ping in  all  the  large  cities  on  his  way,  making 
speeches.  The  whole  journey  was  fraught  with 
much  danger.  Many  of  the  Southern  States  had 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassi- 
nation were  afterward  brought  to  light.  A  gang 
in  Baltimore  had  arranged  upon  his  arrival  to 
"get  up  a  row,"  and  in  the  confusion  to  make 
sure  of  his  death  with  revolvers  and  hand-gren- 
ades. A  detective  unravelled  the  plot.  A  secret 
and  special  train  was  provided  to  take  him  from 
Harnsburg,  through  Baltimore,  at  an  unexpected 


hour  of  the  night.  The  train  started  at  half-past 
ten,  and  to  prevent  any  possible  communication 
on  the  part  of  the  Secessionists  with  their  Con- 
federate gang  in  Baltimore,  as  soon  as  the  train 
had  started  the  telegraph-wires  were  cut.  Mr. 
Lincoln  reached  Washington  in  safety  and  was 
inaugurated,  although  great  anxiety  was  felt  by 
all  loyal  people. 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Lincoln  gave 
to  Mr.  .Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to 
other  prominent  opponents  before  the  convention 
he  gave  important  positions;  but  during  no  other 
administration  had  the  duties  devolving  upon  the 
President  been  so  manifold,  and  the  responsibilities 
so  great,  as  those  which  fell  to  his  lot.  Knowing 
this,  and  feeling  his  own  weakness  and  inability 
to  meet,  and  in  his  own  strength  to  cope  with, 
the  difficulties,  he  learned  early  to  seek  Divine 
wisdom  and  guidance  in  determining  his  plans, 
and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his  trials,  both  personal 
and  national.  Contrary  to  his  own  estimate  of 
himself,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the  most  cour- 
ageous of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the  rebel 
capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving,  with 
no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  1861,  however,  plans  had 
been  made  for  his  assassination,  and  he  at  last 
fell  a  victim  to  one  of  them.  April  14,  1865,  he, 
with  Gen.  Grant,  was  urgently  invited  to  attend 
Ford's  Theatre.  It  was  announced  that  they 
would  be  present.  Gen.  Grant,  however,  left  the 
city.  President  Lincoln,  feeling,  with  his  char- 
acteristic kindliness  of  heart,  that  it  would  be  a 
disappointment  if  he  should  fail  them,  very  re- 
luctantly consented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play,  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  Wilkes 
Booth  entered  the  box  where  the  President  and 
family  were  seated,  and  fired  a  bullet  into  his 
brain.  He  died  the  next  morning  at  seven 
o'clock. 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  was 
a  nation  plunged  into  such  deep  grief  by  the  death 
of  its  ruler.  Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and 
wept  in  speechless  anguish.  His  was  a  life  which 
will  fitly  become  a  model.  His  name  as  the 
Savior  of  his  country  will  live  with  that  of  Wash- 
ington's, its  Father. 


- 


•^L*S- 


4^^%^^> 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


Gl  NDREW  JOHNSON,  seventeenth  President 
Lj  of  the  United  States.  The  early  life  of  An- 
/  I  drew  Johnson  contains  but  the  record  of  pov- 
erty, destitution  and  friendlessness.  He  was  born 
December  29,  1808,  in  Raleigh,  N.  C.  His  par- 
ents, belonging  to  the  class  of  "poor  whites" 
of  the  South,  were  in  such  circumstances  that  they 
could  not  confer  even  the  slightest  advantages  of 
education  upon  their  child.  When  Andrew  was 
five  years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally  lost  his 
life,  while  heroically  endeavoring  to  save  a  friend 
from  drowning.  Until  ten  years  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  about  the  streets,  supported  by 
the  labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained  her  living 
with  her  own  hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one 
day,  and  being  unable  either  to  read  or  write,  was 
apprenticed  to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gen- 
tleman was  in  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's 
shcp  occasionally,  and  reading  to  the  boys  at 
work  there.  He  often  read  from  the  speeches  of 
distinguished  British  statesmen.  Andrew,  who 
was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability,  became  much  interested  in  these  speeches; 
his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he  was  inspired  with 
a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordingly  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow- 
workmen  learned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon 
the  gentleman  to  borrow  the  book  of  speeches. 
The  owner,  pleased  with  his  zeal,  not  only  gave 
him  the  book,  but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  com- 
bine the  letters  into  words.  Under  such  difficul- 
ties he  pressed  onward  laboriously,  spending  usu- 
ally ten  or  twelve  hours  at  work  in  the  shop,  and 
then  robbing  himself  of  rest  and  recreation  to  de- 
vote such  time  as  he  could  to  reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  in   1826,  and  located  at 


Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who 
possessed  some  education.  Under  her  instructions 
he  learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became 
prominent  in  the  village  debating  society,  and  a 
favorite  with  the  students  of  Greenville  College. 
In  1828,  he  organized  a  working  man's  party, 
which  elected  him  Alderman,  and  in  1830  elected 
him  Mayor,  which  position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in 
political  affairs,  identifying  himself  with  the  work- 
ing-class, to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Represent- 
atives of  Tennessee.  He  was  then  just  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age.  He  became  a  very  active 
member  of  the  Legislature,  gave  his  support  to 
the  Democratic  party,  and  in  1840  "stumped  the 
State,"  advocating  Martin  Van  Buren's  claims  to 
the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  those  of  Gen. 
Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  much 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

In  1841,  he  was  elected  State  Senator;  in  1843, 
he  was  elected  a  Member  of  Congress,  and  by  suc- 
cessive elections  held  that  important  post  for  ten 
years.  In  1853,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tenn- 
essee, and  was  re-elected  in  1855.  In  all  these 
responsible  positions,  he  discharged  his  duties 
with  distinguished  ability,  and  proved  himself  the 
warm  friend  of  the  working  classes.  In  1857,  Mr. 
Johnson  was  elected  United  States  Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1845,  he  had  warmly  advocated 
the  annexation  of  Texas,  stating,  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would 
probably  prove  '  'to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which 
the  sable  sons  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage 
to  freedom,  and  become  merged  in  a  population 
congenial  to  themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  sup- 
ported the  compromise  measures,  the  two  essen- 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


tial  features  of  which  were,  that  the  white  people 
of  the  Territories  should  be  permitted  to  decide 
for  themselves  whether  they  would  enslave  the 
colored  people  or  not,  and  that  the  free  States  of 
the  North  should  return  to  the  South  persons  who 
attempted  to  escape  from  slaver y. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  never  ashamed  of  his  lowly 
origin:  on  the  contrary,  he  often  took  pride  in 
avowing  that  he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own 
exertions.  "Sir,"  said  he  on  the  floor  of  the 
Senate,  "I  do  not  forget  that  I  am  a  mechanic; 
neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam  was  a  tailor  and 
sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Savior  was  the  son 
of  a  carpenter. ' ' 

In  the  Charleston-Baltimore  convention  of  i860, 
he  was  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for 
the  Presidency.  In  1861,  when  the  purpose  of 
the  Southern  Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took 
a  decided  stand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held 
that  "slavery  must  be  held  subordinate  to  the 
Union  at  whatever  cost. ' '  He  returned  to  Tenn- 
essee, and  repeatedly  imperiled  his  own  life  to 
protect  the  Unionists  of  that  State.  Tennessee 
having  seceded  from  the  Union,  President  Lincoln, 
on  March  4,  1862,  appointed  him  Military  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State,  and  he  established  the  most 
stringent  military  rule.  His  numerous  proclama- 
tions attracted  wide  attention.  In  1864,  he  was 
elected  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  and 
upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April  15,  1865, 
became  President.  In  a  speech  two  days  later  he 
said,  "The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
they  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime 
and  must  be  punished ;  that  the  Government  will 
not  always  bear  with  its  enemies;  that  it  is  strong 
not  only  to  protect,  but  to  punish.  *  *  The 
people  must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  the 
blackest  of  crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished." 
Yet  his  whole  administration,  the  history  of  which 
is  so  well  known,  was  in  utter  inconsistency  with, 
and  in  the  most  violent  opposition  to,  the  princi- 
ples laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress,  and  he 
characterized  Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and 
lawlessly  defied  it  in  everything  possible  to  the  ut- 
most.    In  the  beginning  of  1868,   on  account  of 


"High  crimes  and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal 
of  which  was  the  removal  of  Secretary  Stanton  in 
violation  of  the  Tenure  of  Office  Act,  articles  of 
impeachment  were  preferred  against  him,  and  the 
trial  began  March  23. 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was 
at  length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It 
was  certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  ar- 
ticle so  would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty-four  voices 
pronounced  the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds 
vote  was  necessary  to  his  condemnation,  he  was 
pronounced  acquitted,  notwithstanding  the  great 
majority  against  him.  The  change  of  one  vote 
from  the  not  guilty  side  would  have  sustained  the 
impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term, 
was  but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though 
impotently,  his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own 
party  did  not  think  it  expedient  to  renominate 
him  for  the  Presidency.  The  Nation  rallied  with 
enthusiasm,  unparalleled  since  the  days  of  Wash- 
ington, around  the  name  of  Gen.  Grant.  Andrew 
Johnson  was  forgotten.  The  bullet  of  the  assassin 
introduced  him  to  the  President's  chair.  Not- 
withstanding this,  never  was  there  presented  to  a 
man  a  better  opportunity  to  immortalize  his  name, 
and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a  nation.  He  failed 
utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home  in  Greenville, 
Tenn.,  taking  no  very  active  part  in  politics  until 
1875.  On  January  26,  after  an  exciting  struggle, 
he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee 
United  States  Senator  in  the  Forty-fourth  Congess, 
and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special  ses- 
sion convened  by  President  Grant,  on  the  5th  of 
March.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1875,  the  ex-Presi- 
dent made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near 
Carter  Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his 
journey,  he  was  apparently  in  his  usual  vigorous 
health,  but  on  reaching  the  residence  of  his  child 
the  following  day,  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis, 
which  rendered  him  unconscious.  He  rallied  oc- 
casionally, but  finally  passed  away  at  2  A.  M., 
July  31 ,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  funeral  was 
held  at  Greenville,  on  the  3d  of  August,  with 
every  demonstration  of  respect. 


LIBRARY 
UN/VERSlty  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


tZ^x: 


z£ 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


HLYSSES  S.  GRANT,  the  eighteenth  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  was  born  on  the 
29th  of  April,  1822,  of  Christian  parents,  in 
a  humble  home  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after,  his  father  moved  to 
Georgetown,  Brown  County,  Ohio.  In  this  re- 
mote frontier  hamlet,  Ulysses  received  a  common- 
school  education.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  in 
the  year  1839,  he  entered  the  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point.  Here  he  was  regarded  as  a  solid, 
sensible  young  man,  of  fair  ability,  and  of  sturdy, 
honest  character.  He  took  respectable  rank  as  a 
scholar.  In  June,  1843,  he  graduated  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  Lieutenant  of 
Infantry  to  one  of  the  distant  military  posts  in  the 
Missouri  Territory.  Two  years  he  passed  in  these 
dreary  solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond  Indians. 

The  war  with  Mexico  came.  Lieut.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His 
first  battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no 
chance  here  for  the  exhibition  of  either  skill  or 
heroism,  nor  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  his  second 
battle.  At  the  battle  of  Monterey,  his  third  en- 
gagement, it  is  said  that  he  performed  a  signal 
sen-ice  of  daring  and  skillful  horsemanship. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant 
returned  with  his  regiment  to  New  York,  and 
was  again  sent  to  one  of  the  military  posts  on  the 
frontier.  The  discovery  of  gold  in  California 
causing  an  immense  tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to 
the  Pacific  shores,  Capt.  Grant  was  sent  with  a 
battalion  to  Ft.  Dallas,  in  Oregon,  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  interests  of  the  immigrants.  But  life 
was  wearisome  in  those  wilds,  and  he  resigned 
his  commission  and  returned  to  the  States.  Hav- 
ing married,  he  entered  upon  the  cultivation  of  a 
small  farm  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  but  having  little 


skill  as  a  farmer,  and  finding  his  toil  not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering 
into  the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother 
at  Galena,  111.  This  was  in  the  year  i860.  As 
the  tidings  of  the  rebels  firing  on  Ft.  Sumter 
reached  the  ears  of  Capt.  Grant  in  his  counting- 
room,  he  said:  "Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me 
for  the  army ;  though  I  have  served  him  through 
one  war,  I  do  not  feel  that  I  have  yet  repaid  the 
debt.  I  am  still  ready  to  discharge  my  obliga- 
tions. I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  my  sword  and 
see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too." 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  a  company  of 
volunteers,  and  led  them  as  their  Captain  to 
Springfield,  the  capital  of  the  State,  where  their 
services  were  offered  to  Gov.  Yates.  The  Gov- 
ernor, impressed  by  the  zeal  and  straightforward 
executive  abilitj-  of  Capt.  Grant,  gave  him  a  desk 
in  his  office  to  assist  in  the  volunteer  organiza- 
tion that  was  being  formed  in  the  State  in  behalf 
of  the  Government.  On  the  15th  of  June,  1861, 
Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as  Colonel  of 
the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers. 
His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who  had 
served  for  fifteen  years  in  the  regular  army,  were 
such  that  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Brigadier-General,  and  was  placed  in  command  at 
Cairo.  The  rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Padu- 
cah,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  River. 
Scarcely  had  its  folds  appeared  in  the  breeze  ere 
Gen.  Grant  was  there.  The  rebels  fled,  their 
banner  fell,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  un- 
furled in  its  stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determina- 
tion and  immediately  began  active  duty.  This 
was  the  beginning,  and  until  the  surrender  of 
Lee  at  Richmond  he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


with  great  vigor  and  effectiveness.  At  Belmont, 
a  few  days  later,  he  surprised  and  routed  the 
rebels,  then  at  Ft.  Henry  won  another  victory. 
Then  came  the  brilliant  fight  at  Ft.  Donelson. 
The  nation  was  electrified  by  the  victory,  and  the 
brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was  immediately 
made  a  Major-General,  and  the  military  district 
of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

Like  all  great  captains,  Gen.  Grant  knew  well 
how  to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  imme- 
diately pushed  on  to  the  enemies'  lines.  Then 
came  the  terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing, 
Corinth,  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen. 
Pemberton  made  an  unconditional  surrender  of 
the  city  with  over  thirty  thousand  men  and  one 
hundred  and  seventy-two  cannon.  The  fall  of 
Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most  severe  blow  which 
the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered,  and  opened 
up  the  Mississippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 

Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Texas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown 
from  his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from 
which  he  was  laid  up  for  months.  He  then 
rushed  to  the  aid  of  Gens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas 
at  Chattanooga,  and  by  a  wonderful  series  of 
strategic  and  technical  measures  put  the  Union 
army  in  fighting  condition.  Then  followed  the 
bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lookout  Moun- 
tain and  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  with  great  loss.  This  won  for  him 
unbounded  praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of 
February,  1864,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of 
lieutenant-general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred 
on  Gen.  Grant.  He  repaired  to  Washington  to 
receive  his  credentials  and  enter  upon  the  duties 
of  his  new  office. 

Gen.  Grant  decided  as  soon  as  he  took  charge 
of  the  army  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed 
National  troops  for  an  attack  upon  Richmond, 
the  nominal  capital  of  the  rebellion,  and  endeavor 
there  to  destroy  the  rebel  armies  which  would  be 
promptly  assembled  from  all  quarters  for  its  de- 
fense. The  whole  continent  seemed  to  tremble 
under  the  tramp  of  these  majestic  armies,  rushing 
to  the  decisive  battle-field.  Steamers  were  crowd- 
ed with  troops.     Railway  trains  were  burdened 


with  closely-packed  thousands.  His  plans  were 
comprehensive,  and  involved  a  series  of  cam- 
paigns, which  were  executed  with  remarkable 
energy  and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the 
surrender  of  Lee,  April  9,  1865. 

The  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved. 
The  almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  nation  de- 
clared Gen.  Grant  to  be  the  most  prominent  in- 
strument in  its  salvation.  The  eminent  services 
he  had  thus  rendered  the  country  brought  him 
conspicuously  forward  as  the  Republican  candi- 
date for  the  Presidential  chair. 

At  the  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago, 
May  21,  1868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated 
for  the  Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election 
received  a  majority  of  the  popular  vote,  and  two 
hundred  and  fourteen  out  of  two  hundred  and 
ninety-four   electoral  votes. 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Republican 
party,  which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5th  01 
June,  1872,  placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for 
a  second  term  by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selec- 
tion was  emphatically  indorsed  by  the  people  five 
months  later,  two  hundred  and  ninety-two  elect- 
oral votes  being  cast  for  him. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  term,  Gen. 
Grant  started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the 
world.  He  visited  almost  every  country  of  the 
civilized  world,  and  was  everywhere  received 
with  such  ovations  and  demonstrations  of  respect 
and  honor,  private  as  well  as  public  and  official, 
as  were  never  before  bestowed  upon  any  citizen 
of  the  United  States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before 
the  Republican  National  Convention  in  1880  for 
a  renomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New 
York  and  embarked  in  the  brokerage  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Grant  &  Ward.  The 
latter  proved  a  villain,  wrecked  Grant's  fortune, 
and  for  larceny  was  sent  to  the  penitentiary. 
The  General  was  attacked  with  cancer  in  the 
throat,  but  suffered  in  his  stoic-like  manner,  never 
complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as  General  of 
the  Army,  and  retired  by  Congress.  The  cancer 
soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23,  1885, 
the  nation  went  in  mourning  over  the  death  01 
the  illustrious  General. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSI1Y  01-  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


$t;we^*f 


-y 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES,  the  nineteenth 
President  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  Ohio,  October  4,  1S22,  almost 
three  months  after  the  death  of  his  father,  Ruther- 
ford Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  sides  was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said,  as  far  back  as 
1280,  when  Hayes  and  Rutherford  were  two 
Scottish  chieftains,  fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert  Bruce.  Both 
families  belonged  to  the  nobility,  owned  extensive 
estates,  and  had  a  large  following.  Misfortune 
overtaking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scotland 
in  1680,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  son 
George  was  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  life.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter, 
married  Sarah  L,ee,  and  lived  from  the  time  of 
his  marriage  until  his  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn. 
Ezekiel,  son  of  Daniel,  was  bom  in  1724,  and  was 
a  manufacturer  of  scythes  at  Bradford,  Conn. 
Rutherford  Hayes,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  grandfather 
of  President  Hayes,  was  born  in  New  Haven,  in 
August,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer,  blacksmith  and 
tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to  Vermont  at  an 
unknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro,  where  he 
established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son,  Rutherford 
Hayes,  the  father  of  President  Hayes,  was  born. 
He  was  married,  in  September,  1813,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  whose  ancestors 
emigrated  thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having 
been  among  the  wealthiest  and  best  families  of 
Norwich.  Her  ancestry  on  the  male  side  is 
traced  back  to  1635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the 
principal  founders  of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grand- 
fathers were  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industri- 
ous, frugal,  yet  open-hearted  man.     He  was  of  a 


mechanical  turn  of  mind,  and  could  mend  a  plow, 
knit  a  stocking,  or  do  almost  anything  else  that 
he  chose  to  undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
church,  active  in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises 
'of  the  town,  and  conducted  his  business  on  Chris- 
tian principles.  After  the  close  of  the  War  of 
1S12,  for  reasons  inexplicable  to  his  neighbors,  he 
resolved  to  emigrate  to  Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day, 
when  there  were  no  canals,  steamers,  or  rail- 
ways, was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  in- 
spection was  first  made,  occupying  four  months. 
Mr.  Hayes  decided  to  move  to  Delaware,  where 
the  family  arrived  in  181 7.  He  died  July  22, 
1822,  a  victim  of  malarial  fever,  less  than  three 
months  before  the  birth  of  the  son  of  whom  we 
write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  bereavement, 
found  the  support  she  so  much  needed  in  her 
brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from 
Vermont,  and  in  an  orphan  girl,  whom  she  had 
adopted  some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Rutherford  was  seven  years  old  before  he  went 
to  school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neg- 
lected. He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his 
mother,  and  sister  as  he  would  have  done  at 
school.  His  sports  were  almost  wholly  within 
doors,  his  playmates  being  his  sister  and  her  asso- 
ciates. These  circumstances  tended,  no  doubt,  to 
foster  that  gentleness  of  disposition  and  that  del- 
icate consideration  for  the  feelings  of  others  which 
were  marked  traits  of  his  character. 

His  uncle,  Sardis  Birchard,  took  the  deepest 
interest  in  his  education;  and  as  the  boy's  health 
had  improved,  and  he  was  making  good  progress 
in  his  studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college. 
His  preparation  commenced  with  a  tutor  at  home; 


92 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


but  he  was  afterwards  sent  for  one  year  to  a  pro- 
fessor in  the  Wesleyan  University  in  Middletown, 
Conn.  He  entered  Kenyon  College  in  1838,  at 
the  age  of  sixteen,  and  was  graduated  at  the  head 
of  his  class  in  1842. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Sparrow, 
Esq.,  in  Columbus.  Finding  his  opportunities 
for  study  in  Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  de- 
termined to  enter  the  Law  School  at  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  where  he  remained  two  years. 

In  1845,  after  graduating  at  the  Law  School,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and 
shortly  afterward  went  into  practice  as  an  at- 
torney-at-law  with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fre- 
mont. Here  he  remained  three  years,  acquiring 
but  a  limited  practice,  and  apparently  unambitious 
of  distinction  in  his  profession. 

In  1849  he  moved  to  Cincinnati,  where  his  am- 
bition found  a  new  stimulus.  For  several  years, 
however,  his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events 
occurring  at  this  period  had  a  powerful  influence 
upon  his  subsequent  life.  One  of  these  was  his 
marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter 
of  Dr.  James  Webb,  of  Chillicothe;  the  other  was 
his  introduction  to  the  Cincinnati  Literary  Club, 
a  body  embracing  among  its  members  such  men 
as  Chief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase,  Gen.  John 
Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many  others 
hardly  less  distinguished  in  after  life.  The  mar- 
riage was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of 
our  Presidents  was  more  universally  admired, 
reverenced  and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and 
no  one  did  more  than  she  to  reflect  honor  upon 
American  womanhood.  The  Literary  Club  brought 
Mr.  Hayes  into  constant  association  with  young 
men  of  high  character  and  noble  aims,  and  lured 
him  to  display  the  qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his 
bashfulness  and  modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judge 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  but  he  declined  to 
accept  the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  of- 
fice of  City  Solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City 
Council  elected  him  for  the  unexpired  term. 

In  1861,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  was 
at  the  zenith  of  his  professional  life.     His  rank  at 


the  Bar  was  among  the  first.  But  the  news  of 
the  attack  on  Ft.  Sumter  found  him  eager  to 
take  up  arms  for  the  defense  of  his  country. 

His  military  record  was  bright  and  illustrious. 
In  October,  1861,  he  was  made  Lieutenant- Colo- 
nel, and  in  August,  1862,  promoted  Colonel  of 
the  Seventy-ninth  Ohio  Regiment,  but  he  refused 
to  leave  his  old  comrades  and  go  among  strangers. 
Subsequently,  however,  he  was  made  Colonel  of 
his  old  regiment.  At  the  battle  of  South  Moun- 
tain he  received  a  wound,  and  while  faint  and 
bleeding  displayed  courage  and  fortitude  that 
won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his  regiment, 
after  his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General, 
and  placed  in  command  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha 
division,  and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services 
in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and 
Cedar  Creek,  he  was  promoted  Brigadier-General. 
He  was  also  breveted  Major- General,  "for  gallant 
and  distinguished  services  during  the  campaigns 
of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."  In  the  course  of  his 
arduous  services,  four  horses  were  shot  from  un- 
der him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times. 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress 
from  the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long 
been  Democratic.  He  was  not  present  during  the 
campaign,  and  after  the  election  was  importuned 
to  resign  his  commission  in  the  arm}-;  but  he  fi- 
nally declared,  "  I  shall  never  come  to  Washing- 
ton until  I  can  come  by  way  of  Richmond."  He 
was  re-elected  in  1866. 

In  1867,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  Governor  of 
Ohio,  over  Hon.  Allen  G.  Thurman,  a  popular 
Democrat,  and  in  1869  was  re-elected  over  George 
H.  Pendleton.  He  was  elected  Governor  for  the 
third  term  in  1875. 

In  1876  he  was  the  standard-bearer  of  the  Re- 
publican party  in  the  Presidential  contest,  and 
after  a  hard,  long  contest  was  chosen  President, 
and  was  inaugurated  Monday,  March  5,  1877. 
He  served  his  full  term,  not,  however,  with  satis- 
faction to  his  party,  but  his  administration  was  an 
average  one.  The  remaining  years  of  his  life 
were  passed  quietly  in  his  Ohio  home,  where  he 
passed  away  January  17,  1893. 


URR'.RY 

UNIVLRSIIV  Uh  ILLINOIS 

URBAAIA 


(^/^-r^fC^j 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


(JAMES  A.  GARFIELD,  twentieth  President 
I  of  the  United  States,  was  born  November  19, 
(2/  183 1,  in  the  woods  of  Orange,  Cuyahoga 
County,  Ohio.  His  parents  were  Abram  and 
Eliza  (Balloui  Garfield,  both  of  New  England 
ancestry,  and  from  families  well  known  in  the 
early  history  of  that  section  of  our  country,  but 
who  had  moved  to  the  Western  Reserve,  in  Ohio, 
early  in  its  settlement. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was  born  was 
not  unlike  the  houses  of  poor  Ohio  farmers  of 
that  day.  It  was  about  20  x  30  feet,  built  of  logs, 
with  the  spaces  between  the  logs  filled  with  clay. 
His  father  was  a  hard-working  farmer,  and  he 
soon  had  his  fields  cleared,  an  orchard  planted, 
and  a  log  barn  built.  The  household  comprised 
the  father  and  mother  and  their  four  children, 
Mehetabel,  Thomas,  Mar}- and  James.  In  May, 
1823,  the  father  died  from  a  cold  contracted  in 
helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire.  At  this  time 
James  was  about  eighteen  months  old,  and 
Thomas  about  ten  years  old.  No  one,  perhaps, 
can  tell  how  much  James  was  indebted  to  his 
brother's  toil  and  self-sacrifice  during  the  twenty 
years  succeeding  his  father's  death.  He  now 
lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sisters  live  in  Solon, 
Ohio,   near  their  birthplace. 

The  early  educational  advantages  young  Gar- 
field enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the 
most  of  them.  He  labored  at  farm  work  for 
others,  did  carpenter  work,  chopped  wood,  or  did 
anything  that  would  bring  in  a  few  dollars  to  aid 
his  widowed  mother  in  her  struggles  to  keep  the 
little  family  together.  Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield 
ever  ashamed  of  his  origin,  and  he  never  forgot 
the  friends  of  his  struggling  childhood,  youth  and 
manhood;  neither  did  they  ever  forget  him. 
When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor,  the  humblest 
friend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly  greeted  as 
ever.  The  poorest  laborer  was  sure  of  the  sym- 
pathy of  one  who  had  known  all  the  bitterness  of 


want  and  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple, 
plain,  modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  ambition  of  young  Garfield  until 
he  was  about  sixteen  years  old  was  to  be  cap- 
tain of  a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.  He  was  anxious 
to  go  aboard  a  vessel,  but  this  his  mother  strongly 
opposed.  She  finally  consented  to  his  going  to 
Cleveland,  with  the  understanding,  however,  that 
he  should  try  to  obtain  some  other  kind  of  em- 
ployment. He  walked  all  the  way  to  Cleveland. 
This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city.  After  making 
many  applications  for  work,  and  trying  to  get 
aboard  a  lake  vessel  and  not  meeting  with  suc- 
cess, he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Canal. 
He  remained  at  this  work  but  a  short  time,  when 
he  went  home,  and  attended  the  seminar}-  at 
Chester  for  about  three  years.  He  then  entered 
Hiram  and  the  Eclectic  Institute,  teaching  a  few 
terms  of  school  in  the  meantime,  and  doing  other 
work.  This  school  was  started  by  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  in  1850,  of  which  body  he  was  then  a 
member.  He  became  janitor  and  bell-ringer  in 
order  to  help  pay  his  way.  He  then  became  both 
teacher  and  pupil.  Soon  "  exhausting  Hiram," 
and  needing  a  higher  education,  in  the  fall  of  1854 
he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated in  1856,  taking  one  of  the  highest  honors  of 
his  class.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram  Col- 
lege as  its  President.  As  above  stated,  he  early 
united  with  the  Christian,  or  Disciples,  Church  at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a  devoted,  zealous 
member,  often  preaching  in  its  pulpit  and  places 
where  he  happened  to  be. 

Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage,  Novem- 
ber 11,  1858,  with  Miss  Lucretia  Rudolph,  who 
proved  herself  worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom 
all  the  world  loved.  To  them  were  born  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  four  boys 
and  one  girl. 


96 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


Mr.  Garfield  made  his  first  political  speeches  in 
1856,  in  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and 
three  years  later  he  began  to  speak  at  county 
mass-meetings,  and  became  the  favorite  speaker 
wherever  he  was.  During  this  year  he  was 
elected  to  the  Ohio  Senate.  He  also  began  to 
study  law  at  Cleveland,  and  in  1861  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar.  The  great  Rebellion  broke  out  in  the 
early  part  of  this  year,  and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once 
resolved  to  fight  as  he  had  talked,  and  enlisted  to 
defend  the  Old  Flag.  He  received  his  commission 
as  Lieutenant- Colonel  of  the  Forty-second  Regi- 
ment of  Ohio  Infantry  August  14,  1861.  He 
was  immediately  put  into  active  service,  and  be- 
fore he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  in  action,  was 
placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantry 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the 
work  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  able 
rebel  officer,  Humphrey  Marshall,  of  Kentucky. 
This  work  was  bravely  and  speedily  accomplished, 
although  against  great  odds,  and  President  Lin- 
coln commissioned  him  Brigadier-General,  Janu- 
ary 10,  1862;  and  "as  he  had  been  the  youngest 
man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years  before,  so  now 
he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the  army."  He 
was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh,  in  its 
operations  around  Corinth  and  its  march  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  member  of 
the  general  court  martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen. 
Fitz-John  Porter.  He  was  next  ordered  to  re- 
port to  Gen.  Rosecrans,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
' '  Chief  of  Staff. ' '  The  military  history  of  Gen. 
Garfield  closed  with  his  brilliant  services  at  Chick- 
amauga,  where  he  won  the  rank  of  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his  part,  Gen.  Garfield 
was  elected  to  Congress  in  the  fall  of  1862,  from 
the  Nineteenth  District  of  Ohio.  This  section  of 
Ohio  had  been  represented  in  Congress  for  sixty 
years  mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  Whittlesey  and 
Joshua  R.  Giddings.  It  was  not  without  a  strug- 
gle that  he  resigned  his  place  in  the  army.  At 
the  time  he  entered  Congress  he  was  the  youngest 
member  in  that  body.  There  he  remained  by 
successive  re-elections  until  he  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, in  1880.  Of  his  labors  in  Congress,  Senator 
Hoar  says:  "Since  the  year  1864  you  cannot 
think   of  a  question  which  has  been  debated  in 


Congress,  or  discussed  before  a  tribunal  of  the 
American  people,  ip  regard  to  which  you  will  not 
find,  if  you  wish  instruction,  the  argument  on 
one  side  stated,  in  almost  every  instance  better 
than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  speech  made  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the  hustings 
by  Mr.  Garfield." 

Upon  January  14,  1880,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elect- 
ed to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  on  the  8th  of 
June,  of  the  same  year,  was  nominated  as  the 
candidate  of  his  party  for  President  at  the  great 
Chicago  Convention.  He  was  elected  in  the  fol- 
lowing November,  and  on  March  4,  1881,  was 
inaugurated.  Probably  no  administration  ever 
opened  its  existence  under  brighter  auspices  than 
that  of  President  Garfield,  and  every  day  it  grew 
in  favor  with  the  people.  By  the  1st  of  July 
he  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  prelimi- 
nary work  of  his  administration,  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Will- 
iams College.  While  on  his  way  and  at  the 
depot,  in  company  with  Secretary  Blaine,  a  man 
stepped  behind  him,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired 
directly  at  his  back.  The  President  tottered  and 
fell,  and  as  he  did  so  the  assassin  fired  a  second 
shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the  left  coat  sleeve  of  his 
victim,  but  inflicting  no  further  injury.  It  has 
been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was  ' '  the  shot 
that  was  heard  around  the  world."  Never  before 
in  the  history  of  the  nation  had  anything  occur- 
red which  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  people 
for  the  moment  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was 
smitten  on  the  brightest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his 
life,  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  hope.  For 
eighty  days,  all  during  the  hot  months  of  July 
and  August,  he  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  how- 
ever, remained  master  of  himself  till  the  last,  and 
by  his  magnificent  bearing  taught  the  country 
and  the  world  one  of  the  noblest  of  human  les- 
sons— how  to  live  grandly  in  the  very  clutch  of 
death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpassingly  great 
in  death.  He  passed  serenely  away  September 
19,  1883,  at  Elberon,  N.  J.,  on  the  very  bank  of 
the  ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  be- 
fore. The  world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  rarely 
ever  had  done  on  the  death  of  any  other  great 
and  noble  man. 


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CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


E  HESTER  A.  ARTHUR,  twenty-first  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Vt.,  on  the  5th  day  of  October, 
1830.  and  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  two  sons 
and  five  daughters.  His  father  was  the  Rev.  Dr. 
William  Arthur,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  who  emi- 
grated to  this  country  from  County  Antrim,  Ire- 
land, in  his  eighteenth  year,  and  died  in  1875,  in 
Newtonville,  near  Albany,  after  a  long  and  suc- 
cessful ministry. 

Young  Arthur  was  educated  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  where  he  excelled  in  all  his  studies. 
After  his  graduation  he  taught  school  in  Ver- 
mont for  two  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that 
time  came  to  New  York,  with  $500  in  his  pocket, 
and  entered  the  office  of  ex-Judge  E.  D.  Culver 
as  a  student.  After  being  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and 
room-mate,  Henry  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  practicing  in  the  West,  and  for  three 
months  they  roamed  about  in  the  Western  States 
in  search  of  an  eligible  site,  but  in  the  end  re- 
turned to  New  York,  where  they  hung  out  their 
shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  successful  career  al- 
most from  the  start.  Gen.  Arthur  soon  after  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  Lieut.  Herndon,  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  who  was  lost  at  sea.  Con- 
gress voted  a  gold  medal  to  his  widow  in  recog- 
nition of  the  bravery  he  displayed  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr. 
Arthur's  nomination  to  the  Vice-Presidency,  leav- 
ing two  children. 

Gen.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celeb- 
rity in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon 
suit,  brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves 
who  had  been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of 
the  Superior  Court  of  New  York  City.     It  was  in 


1852  that  Jonathan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to 
New  York  with  his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them 
to  Texas,  when  they  were  discovered  and  freed. 
The  Judge  decided  that  they  could  not  be  held  by 
the  owner  under  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  A  howl 
of  rage  went  up  from  the  South,  and  the  Virginia 
Legislature  authorized  the  Attorney-General  of 
that  State  to  assist  in  an  appeal.  William  M. 
Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed  to 
represent  the  people,  and  they  won  their  case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States.  Charles  O' Conor  here  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  slaveholders,  but  he,  too,  was 
beaten  by  Messrs.  Evarts  and  Arthur,  and  a  long 
step  was  taken  toward  the  emancipation  of  the 
black  race. 

Another  great  sen-ice  was  rendered  by  Gen. 
Arthur  in  the  same  cause  in  1856.  Lizzie  Jen- 
nings, a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off 
a  Fourth  Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had 
paid  her  fare.  Gen.  Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf, 
and  secured  a  verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next 
day  the  company  issued  an  order  to  admit  colored 
persons  to  ride  on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car 
companies  quickly  followed  their  example.  Be- 
fore that  the  Sixth  Avenue  Company  ran  a  few 
special  cars  for  colored  persons,  and  the  other  lines 
refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 

Gen.  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  the  war  he  was  Judge-Advocate  of 
the  Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  Gov.  Morgan,  of  that  State,  appointed  him 
Engineer-in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  1861,  he  was 
made  Inspector-General,  and  soon  afterward  be- 
came Quartermaster-General.  In  each  of  these 
offices  he  rendered  great  service  to  the  Govern- 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


ment  during  the  war.  At  the  end  of  Gov.  Mor- 
gan's term  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  Mr.  Ransom,  and  then 
Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney  of  New  York, 
was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  practice  of  this 
well-known  firm  was  very  large  and  lucrative, 
as  each  of  the  gentlemen  composing  it  was  an  able 
lawyer,  and  possessed  a  splendid  local  reputa- 
tion, if  not,  indeed,  one  of  national  extent. 

Mr.  Arthur  always  took  a  leading  part  in  State 
and  city  politics.  He  was  appointed  Collector  of 
the  Port  of  New  York  by  President  Grant,  No- 
vember 21,  1S72,  to  succeed  Thomas  Murphy, 
and  he  held  the  office  until  July  20,  1878,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  with  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  at  the 
famous  National  Republican  Convention  held  at 
Chicago  in  June,  18S0.  This  was  perhaps  the 
greatest  political  convention  that  ever  assembled 
on  the  continent.  It  was  composed  of  the  lead- 
ing politicians  of  the  Republican  party,  all  able 
men,  and  each  stood  firm  and  fought  vigorously 
and  with  signal  tenacity  for  his  respective  can- 
didate that  was  before  the  convention  for  the 
nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  received  the 
nomination  for  President,  and  Gen.  Arthur  for 
Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  stand- 
ard-bearer of  the  Democratic  party,  was  a  popular 
man,  and  his  party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his 
election. 

Finally  the  election  came,  and  the  country's 
choice  was  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  in- 
augurated March  4,  188 1,  as  President  and  Vice- 
President.  A  few  months  only  had  passed  ere 
the  newly-chosen  President  was  the  victim  of  the 
assassin's  bullet.  Then  came  terrible  weeks  of 
suffering — those  moments  of  anxious  suspense, 
when  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  nations  were 
throbbing  in  unison,  longing  for  the  recovery  of 
the  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remarkable 
patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours 
and  weeks,  and  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible 
suffering  man  has  ever  been  called  upon  to  en- 
dure, was  seemingly  more  than  human.     It  was 


certainly  godlike.  During  all  this  period  of 
deepest  anxiety  Mr.  Arthur's  every  move  was 
watched,  and,  be  it  said  to  his  credit,  that  his  every 
action  displayed  only  an  earnest  desire  that  the 
suffering  Garfield  might  recover  to  serve  the  re- 
mainder of  the  term  he  had  so  auspiciously  be- 
gun. Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested  in 
deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most 
honored  position  in  the  world  was  at  any  moment 
likely  to  fall  to  him. 

At  last  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President 
Garfield  from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as 
never  before  in  its  history  over  the  death  of  any 
other  man,  wept  at  his  bier.  Then  it  became  the 
duty  of  the  Vice-President  to  assume  the  respon- 
sibilities of  the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath 
in  New  York,  September  20,  188 1.  The  position 
was  an  embarrassing  one  to  him,  made  doubly  so 
from  the  fact  that  all  eyes  were  on  him,  anxious 
to  know  what  he  would  do,  what  policy  he  would 
pursue,  and  whom  he  would  select  as  advisers. 
The  duties  of  the  office  had  been  greatly  neglected 
during  the  President' s  long  illness,  and  many  im- 
portant measures  were  to  be  immediately  decided 
by  him ;  and  to  still  further  embarass  him  he  did 
not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many 
on  this  point.  Under  these  trying  circumstances, 
President  Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Govern- 
ment in  his  own  hands,  and,  as  embarrassing  as 
was  the  condition  of  affairs,  he  happily  surprised 
the  nation,  acting  so  wisely  that  but  few  criticized 
his  administration.  He  served  the  nation  well 
and  faithfully  until  the  close  of  his  administra- 
tion, March  4,  1885,  and  was  a  popular  candidate 
before  his  part}-  for  a  second  term.  His  name 
was  ably  presented  before  the  convention  at  Chi- 
cago, and  was  received  with  great  favor,  and 
doubtless  but  for  the  personal  popularity  of  one 
of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have  been 
selected  as  the  standard-bearer  of  his  party  for 
another  campaign.  He  retired  to  private  life,  car- 
rying with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American 
people,  whom  he  had  served  in  a  manner  satisfac- 
tory to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself.  One 
year  later  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest. 


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UNIVERSIIYOF  ILLINOIS 

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^_^„ 


*» 


STEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


(Stephen  grover  Cleveland,  the 

•\  twenty -second  President  of  the  United  States, 
\~)  was  born  in  1837.  in  the  obscure  town  of 
Caldwell,  Essex  County,  N.  J.,  and  in  a  little 
two-aud-a-half-story  white  house,  which  is  still 
standing  to  characteristically  mark  the  humble 
birthplace  of  one  of  America's  great  men,  in 
striking  contrast  with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in  origin  and 
born  in  the  cradle  of  wealth.  When  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his  father, 
who  was  a  Presbyterian  minister  with  a  large 
family  and  a  small  salary,  moved,  by  way  of  the 
Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to  Fayetteville,  N. 
Y.,  in  search  of  an  increased  income  and  a  larger 
field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about  five  miles 
from  Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour 
was  born. 

At  the  last-mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  good,  old-fashioned 
way,  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after 
the  manner  of  all  village  boys — in  doing  the 
things  he  ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  dis- 
tinguishing trait  of  all  geniuses  and  independent 
thinkers.  When  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years,  he  had  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the 
village  school,  and  expressed  a  most  emphatic  de- 
sire to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  this  his  fa- 
ther decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him 
to  become  self-supporting  by  the  quickest  pos- 
sible means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayetteville 
seemed  to  be  a  position  in  a  country  store,  where 
his  father  and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had 


considerable  influence.  Grover  was  to  be  paid 
$50  for  his  services  the  first  year,  and  if  he  proved 
trustworthy  he  was  to  receive  $100  the  second 
year.  Here  the  lad  commenced  his  career  as 
salesman,  and  in  two  years  he  had  earned  so  good 
a  reputation  for  trustworthiness  that  his  employ- 
ers desired  to  retain  him  for  an  indefinite  length 
of  time. 

But  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in 
Fayetteville,  he  went  with  the  family  in  their  re- 
moval to  Clinton,  where  he  had  an  opportunity 
of  attending  a  High  School.  Here  he  industri- 
ously pursued  his  studies  until  the  family  re- 
moved with  him  to  a  point  on  Black  River  known 
as  the  "Holland  Patent,"  a  village  of  five  or  six 
hundred  people,  fifteen  miles  north  of  Utica,  N.  Y. 
At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching  but 
three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept, 
at  a  small  salary,  the  position  of  under-teacher 
in  an  asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully 
for  two  years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good 
reputation  in  this  capacity,  he  concluded  that 
teaching  was  not  his  calling  in  life,  and,  revers- 
ing the  traditional  order,  he  left  the  city  to  seek 
his  fortune,  instead  of  going  to  the  city.  He  first 
thought  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as  there  was  some 
charm  in  that  name  for  him;  but  before  proceed- 
ing to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffalo  to  ask  advice 
of  his  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted  stock- 
breeder of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not  speak 
enthusiastically.  "What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  boy?"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  study 
law,"  was  the  reply  "Good  gracious!"  remarked 
the  old  gentleman;  "  do  you,  indeed?    Whatever 


104 


STEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


put  that  into  your  head  ?  How  much  money 
have  you  got?"  "Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I 
haven't  got  any.'' 

After  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  him 
a  place  temporarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at 
$50  a  year,  while  he  could  look  around.  One 
day  soon  afterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  of- 
fice of  Rogers,  Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and 
told  them  what  he  wanted.  A  number  of  young 
men  were  already  engaged  in  the  office,  but  Gra- 
ver's persistency  won,  and  he  was  finally  per- 
mitted to  come  as  an  office  boy  and  have  the  use 
of  the  law  library,  receiving  as  wages  the  sum  of 
$3  or  $4  a  week.  Out  of  this  he  had  to  pay  for  his 
board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and  although 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorably  severe  one,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair,  and  as  for  his  overcoat  he 
had  none;  yet  he  was,  nevertheless,  prompt  and 
regular.  On  the  first  day  of  his  service  there,  his 
senior  employer  threw  down  a  copy  of  Black- 
stone  before  him,  with  a  bang  that  made  the  dust 
fly,  saying  "That's  where  they  all  begin."  A 
titter  ran  around  the  little  circle  of  clerks  and 
students,  as  they  thought  that  was  enough  to 
scare  young  Graver  out  of  his  plans;  but  in  due 
time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleve- 
land exhibited  a  talent  for  executiveiiess  rather 
than  for  chasing  principles  through  all  their 
metaphysical  possibilities.  "Let  us  quit  talking 
and  go  and  do  it,"  was  practically  his  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland 
was  elected  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  County, 
X.  V.,  in  which  Buffalo  is  situated;  and  in  such 
capacity  it  fell  to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  punish- 
ment upon  two  criminals.  In  1881  he  was 
elected  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Buffalo,  on  the 
Democratic  ticket,  with  especial  reference  to  bring- 
ing about  certain  reforms  in  the  administration 
of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that  city.  In  this  of- 
fice, as  well  as  in  that  of  Sheriff,  his  performance 
of  duty  has  generally  been  considered  fair,  with 
possibly  a  few  exceptions,  which  were  ferreted 
out  and  magnified  during  his  Presidential  cam- 
paign. As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in 
a  veto  message,  we  quote  from  one  vetoing  an 


iniquitous  street-cleaning  contract:  "This  is  a 
time  for  plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your 
action  shall  be  plainly  stated.  I  regard  it  as  the 
culmination  of  a  most  bare-faced,  impudent  and 
shameless  scheme  to  betray  the  interests  of  the 
people  and  to  worse  than  squander  the  people's 
money."  The  New  York  S101  afterward  very 
highly  commended  Mr.  Cleveland's  administra- 
tion as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  thereupon  recom- 
mended him  for  Governor  of  the  Empire  State. 
To  the  latter  office  he  was  elected  in  1882,  and 
his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  State  was 
generally  satisfactory.  The  mistakes  he  made, 
if  any,  were  made  very  public  throughout  the  na- 
tion after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the 
United  States.  For  this  high  office  he  was 
nominated  July  11,  18S4,  by  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention  at  Chicago,  when  other  com- 
petitors were  Thomas  F.  Bayard,  Roswell  P. 
Flower,  Thomas  A.  Hendricks,  Benjamin  F. 
Butler,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  etc. ;  and  he  was 
elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  about  a 
thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Re- 
publican statesman,  James  G.  Blaine.  President 
Cleveland  resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New 
York  in  January,  1885,  in  order  to  prepare  for 
his  duties  as  the  Chief  Executive  of  the  United 
States,  in  which  capacity  his  term  commenced  at 
noon  on  the  4th  of  March,  1S85. 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy 
between  those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continu- 
ance of  silver  coinage  and  those  who  were  op- 
posed, Mr.  Cleveland  answering  for  the  latter, 
even  before  his  inauguration. 

On  June  2,  1886,  President  Cleveland  married 
Frances,  daughter  of  his  deceased  friend  and  part- 
ner, Oscar  Folsom,  of  the  Buffalo  Bar.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  daugh- 
ters. In  the  campaign  of  1888,  President  Cleve- 
land was  renominated  by  his  party,  but  the 
Republican  candidate,  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison, 
was  victorious.  In  the  nominations  of  1892 
these  two  candidates  for  the  highest  position  in 
the  gift  of  the  people  were  again  pitted  against 
each  other,  and  in  the  ensuing  election  President 
Cleveland  was  victorious  by  an  overwhelming 
majority. 


UNIVERSIIV 

UKbANA 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON. 


QENJAMIN  HARRISON,  the  twenty-third 
Y\\  President,  is  the  descendant  of  one  of  the 
d/  historical  families  of  this  country.  The  first 
known  head  of  the  family  was  Maj.-Gen.  Harrison, 
one  of  Oliver  Cromwell's  trusted  followers  and 
fighters.  In  the  zenith  of  Cromwell's  power  it  be- 
came the  duty  of  this  Harrison  to  participate  in 
the  trial  of  Charles  I.,  and  afterward  to  sign  the 
death  warrant  of  the  king.  He  subsequent  v 
paid  for  this  with  his  life,  being  hung  October  13, 
1660.  His  descendants  came  to  America,  and 
the  next  of  the  family  that  appears  in  history  is 
Benjamin  Harrison,  of  Virginia,  great-grandfa- 
ther of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  after  whom 
he  was  named.  Benjamin  Harrison  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Continental  Congress  during  the  years 
1774,  1775  and  1776,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
was  three  times  elected  Governor  of  Virginia. 

Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  the  son  of  the 
distinguished  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  after  a 
successful  career  as  a  soldier  during  the  War  of 
18 1 2,  and  with  a  clean  record  as  Governor  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory,  was  elected  President  of 
the  United  States  in  1840.  His  career  was  cut 
short  by  death  within  one  month  after  his  in- 
auguration. 

President  Harrison  was  born  at  North   Bend, 


Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  August  20,  1833.  His 
life  up  to  the  time  of  his  graduation  from  Miami 
University,  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  was  the  uneventful 
one  of  a  country  lad  of  a  family  of  small  means. 
His  father  was  able  to  give  him  a  good  education, 
and  nothing  more.  He  became  engaged  while  at 
college  to  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Scott,  Principal  of 
a  female  school  at  Oxford.  After  graduating,  he 
determined  to  enter  upon  the  study  of  law.  He 
went  to  Cincinnati  and  there  read  law  for  two 
years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  young  Har- 
rison received  the  only  inheritance  of  his  life — his 
aunt,  dying,  left  him  a  lot  valued  at  $800.  He 
regarded  this  legacy  as  a  fortune,  and  decided  to 
get  married  at  once,  take  this  money  and  go  to 
some  Eastern  towyn  and  begin  the  practice  of  law. 
He  sold  his  lot,  and,  with  the  money  in  his  pocket, 
he  started  out  with  his  young  wife  to  fight  for  a 
place  in  the  world.  He  decided  to  go  to  Indian- 
apolis, which  was  even  at  that  time  a  town  of 
promise.  He  met  with  slight  encouragement  at 
first,  making  scarcely  an3~thing  the  first  year. 
He  worked  diligently,  applying  himself  closely  to 
his  calling,  built  up  an  extensive  practice  and 
took  a  leading  rank  in  the  legal  profession. 

In  i860,  Mr.  Harrison  was  nominated  for  the 
position  of  Supreme  Court  Reporter,  and  then  be- 
gan his  experience  as  a  stump  speaker.     He  can- 


io8 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON. 


vassed  the  State  thoroughly,  and  was  elected  by 
a  handsome  majority.  In  1862  he  raised  the 
Seventeenth  Indiana  Infantry,  and  was  chosen  its 
Colonel.  His  regiment  was  composed  of  the  raw- 
est material,  but  Col.  Harrison  employed  all  his 
time  at  first  in  mastering  military  tactics  and  drill- 
ing his  men,  and  when  he  came  to  move  toward 
the  East  with  Sherman,  his  regiment  was  one  of 
the  best  drilled  and  organized  in  the  army.  At 
Resaca  he  especially  distinguished  himself,  and 
for  his  bravery  at  Peachtree  Creek  he  was  made 
a  Brigadier-General,  Gen.  Hooker  speaking  of 
him  in  the  most  complimentary  terms. 

During  the  absence  of  Gen.  Harrison  in  the 
field,  the  Supreme  Court  declared  the  office  of 
Supreme  Court  Reporter  vacant,  and  another 
person  was  elected  to  the  position.  From  the 
time  of  leaving  Indiana  with  his  regiment  until 
the  fall  of  1864  he  had  taken  no  leave  of  absence, 
but  having  been  nominated  that  year  for  the  same 
office,  he  got  a  thirty-day  leave  of  absence,  and 
during  that  time  made  a  brilliant  canvass  of  the 
State,  and  was  elected  for  another  term.  He  then 
started  to  rejoin  Sherman,  but  on  the  way  was 
stricken  down  with  scarlet  fever,  and  after  a  most 
trying  attack  made  his  way  to  the  front  in  time  to 
participate  in  the  closing  incidents  of  the  war. 

In  1868  Gen.  Harrison  declined  a  re-election 
as  Reporter,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In 
1876  he  was  a  candidate  for  Governor.  Although 
defeated,  the  brilliant  campaign  he  made  won  for 
him  a  national  reputation,  and  he  was  much  sought 
after,  especially  in  the  East,  to  make  speeches. 
In  1880,  as  usual,  he  took  an  active  part  in  the 
campaign,  and  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate.  Here  he  served  for  six  years,  and  was 
known  as  one  of  the  ablest  men,  best  lawyers  and 
strongest  debaters  in  that  body.  With  the  ex- 
piration of  his  senatorial  term  he  returned  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  becoming  the  head  of 
one  of  the  strongest  firms  in  the  State. 

The  political  campaign  of  1888  was  one  of  the 
most  memorable  in  the  history  of  our  country. 
The  convention  which  assembled  in  Chicago  in 
June  and  named  Mr.  Harrison  as  the  chief  stand- 
ard-bearer of  the  Republican  party  was  great  in 
every  particular,  and  on  this  account,  and  the  at- 


titude it  assumed  upon  the  vital  questions  of  the 
day,  chief  among  which  was  the  tariff,  awoke  a 
deep  interest  in  the  campaign  throughout  the 
nation.  Shortly  after  the  nomination,  delegations 
began  to  visit  Mr.  Harrison  at  Indianapolis,  his 
home.  This  movement  became  popular,  and  from 
all  sections  of  the  country  societies,  clubs  and 
delegations  journeyed  thither  to  pay  their  re- 
spects to  the  distinguished  statesman. 

Mr.  Harrison  spoke  daily  all  through  the  sum- 
mer and  autumn  to  these  visiting  delegations, 
and  so  varied,  masterly,  and  eloquent  were  his 
speeches  that  they  at  once  placed  him  in  the  fore- 
most rank  of  American  orators  and  statesmen. 
Elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  he  served  his 
country  faithfully  and  well,  and  in  1892  was  nom- 
inated for  re-election;  but  the  people  demanded  a 
change  and  he  was  defeated  by  his  predecessor 
in  office,  Grover  Cleveland. 

On  account  of  his  eloquence  as  a  speaker  and 
his  power  as  a  debater,  Gen.  Harrison  was  called 
upon  at  an  early  age  to  take  part  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  great  questions  that  then  began  to 
agitate  the  country.  He  was  an  uncompromising 
anti-slavery  man,  and  was  matched  against  some 
of  the  most  eminent  Democratic  speakers  of  his 
State.  No  man  who  felt  the  touch  of  his  blade 
desired  to  be  pitted  with  him  again.  With  all 
his  eloquence  as  an  orator  he  never  spoke  for  ora- 
torical effect,  but  his  words  always  went  like  bul- 
lets to  the  mark.  He  is  purely  American  in  his 
ideas,  and  is  a  splendid  type  of  the  American 
statesman.  Gifted  with  quick  perception,  a  logi- 
cal mind  and  a  ready  tongue,  he  is  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  impromptu  speakers  in  the 
nation.  Many  of  these  speeches  sparkled  with  the 
rarest  eloquence  and  contained  arguments  of  great 
weight,  and  many  of  his  terse  statements  have 
already  become  aphorisms.  Original  in  thought, 
precise  in  logic,  terse  in  statement,  yet  withal 
faultless  in  eloquence,  he  is  recognized  as  the 
sound  statesman  and  brilliant  orator  of  the  day. 
During  the  last  days  of  his  administration  Presi- 
dent Harrison  suffered  an  irreparable  loss  in  the 
death  of  his  devoted  wife,  Caroline  (Scott)  Har- 
rison, a  lady  of  many  womanly  charms  and  vir- 
tues.    They  were  the  parents  of  two  children. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVtRSIIY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


HANCOCK,  McDONOUGH 


AND 


HENDERSON  COUNTIES, 

ILLINOIS. 


I NTRODUCTORY. 


<Sr  HE  time  has  arrived  when  it  becomes  the 
I  Q  duty  of  the  people  of  this  county  to  perpet- 
VJy  uate  the  names  of  their  pioneers,  to  furnish 
a  record  of  their  early  settlement,  and  relate  the 
story  of  their  progress.  The  civilization  of  our 
day,  the  enlightenment  of  the  age,  and  the  duty 
that  men  of  the  present  time  owe  to  their  ances 
tors,  to  themselves  and  to  their  posterity,  demand 
that  a  record  of  their  lives  and  deeds  should  be 
made.  In  biographical  history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to  enliven  the  mental 
faculties,  and  to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a  safe 
vessel,  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the  peo- 
ple who  contributed  to  raise  this  country  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and 
rapidly  the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  prime 
entered  the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil 
as  their  heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves.  The 
number  remaining  who  can  relate  the  incidents  of 
the  first  days  of  settlement  is  becoming  small  in- 
deed, so  that  an  actual  necessity  exists  for  the  col- 
lection and  preservation  of  events  without  delay, 
before  all  the  early  settlers  are  cut  down  by  the 
scythe  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of 
mankind  from  remotest  ages.  All  will  be  forgot- 
ten soon  enough ,  in  spite  of  their  best  works  and 
the  most  earnest  efforts  of  their  friends  to  preserve 
the  memory  of  their  lives.  The  means  employed 
to  prevent  oblivion  and  to  perpetuate  their  mem- 
ory has  been  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  intel- 
ligence they  possessed.  The  pyramids  of  Egypt 
were  built  to  perpetuate  the  names  and  deeds  of 
their  great  rulers.  The  exhumations  made  by  the 
archaeologists  of  Egypt  from  buried  Memphis  indi- 
cate a  desire  of  those  people  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  their  achievements.  The  erection  of 
the  great  obelisks  were  for  the  same  purpose. 
Coming  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  the  Greeks 
and    Romans   erecting   mausoleums   and    monu- 


ments, and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  their 
great  achievements  and  earn-  them  down  the  ages. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-builders,  in  pil- 
ing up  their  great  mounds  of  earth,  had  but  this 
idea — to  leave  something  to  show  that  they  had 
lived.  All  these  works,  though  many  of  them 
costly  in  the  extreme,  give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the 
lives  and  characters  of  those  whose  memory  they 
were  intended  to  perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything 
of  the  masses  of  the  people  that  then  lived.  The 
great  pyramids  and  some  of  the  obelisks  remain 
objects  only  of  curiosity;  the  mausoleums,  monu- 
ments and  statues  are  crumbling  into  dust. 
^  It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an  intel- 
ligent, undecaying,  immutable  method  of  perpet- 
uating a  full  history — immutable,  in  that  it  is  al- 
most unlimited  in  extent  and  perpetual  in  its  ac- 
tion; and  this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  sys- 
tem of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every 
man,  though  he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world 
calls  greatness,  has  the  means  to  perpetuate  his 
life,  his  history,  through  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all;  nothing  of 
the  physical  man  is  left.  The  monument  which 
his  children  or  friends  may  erect  to  his  memory  in 
the  cemetery  will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass 
away;  but  his  life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he 
has  accomplished,  which  otherwise  would  be  for- 
gotten, is  perpetuated  by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions 
we  engrave  their  portraits;  for  the  same  reason 
we  collect  the  attainable  facts  of  their  history .  Nor 
do  we  think  it  necessary,  as  we  speak  only  truth 
of  them,  to  wait  until  they  are  dead,  or  until  those 
who  know  them  are  gone;  to  do  this  we  are 
ashamed  only  to  publish  to  the  world  the  history 
of  those  whose  lives  are  unworthy  of  public  record. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSIIY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


H.  G.  Ferris 


Biographical. 


NIRAM  G.  FERRIS  was  for  many  years  one 
of  the  most  prominent  business  men  and 
leading  citizens  of  Carthage,  and  when 
called  to  the  home  beyond,  his  loss  was  mourned 
throughout  the  entire  community,  for  he  had  not 
only  won  many  friends,  but  was  ever  interested  in 
those  enterprises  which  were  calculated  to  prove 
of  public  benefit.  His  father  was  Stephen  G. 
Ferris,  a  pioneer  of  Hancock  County,  who  emi- 
grated with  his  family  to  the  West,  and  settled  in 
Fountain  Green,  December  18,  1832,  the  journey 
being  made  in  a  flatboat  down  the  Ohio  River  to 
Cincinnati,  where  the}'  boarded  a  steamer. 

Hiram  was  then  a  lad  of  ten  years,  for  he  was 
born  May  13,  1822,  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y. 
In  early  life  he  attended  the  common  schools,  and 
afterwards  pursued  his  studies  in  Knox  College 
at  Galesburg.  In  company  with  David  D.  Colton, 
in  1850  he  made  the  overland  trip  to  California, 
and  took  a  leading  part  in  public  affairs.  He 
was  appointed  one  of  the  Commissioners  who  or- 
ganized Siskiyou  County,  of  which  he  afterward 
served  for  two  terms  as  Circuit  Clerk.  At  that 
time  Gen.  Colton  was  Sheriff  of  the  county,  which 
contained  many  rough  characters  among  the  min- 
ers. On  one  occasion  a  mob  tried  to  rescue  one 
of  their  number  who  was  in  jail,  but  Mr.  Ferris 
and  Gen.  Colton  kept  them  back  with  drawn 
revolvers.  Our  subject  also  witnessed  the  Mor- 
mon War,  but  did  not  take  part  in  it.  He  served 
as  Deputy  Sheriff  in  1842,  and  was  highly  spoken 
of  by  his  superior  officer.  In  1857  he  returned 
from  California  to  Hancock  County,  and,  having 
previously  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  Bar. 
He  formed  a  partnership  with  the  firm  of  Hooker 
&  Edmunds,  which  continued  until  1863,  when 
Mr.  Edmunds  withdrew.  Mr.  Ferris,  however, 
continued  in  the  business  until  the  following  year. 
In  1865  he  embarked  in  the  banking  and  real-es- 


tate business  with  F.  M.  Corby,  and  established 
what  became  the  Hancock  Count)-  National  Bank, 
of  which  he  was  elected  President,  and  continued 
to  serve  as  such  until  his  death. 

In  McDonough  County,  August  20,  1857,  Mr- 
Ferris  married  Miss  Julia  E.  Holton,  and  to  them 
were  born  nine  children:  Junius  C. ;  Esta  Maude, 
wife  of  Frank  H.  Graves,  an  attorney  of  Spokane, 
Wash.;  Julia,  wife  of  L.  P.  Hubbs,  of  Clayton; 
Ellen,  wife  of  Ralph  E.  Scofield,  an  attorney  of 
Kansas  City;  Phoebe,  who  was  married  October 
4,  1893,  to  George  W.  Wooster,  of  Spokane, 
Wash.;  Hiram  B.,  Joel  E.  and  Harold  G.,  who 
are  still  at  home.  Junius  and  Stephen  are  con- 
nected with  the  bank  in  which  their  father's  old 
partner,  Mr.  Corby,  was  interested  until  his 
sudden  death  in  Chicago.  His  widow  still  holds 
her  husband's  shares  of  stock  in  the  same. 

Mr.  Ferris  became  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  in  1850,  and  several  times  served  as 
Master  of  the  Blue  Lodge.  He  also  belonged  to 
the  chapter,  council  and  commandery.  He  was 
honored  with  a  number  of  city  offices,  having 
served  as  President  and  Councilman,  and  for 
many  years  was  on  the  Board  of  Education. 
The  cause  of  temperance  ever  found  in  him  a 
most  stalwart  advocate,  and  he  strongly  opposed 
the  licensing  of  saloons  in  Carthage.  He  was  al- 
ways found  on  the  side  of  right  and  justice,  was 
strictly  honorable  in  all  business  dealings,  and 
his  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond.  He  won  suc- 
cess not  by  over-reaching  others,  but  by  good 
management,  industry  and  enterprise.  He  was 
always  alive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  city,  and 
was  liberal  in  the  support  of  everything  which  he 
believed  would  prove  of  benefit  to  the  community. 
Those  who  had  known  him  from  early  life  were 
numbered  among  his  stanchest  friends,  a  fact 
which  tells  of  an  honorable  record,  well   worthy 


u8 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  emulation.  He  passed  away  August  20,  1893. 
The  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  a  large  concourse  of  friends 
gathered  to  pay  their  last  tribute  of  respect  to  one 
who  had  long  been  among  them.  He  was  a  loyal 
citizen,  a  faithful  and  considerate  friend,  a  kind 
and  loving  husband  and  father,  and  left  to  his 
family  the  priceless  heritage  of  a  good  name. 

(Jameson  hawkinswetzel,  the  genial 

I  and  popular  proprietor  of  the  Adams  House, 
(~)  of  Warsaw,  is  a  native  of  the  neighboring 
State  of  Indiana.  He  was  born  in  Marion  Coun- 
ty. Jub'  5.  I835.  an(i  is  descended  from  good  old 
Revolutionary  stock.  His  grandfather,  John 
Wetzel,  served  for  four  years  under  Washington, 
and  the  maternal  grandfather,  John  Symmonds, 
bravely  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 
Our  subject  now  has  in  his  possession  several 
Revolutionary  relics. 

The  father  of  Jameson  H.,  John  Wetzel,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  When  a  young  man  he 
served  a  three-years  apprenticeship  to  a  cabinet 
maker,  and  then  worked  for  seven  years  as  a 
journeyman.  He  became  quite  proficient  in  that 
line,  and  manufactured  some  fine  pieces  of  furni- 
ture. Later  in  life  he  turned  his  attention  to 
farming.  Having  removed  to  Ohio,  he  was  there 
united  in  marriage  with  Mary  Symmonds,  a  na- 
tive of  the  Buckeye  State,  and  to  them  were  born 
eleven  children,  as  follows:  Marion;  John,  who 
died  in  1845;  Mahlon,  who  died  in  1839;  Jameson; 
Nelson  M.,  now  residing  in  Elvaston,  111. ;  Joanna, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years;  Levi  and 
Benjamin  Franklin,  who  died  in  infancy;  Loyal 
Fairman,  of  Hamilton;  William  S.,  ofBasco,  Han- 
cock County;  and  Perry  LaFayette,  of  the  same 
county.  The  father  of  this  family  died  Novem- 
ber 12,  1858,  and  the  mother,  who  survived  him 
for  many  years,  passed  away  in  1884. 

Jameson  Wetzel,  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord, was  reared  to  manhood  upon  his  father's 
farm,  and  in  his  youth  received  such  educational 
advantages  as  the  district  school  of  the  neighbor- 


hood afforded.  After  arriving  at  mature  years  he 
followed  farming  for  some  time,  and  was  fairly 
successful  in  the  undertaking.  He  was  married 
January  16,  1859,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being 
Miss  Martha  J.,  daughter  of  William  Kimbrough. 
To  them  were  born  eight  children,  but  only  three 
of  the  number  are  yet  living,  namely:  Mary  E., 
wife  of  James  Biggs,  of  Basco;  John  W.,  of  New 
York ;  and  Charles.  Their  son  Albert  was  drowned 
on  the  9th  of  August,  1892,  and  the  following 
touching  memorial  was  written  by  Francis  Marion 
Wetzel: 

'Albert,  we  bid  thee  a  sad  and  silent  farewell. 
In  thy  youth  thou  wast  laid  to  rest  in  the  narrow 
limits  of  the  tomb,  there  to  await  the  resurrection 
morn.  So  quiet  didst  thou  appear  in  thy  sleep  of 
death  that  knows  no  earthly  awakening,  it  seemed 
almost  mockery  to  weep  over  thy  calm  features. 
Death  stole  in  softness  and  touched  thy  face  with 
angelic  sweetness,  and  stamped  upon  it  the  quiet- 
ness of  calm  repose,  which  told  that  thy  soul  was 
free  from  this  earthly  prison,  and  that  thou  hadst 
passed  away  from  the  poor  cares  of  life.  Yes,  Al 
bert,  thou  hast  crossed  the  dark  stream  of  death 
and  hast  gone  from  those  who  loved  thee  dearly. 
In  memory  we  see  the  suppressed  grief  of  thy  par- 
ents, the  touching  affection  of  thy  brothers  and 
thy  sister  —  hear  their  soft  wail  and  see  their 
farewell  look.  What  volumes  of  love  they  be- 
spoke! But  thy  marble  lips  gave  no  kindred  re- 
sponses. As  we  gazed  upon  this  sad  and  affecting- 
separation,  manhood  was  moved  to  pity,  and  sor- 
row claimed  her  due.  We  turned  away,  feeling 
that  we  had  parted,  but  not  forever.  Only  a  few 
short  years  and  we  shall  come  and  dwell  in  the 
silent  tomb  by  thy  side.  Thy  faithful  friends,  true 
from  first  to  last,  all  shall  come  and  rest  in  their 
silent  beds,  and  with  thee  we  shall  sleep  through 
death's  long  dreamless  night  until  the  archan- 
gel's trump  shall  awake  us  on  that  memorable 
morn.  May  we  awake  in  that  paradise  where 
sorrow,  pain  and  death  are  unknown!" 

Mr.  Wetzel  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  un- 
til chosen  Deputy  Sheriff  of  the  count}-  in  1878. 
He  thus  served  for  four  years  and  was  then  elected 
Sheriff  in  1882.  He  made  a  splendid  record 
while  in  that  office,  winning  the  commendation  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


119 


all  concerned.  When  his  term  had  expired  he 
embarked  in  the  livery  business  in  Carthage,  and 
continued  operations  along  that  line  for  two  years, 
when  he  sold  out  and  took  charge  of  the  Adams 
House  in  Warsaw,  which  he  has  now  been  con- 
ducting for  two  years.  This  is  a  first-class  hotel, 
complete  in  all  its  appointments,  and  has  found 
favor  with  the  traveling  public.  In  his  political 
views,  Mr.  Wetzel  is  a  Democrat  and  warmly  ad- 
vocates the  principles  of  his  party.  He  holds 
membership  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Mutual  Aid  and  the  Mutual 
Benefit  Association.  His  life  has  been  well  and 
worthily  passed,  and  he  well  merits  the  high  re- 
gard in  which  he  is  held. 


HENRY  WILLIAM  RABE,  pastor  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  of  Warsaw,  was  born 
March  12,  1856,  in  Concordia,  Mo.,  andisa 
son  of  Frederick  and  Dorothea  (Oetting)  Rabe, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Hanover,  Germany. 
With  their  respective  families  they  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1840.  By  occupation  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  a  farmer,  and  followed  that  pursuit 
throughout  his  entire  business  career.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Rabe  were  born  seven  children,  of  whom 
Henry  is  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  Frederick, 
the  eldest,  is  located  at  Concordia,  Mo.  Mrs. 
C.  E.  Marr  resides  in  Buckley,  111.  Mrs.  Sophia 
Brackmann  is  a  resident  of  Concordia.  Mrs.  Mary 
Paar  makes  her  home  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  and 
Mrs.  Lydia  Blanken  resides  in  Buckley,  111. 

Mr.  Rabe  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  schools  of  St.  Louis, 
and  was  graduated  from  Concordia  College  of 
Springfield,  111.,  in  1877,  in  a  class  of  fourteen. 
Quite  early  in  life  it  had  become  his  earnest  de- 
sire to  enter  the  ministry  and  devote  himself  to 
the  Master's  work,  and  having  fitted  himself  for 
that  labor  he  accepted  a  call  from  a  congregation 
at  Webster  City,  Iowa.  He  spent  nearly  six 
years  as  pastor  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  that 
place,  and  built  up  a  church  which  at  the  begin- 
ning numbered  only  a  few    families.      Under  his 


supervision  a  parsonage  was  there  erected,  and 
the  church,  which  was  greatly  increased  numeri- 
cally, was  placed  in  a  thriving  condition.  Through 
his  efforts  a  house  of  worship  was  also  erected 
in  Alden,  in  Hubbard  and  in  Eldora,  Iowa.  In 
1875,  when  but  a  student,  he  built  a  church  in 
Waverly,  Iowa.  He  has  always  been  quite  suc- 
cessful in  this  line  of  work  and  thereby  has  done 
much  for  the  cause. 

Ere  leaving  the  Hawkeye  State,  Mr.  Rabe  was 
married  in  Dubuque,  on  the  21st  of  May,  1878, 
to  Miss  Louise  Weland,  daughter  of  Frederick 
Weland,  who  belonged  to  a  family  of  Mecklen- 
burg, Germain-.  Mrs.  Rabe  has  proved  to  her 
husband  a  faithful  helpmeet  in  the  truest  and 
best  sense  of  that  word,  and  by  her  encourage- 
ment and  sympathy  has  greatly  aided  him  in  his 
labors.  Like  her  hnsband,  she  wins  friends 
wherever  she  goes  and  has  the  high  regard  of  all. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1883,  Mr.  Rabe  came  to 
Warsaw,  in  response  to  a  call  from  the  Lutheran 
Church  at  this  place,  and  has  been  its  pastor 
for  eleven  years.  The  church  now  numbers 
three  hundred  and  twenty-  four  members  and  has 
a  well-located  property.  In  connection  with  the 
church  a  parochial  school  is  also  conducted,  now 
under  the  charge  of  William  A.  Erdmann.  Mr. 
Rabe  has  accomplished  much  in  getting  the  mem- 
bership into  good  working  order.  There  is  now 
a  Young  People's  Society  of  sixty  members  which 
was  organized  by  him,  and  in  1886  was  organized 
a  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  which  has  a  membership 
of  one  hundred  and  six.  He  is  indefatigable  in 
his  labors  for  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of 
Christianity,  and  is  highly  esteemed,  not  only  by 
the  people  of  his  own  denomination,  but  by  those 
of  other  denominations  as  well. 


*VSAAC  BLISS  has  for  many  years  resided  in 
I  Hancock  County,  and  is  so  widely  and  favor- 
X  ably  known  that  this  work  would  be  incom- 
plete without  the  record  of  his  life.  He  comes  of 
an  old  family  of  England,  that  belonged  to  that 
class   which    considered    coats  of  arms  as  indis- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


pensable  appendages  of  gentlemen.  At  the  time  of 
the  Reformation  coats  of  arms  were  treated  in  a 
measure  as  idle  trappings  of  aristocracy,  and  lost 
the  prestige  originally  attributed  to  them.  In 
America  they  soon  began  to  be  regarded  as  relics 
of  former  family  vanity,  and  the  stanch  old 
Puritans  would  not  allow  themselves  to  tolerate 
even  a  thought  that  could  remind  them  of  the 
vain-glorious  display  and  pomp  of  their  persecu- 
tors in  England;  and  so  their  children  and  de- 
scendants born  in  America  grew  up  in  ignorance 
of  the  heraldic  standard  of  their  ancestors  in  the 
mother  country.  The  coat  of  arms  of  the  Bliss 
family,  as  set  forth  in  Edmundson's  Heraldry,  is 
thus  described:  "Gules  a  bend  vaire  between 
two  fleur  de  lis,"  and  bore  the  inscription  "Sem- 
pei  Sursum,"  meaning  "Ever   upward." 

Ancient  traditions  represent  the  Bliss  family 
as  living  in  the  south  of  England  and  belong- 
ing to  the  yeomanry.  From  time  immemorial 
they  had  been  inclined  to  Puritanism,  through  ob- 
serving the  loose  manners  of  most  of  the  clergy 
and  laymen  of  the  established  church.  This 
led  the  family  to  undergo  persecution,  and  their 
goods  were  seized,  and  some  of  their  number  were 
thrown  into  prison.  Such  treatment  led  them  to 
look  toward  America  with  longing,  and  repre- 
sentatives of  the  family  emigrated  hither.  Thomas 
Bliss  and  his  brother  George  landed  in  Boston  in 
the  autumn  of  1635.  From  the  former  in  direct 
line  is  descended  our  subject.  His  fourth  child, 
Nathaniel,  was  born  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  and 
married  Catherine  Chapin,  by  whom  he  had  four 
children.  One  of  these,  Samuel,  was  born  No- 
vember 7,  1647,  and  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
one  hundred  and  one  and  a-half  years.  He  wed- 
ded Sarah  Stebbius,  and  the  youngest  of  their 
nine  children,  Ebenezer,  who  was  born  March  4, 
1696,  married  Sarah  Colton.  They  had  ten  chil- 
dren. Isaac,  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth,  was 
horn  January  28,  1727,  and  became  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Warren,  Mass.  He  served  as  one  of 
the  Selectmen  and  as  a  Deacon  in  the  Congrega- 
tional Church.  He  took  part  in  the  Indian  War 
in  1758.  He  married  Hannah  Hubbard  and  they 
had  seven  children,  of  whom  Daniel  was  born 
April  10,  1 76 1.     The  latter  became  a   prominent 


physician  in  Chandlersville,  Ohio,  and  married 
Prudence  Chandler,  by  whom  he  had  twelve  chil- 
dren. 

Their  second  child,  Samuel,  was  born  May  22, 
1791,  and  became  the  father  of  our  subject.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Jordan, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  eleven  children. 
The  Bliss  family  has  furnished  many  men  to  the 
country  who  have  been  prominent  in  professional 
and  business  circles,  and  the  honored  name  has 
remained  untarnished  through  many  generations. 

Isaac  Bliss  of  this  sketch  was  the  fifth  in  order 
of  birth  in  his  father's  family,  and  was  born  Sep- 
tember 9,  1824,  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio. 
His  father,  however,  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
and  died  in  1852,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years. 
His  wife  long  survived  him,  and  passed  away  at 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-eight.  She  was  buried 
on  the  anniversary  of  her  birth,  August  12,  1893. 
Two  grand-uncles  of  our  subject  were  soldiers  in 
the  Revolutionary  War.  Both  were  Englishmen, 
but  one  fought  in  the  British  service,  while  the 
other  was  in  the  Colonial  army.  The  Jordan  fam- 
ily is  probably  of  Irish  lineage. 

In  the  State  of  his  nativity  Isaac  Bliss  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  In  his  early 
years  he  enjoyed  excellent  educational  advantages, 
and,  making  the  most  of  his  opportunities,  he  be- 
came a  well-informed  man.  In  1848  he  deter- 
mined to  try  his  fortune  in  the  West  and  emi- 
grated to  Hancock  Count}',  111.  For  many  years 
he  devoted  his  energies  to  teaching  school  during 
the  winter  season,  being  thus  employed  for  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  the  public  schools 
of  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  and  in  this  locality. 
After  his  arrival  in  Hancock  County,  he  was  en- 
gaged during  the  summer  months  in  farming  and 
breeding  Short-horned  Durham  cattle,  of  which 
he  had  a  large  and  valuable  herd.  He  also  taught 
for  a  short  time  in  Keithsburg,  Mercer  County, 
111.  He  was  an  educator  of  recognized  ability, 
and  his  success  along  that  line  made  him  well 
known  among  other  members  of  the  profession  in 
this  State. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1849,  Mr.  Bliss  wedded 
Elizabeth  M.  Peairs,  and  to  them  were  born  four 
children.     The  mother  died  April  17,  1878,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


on  the  23d  of  May,  1S8S,  Mr.  Bliss  married  Mrs. 
Harriet  M.  Cherry.  They  have  one  daughter, 
May  Elizabeth.  Mrs.. Bliss  is  a  daughter  of  Alonzo 
and  Eliza  (Lyons)  Sanford.  Her  father  came 
from  New  York  to  Hancock  County  in  1837,  and 
is  now  living  in  Wythe  Township.  The  mother 
came  with  her  family  in  1831.  Her  father  estab- 
lished a  town  that  year  which  he  called  Mechan- 
icsville.  He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  built  a 
smithy  and  a  mill  and  opened  a  dry -goods  store. 
This  undertaking,  however,  proved  unprofitable 
and  he  lost  nearly  everything  he  had.  The  town 
was  situated  about  four  miles  west  of  the  present 
site  of  Augusta. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bliss  are  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  In  1853  he  aided  in  organizing  a 
church  of  nine  members  and  was  Superintendent 
of  its  Sunday-school  for  twenty-five  years.  He 
continued  his  connection  with  it  until  1892,  and 
lived  to  see  it  become  a  prosperous  and  flourish- 
ing church.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can, but  in  exercising  his  right  of  franchise  he  is 
guided  not  by  party,  but  by  principle.  By  virtue 
of  his  integrity  of  character,  by  his  adherence  to 
principle,  and  by  his  honesty  of  purpose  he  has 
embodied  in  his  life  the  motto  on  the  old  coat  of 
arms,  ' '  Semper  Sursum. ' ' 


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WlARTIN  POPEL,  the  senior  member  of  the 
IT  firm  of  Popel  &  Giller,  of  Warsaw,  claims 
V3  Bohemia  as  the  land  of  his  birth,  the  date 
of  that  event  being  the  22d  of  April,  1837.  The 
first  fifteen  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  his  na- 
tive land,  and  no  event  of  special  importance  oc- 
curred during  that  period.  He  then  left  his  old 
home  for  America,  and  on  reaching  the  shores  of 
this  country  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis.  He 
was  dependent  upon  his  own  resources  for  a  live- 
lihood, and  began  working  at  the  butcher's  trade, 
which  he  there  followed  for  a  number  of  years. 
In  1 86 1  he  came  to  Warsaw  and  embarked  in  the 
same  line  of  business. 

In    1863,    Mr.   Popel   was  joined    in    wedlock 
with  Mrs.  Catherine  Giller.      He  continued  oper- 


ations along  the  old  line  of  business  for  some  time, 
but  afterwards  embarked  in  the  brewing  business. 
In  188 1  he  was  joined  by  his  stepson,  John  Giller, 
and  the  present  firm  was  formed.  They  estab- 
lished a  brewery  in  this  place  on  a  small  scale, 
but  have  steadily  increased  it  until  it  has  reached 
its  present  large  proportions.  The  business  has 
continually  grown,  and  employment  is  now  fur- 
nished to  about  eighteen  men.  Their  sales  amount 
to  about  $50,000  per  annum.  The  members  of 
the  firm  are  enterprising  and  progressive  men,  and 
their  industry  and  perseverance  have  brought  to 
them  a  comfortable  competence. 


IILLIAM  KUHNS  HILL  is  Principal  of 
the  Carthage  public  schools.  He  is  well 
capable  of  filling  the  responsible  position 
to  which  he  has  been  called,  for  he  is  an  educator 
of  recognized  ability  and  has  already  won  the 
commendation  and  favorable  criticism  of  those 
concerned.  He  has  under  him  eight  assist- 
ant teachers,  and  the  scholars  enrolled  number 
four  hundred.  The  schools  are  well  graded,  the 
corps  of  teachers  efficient,  and  under  the  able 
management  of  Prof.  Hill,  the  cause  of  education 
is  steadily  advancing  in  Carthage. 

Mr.  Hill  was  born  in  Leechburg,  Pa.,  Decem- 
ber 11,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  Salem  and  Esther 
(Kuhns)  Hill,  both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of 
the  Keystone  State.  The  mother  was  descended 
from  an  old  Huguenot  family,  and  Capt.  Mar- 
chand,  one  of  the  commanders  at  Mobile,  was  her 
cousin.  Her  grandfather,  Michael  Steck,  was  the 
pioneer  Lutheran  minister  west  of  the  mountains 
of  Pennsylvania.  Henry  Steck,  who  is  connected 
with  the  Chicago  Stock  Yards,  is  one  of  the  same 
family.  The  Hill  family  is  of  English  origin, 
and  settled  in  Philadelphia  shortly  after  the  found- 
ing of  that  city. 

Returning  to  the  personal  history  of  Prof.  Hill, 
we  note  that  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he  en- 
tered Pennsylvania  College,  of  Gettysburg,  Pa., 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  the 
Class  of  '79,  with  the  degree   of  A.    B.     When 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


that  course  was  finished  he  entered  the  Lutheran 
Theological  Seminar}-,  of  Gettysburg,  where  he 
studied  for  three  years.  He  then  engaged  in 
teaching  in  that  place  for  a  time,  and  in  1884 
came  to  Carthage,  to  take  the  Chair  of  Science  in 
Carthage  College  with  Dr.  E.  F.  Bartholomew. 
He  continued  to  acceptably  fill  that  position  for 
eight  years.  He  then  spent  the  summer  of  1892  as 
a  season  of  rest,  after  which  he  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  Principal  of  the  Carthage  public  schools, 
which  place  he  yet  fills. 

On  the  23d  of  December,  1887,  Mr.  Hill  was 
married  to  Miss  Kate  Griffith,  daughter  of 
Dr.  A.  J.  and  Margaret  (McClaughry)  Griffith, 
whom  we  will  mention  later  on.  The  lady  was 
born  in  this  city  and  was  graduated  from  Carthage 
College  in  the  Class  of '82.  Three  children  grace 
their  union:  Esther  Margaret,  William  Griffith 
and  Katharine.  In  the  fall  of  1884,  before  the 
Iowa  Synod  of  the  Lutheran  Church ,  Prof.  Hill 
was  ordained  as  a  minister,  and  has  supplied  vari- 
ous pulpits,  but  has  never  regularly  taken  up  pas- 
toral work,  although  he  takes  a  deep  and  active 
interest  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  promo- 
tion and  upbuilding  of  the  church. 

Dr.  Andrew  Jackson  Griffith,  father  of  Mrs. 
Hill,  was  for  some  time  a  well-known  physician 
of  Carthage,  and  it  is  but  just  that  mention  should 
be  made  of  him  in  this  volume.  He  was  born  in 
Highland  County,  Ohio,  in  February,  1822,  and 
was  a  son  of  Llewellyn  App  and  Hannah  (Hope) 
Griffith.  His  parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1842, 
locating  in  Fulton  County.  His  father  was  a 
wagon-maker,  and  the  Doctor  partially  learned  the 
trade,  but  before  he  completed  it,  he  began  read- 
ing medicine  with  Dr.  P.  S.  Secor,  of  Fountain 
Green.  He  pursued  a  course  in  the  Missouri 
Medical  College  of  St.  Louis,  and  after  a  few  years' 
practice  took  a  post-graduate  course  at  the  Jeffer- 
son Medical  College,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.  He 
entered  upon  the  prosecution  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession in  Fountain  Green  in  1846. 

The  following  year,  Dr.  Griffith  married  Miss 
Fidelia  Ferris,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Stephen 
G.  Ferris.  She  died  in  1849,  leaving  one  child, 
William,  who  is  connected  with  the  Hancock 
County    National    Bank.      In    1850.    the    Doctor 


crossed  the  plains  to  California,  where  he  remained 
two  years.  In  1854,  he  removed  to  Carthage, 
where  he  engaged  in  practice  some  years.  On 
the  iothofMay,  1854,  he  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Miss  Margaret  McClaughry,  who  yet  sur- 
vives her  husband.  They  became  the  parents  of 
twochildren:  Kate,  wife  of  Prof.  W.  K.  Hill;  and 
Ralph,  a  bookseller  and  stationer  of  Carthage.  On 
retiring  from  practice  he  became  the  editor  and 
publisher  of  the  Carthage  Republican,  and  in 
1865  became  interested  in  banking,  being  elected 
Vice-President  of  the  Hancock  National  Bank. 
To  the  work  connected  with  the  bank  he  devoted 
much  of  his  attention,  and  was  thus  employed  un- 
til his  death,  which  occurred  March  19,  1884,  af- 
ter a  lingering  illness.  In  politics  the  Doctor  was 
a  Democrat,  and  for  forty  years  was  a  prominent 
Mason.  He  possessed  hosts  of  warm  friends,  who 
esteemed  him  highly  for  his  sterling  worth  and 
many  excellencies  of  character,  and  his  loss  was 
deeply  mourned  throughout  the  community. 


\^^\ 


^HOMAS  A.  DAVIS,  D.  D.  S.,  who  is  en- 
f  C  gaged  in  the  practice  of  dental  surgery  in 
\2/  Warsaw,  claims  Missouri  as  the  State  of  his 
nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Callaway 
County,  Mo.,  July  9,  1837.  He  is  a  son  of  David 
B.  and  Rebecca  Cynthia  (Howe)  Davis.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  was  born 
and  reared  near  Mt.  Sterling,  and  in  his  native 
State  married  Miss  Howe.  Soon  after  his  removal 
to  Missouri,  the  date  of  the  event  being  1832,  he 
joined  the  church  under  the  preaching  of  "Rac- 
coon" John  Smith,  a  Christian  minister,  who 
also  performed  the  wedding  ceremony.  Mr.  Davis 
became  a  pioneer  preacher  of  Missouri,  and  held 
meetings  throughout  that  State  and  in  Illinois, 
Kentucky  and  Indiana.  He  did  much  good  in 
the  world  and  added  many  to  the  church.  He 
was  born  August  31,  1807,  and  died  in  Winches- 
ter, 111.,  March  9,  1887.  His  wife  passed  away 
in  Taylorville,  111.,  November  7,  1864.  This 
worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
but  the  Doctor  is  the  only  one  now  living-.     The 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


123 


Davis  family  was  originally  of  Welsh  extraction, 
but  the  great-great-grandfather  married  a  French 
lady,  and  the  great-grandfather  married  an  Indian 
maiden.  The  Howe  family  was  of  English  lineage. 

Dr.  Davis  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm, 
and  early  became  familiar  with  the  work  of  the 
fields,  plowing  corn,  raising  tobacco,  etc.  When 
he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  his  father  removed  to 
Audrain  County,  Mo.,  and  preached  for  many 
years  for  the  Salt  River  Church.  During  that 
time  our  subject  worked  at  carpentering  for  a 
while,  and  in  the  winter  months  engaged  in  teach- 
ing singing-school,  but  at  length  he  determined 
to  give  his  attention  to  dentistry.  In  the  year 
1872  he  began  the  study  of  the  same  with  Dr. 
D.  G.  Palmer,  of  McLean  County,  111.,  and  in 
1874  he  became  associated  with  his  preceptor  as 
a  partner.  This  connection  continued  for  two 
years,  when,  in  1876,  he  went  to  Atlanta,  Logan 
County,  where  he  spent  four  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period,  he  removed  to  Jerseyville, 
where  the  succeeding  four  years  of  his  life  were 
passed.  He  also  spent  four  years  in  practice  in 
Winchester,  111.,  and  in  1888  came  to  Warsaw, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

Dr.  Davis  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
2 1st  of  September,  1861,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Sallie  A.  Broaddus,  a  daughter 
of  William  G.  and  Amelia  Broaddus.  Her  death 
occurred  June  8,  1883.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  but  only  five  are  now  living: 
Lucy  E.,  wife  of  J.  Hayes,  a  resident  of  Missouri; 
Ada,  wife  of  J.  E.  Baird,  of  Jersey  County,  111.; 
Ira  J.,  who  resides  in  Vandalia,  Mo.;  Dollie,  who 
is  living  in  Centralia,  Mo.;  and  Myrtle,  who 
makes  her  home  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Baird. 
On  the  19th  of  March,  1884,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Dr.  Davis  and  Mrs.  Man-  E.  White, 
daughter  of  H.  S.  Rodgers.  They  have  one 
child,  Viola. 

Dr.  Davis  has  devoted  his  entire  time  and  at- 
tention to  dental  work  for  the  past  twenty  years, 
and  has  become  an  expert  in  his  profession.  His 
skill  and  ability  secure  him  a  liberal  patronage, 
and  he  now  occupies  an  enviable  place  among  his 
professional  brethren.  Socially,  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual    Aid.      He 


belongs  to  the  Christian  Church,  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter of  temperance  principles,  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  all  that  tends  to  benefit  and  elevate 
humanity.  He  is  public-spirited  and  progressive, 
and  the  best  interests  of  the  city  ever  find  in  him 
a  friend. 

HOMER  JUDD,  M.  D.,  D.  D.  S.,  won  great 
prominence  as  a  dentist,  and  occupied  a 
leading  place  in  the  ranks  of  his  profession. 
He  engaged  for  a  time  in  practice  in  Warsaw,  but 
the  last  eight  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Upper 
Alton.  He  was  born  in  Otis,  Berkshire  County, 
Mass.,  March  29,  1820,  and  was  a  son  of  Asa 
and  Adah  Judd.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  an 
influential  citizen  of  the  community  in  which  he 
lived.  He  several  times  represented  his  district 
in  the  State  Legislature  of  Massachusetts.  The 
son  in  the  common  schools  acquired  his  early 
education,  which  was  supplemented  by  study 
in  the  Lee  and  Worthington  Academies.  Wish- 
ing to  fit  himself  for  the  medical  profession,  he 
entered  Berkshire  Medical  College  of  Pittsfield, 
Mass.,  and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  1847. 
Subsequently,  he  studied  dentistry  with  Dr.  Cone. 
He  displayed  special  aptitude  in  his  studies  and 
was  a  thorough  student,  whose  deep  researches 
along  the  line  of  knowledge  in  which  he  was  in- 
terested made  him  a  more  than  well-informed 
man.  Not  only  did  he  confine  his  study  to  sub- 
jects connected  with  his  profession,  but  later  he 
reviewed  his  Greek  and  Latin,  and  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  French,  German,  Spanish  and 
Italian  languages,  also  became  somewhat  ac- 
quainted with  the  Sanscrit. 

Dr.  Judd  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine 
and  dentistry  in  Ravenna,  Ohio,  and  three  years 
later  removed  to  Santa  Fe,  N.  M.  He  was  the 
first  educated  dentist  to  fill  a  tooth  in  that  Terri- 
tory. After  a  short  time,  however,  he  returned 
to  the  Buckeye  State,  and  subsequently  came  to 
Warsaw,  where  he  practiced  his  dual  profession  for 
twelve  years.  While  here  residing,  he  served 
for  several  years  on  the  School  Board,  and  for  one 


124 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


year  was  Superintendent.  He  was  always  inter- 
ested in  the  cause  of  education,  and  in  every  en- 
terprise calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit.  In 
1847  he  became  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows' 
Lodge  of  Ravenna,  Ohio,  and  filled  all  the  offices 
in  the  lodge  in  Warsa  jv.  He  was  chosen  as  its 
representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge,  which  met  in 
Chicago  in  1859. 

In  Pittsfield,  111.,  in  March,  1853,  Dr.  Judd 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emily  F. 
Hodgen,  of  that  city.  Three  children  were  born 
to  them,  a  son  and  two  daughters,  but  the  son 
died  at  the  age  of  six  years.  The  daughters, 
Adah  May  and  Mary  Emily,  are  still  living,  and 
reside  with  their  mother. 

In  1 86 1  the  Doctor  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  en- 
tered the  United  States  service  as  Assistant  Sur- 
geon on  a  hospital  steamer  running  to  Vicksburg. 
After  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  he  offered  his  services, 
and  was  employed  as  one  of  the  four  surgeons 
charged  with  the  care  of  four  hundred  Union 
soldiers.  His  labors  were  so  arduous  that  his 
health  became  impaired,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
visit  Minnesota  for  rest  and  recuperation.  He 
was  subsequently  made  Surgeon  of  the  Fortieth 
Missouri  Regiment,  and  with  it  served  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Franklin,  Nashville  and  Spanish  Fort. 
For  some  months  after  the  close  of  the  war,  he  re- 
mained in  the  sen-ice,  being  stationed  at  Hunts- 
ville,  Ala.  In  August,  1865,  he  was  honorably 
discharged  and  returned  to  St.  Louis,  where  he 
engaged  in  dental  practice.  He  was  prominent 
in  his  profession,  and  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  for 
its  advancement.  His  zeal  in  the  cause  led  him  to 
enter  heartily  into  the  movement  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  dental  college  founded  on  the  basis  of 
a  medical  education,  and  in  1866  the  Missouri 
Dental  College  was  organized,  in  connection  with 
the  St.  Louis  Medical  College.  Dr.  Judd  was 
appointed  to  the  Chair  of  Institutes  of  Dental  Sci- 
ence, and  was  made  Dean  of  the  college,  which 
position  he  filled  for  several  years.  His  fondness 
for  literary  pursuits,  and  belief  in  the  need  of  a 
good  dental  journal,  led  him  to  establish  one  in 
St.  Louis,  and  in  1869  he  became  the  editor-in- 
chief  of  the  Missouri  Dental  Journal,  now  the 
Archives  of  Dentistry.      His  connection  therewith 


made  him  well  known  in  professional  circles 
throughout  the  country,  and  his  magazine  filled  a 
long-felt  want  and  aided  in  the  advancement  of 
his  beloved  science.  As  a  journalist  and  teacher, 
he  has  never  been  excelled,  and  his  skill,  merit 
and  ability  won  for  him  promotion,  step  by  step, 
until  he  occupied  a  place  at  the  head  of  the  pro- 
fession. He  was  honored  with  its  highest  posi- 
tion, being  unanimously  elected  President  of  the 
American  Dental  Association  in  1869.  His  love 
for  scientific  investigation  led  him  to  take  an  active 
part  in  the  work  of  the  Academy  of  Science  in  St. 
Louis,  of  which  he  was  an  active  member. 

In  later  years  Dr.  Judd  was  extensively  inter- 
ested in  silver  mining  in  Colorado,  and  became 
the  head  of  the  Judd  Mining  Company,  which 
owns  valuable  property  near  Ouray.  His  health 
failing  in  later  years,  he  was  compelled  to  aban- 
don to  a  great  extent  his  literary  and  professional 
work,  and  in  outdoor  pursuits  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Colorado  the  summer  seasons  were  passed. 
In  1882  he  removed  to  Upper  Alton,  where  he 
established  a  dental  office,  and  practiced  his  pro- 
fession until  his  death,  which  occurred  May  20, 
1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  He  possessed 
those  sterling  qualities  of  head  and  heart  which 
win  the  respect  of  all,  and  although  he  never  had 
many  intimate  friends,  he  was  held  in  high  es- 
teem by  every  one  with  whom  he  was  brought  in 
contact.  His  life  was  a  noble  one,  well  and 
worthily  passed,  and  he  left  behind  a  hallowed 
memory. 

(ILLIAM  R.  FAIRCHILD  is  extensively 
engaged  in  coal  dealing  in  Warsaw,  hav- 
ing carried  on  that  line  of  business  in  this 
place  for  ten  years.  He  comes  from  the  Buckeye 
State,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Warrenville, 
Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio,  January  23,  1840.  His 
parents  were  Levi  and  Dyerdana  (Barber)  Fair- 
child.  The  Fairchild  family  is  of  Scotch  origin. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  the  Em- 
pire State,  and  by  occupation  was  a  farmer  and 
carpenter.    He  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  June,  1849, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  spent  his  last  days  in  Augusta,  where  his 
death  occurred  on  the  3d  of  August,  1879.  His 
widow  still  survives  him.  To  them  was  born  a 
family  of  seven  children. 

Mr.  Fairchild  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  third 
in  order  of  birth,  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farmer  lads,  no  event  of  special  importance  oc- 
curring during  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  aid- 
ed in  the  cultivation  of  the  old  homestead  farm 
until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  when, 
prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  he  responded  to 
the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  on  the  7th 
of  August,  1862,  as  a  private  of  Company  H, 
.Seventy-second  Illinois  Infantry.  His  service 
was  principally  in  the  Department  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  he  participated  in  a  number  of  import- 
ant battles.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  term 
he  served  as  Corporal.  When  hostilities  had 
ceased,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  once  more  waved 
over  a  land  of  peace,  he  was  honorably  discharged, 
on  the  7th  of  August,  1865. 

Returning  to  his  old  home  in  Augusta.  Mr. 
Fairchild  there  remained  until  1867,  when  he  en- 
gaged in  coal-mining  and  in  running  a  construc- 
tion train  on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad.  In  the  same  year  he  went  to  St.  Louis, 
and  while  there  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Dora  Ruger,  daughter  of  Martin  Ruger, 
their  union  being  celebrated  on  the  7th  of  August, 
1867. 

After  going  to  the  city,  Mr.  Fairchild  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  with 
which  he  continued  for  about  a  year  and  a-half. 
His  residence  in  Warsaw  dates  from  1868,  at 
which  time  he  began  dealing  in  threshing-ma- 
chines and  also  commenced  teaming.  He  success- 
fully continued  this  dual  occupation  until  1884, 
when  he  embarked  in  the  coal  trade.  He  now 
handles  about  forty-five  hundred  tons  of  coal  per 
year,  and  receives  a  liberal  patronage  from  the 
surrounding  farmers  as  well  as  the  citizens  ot 
Warsaw.  He  possesses  good  business  and  execu- 
tive ability,  and  by  close  attention  to  details,  per- 
severance and  enterprise,  he  has  won  the  success 
which  has  crowned  his  efforts.  Mr.  Fairchild 
takes  some  interest  in  civic  societies  and  holds 
membership  with   the  Ancient  Order  of  United 


Workmen,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  exer- 
cises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  is  a  warm  advocate  of  its 
principles,  but  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the 
sense  of  office-seeking,  preferring  to  devote  his  en- 
tire time  and   attention  to  his  business  interests. 


IELLINGTON  LeROY  WINNARD,  M.D. , 
is  an  enterprising  and  leading  young  phy- 
sician of  Warsaw,  and  though  not  far  ad- 
vanced along  life's  journey,  he  has  made  rapid 
strides  along  the  pathway  of  his  profession.  A 
native  of  Iowa,  he  was  born  in  Greeley,  Dela- 
ware County,  on  the  7th  of  November,  1867,  and  is 
a  son  of  James  P.  and  Rose  Linda  (Holden)  Win- 
nard.  His  parents  were  both  natives  of  Michigan, 
and  the  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farming. 
The  Doctor  was  the  second  child  in  their  family. 
No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  which 
was  largely  passed  in  his  parents'  home  and  in 
the  country-  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  There 
he  acquired  his  primary  education,  which  was 
supplemented  by  a  course  of  study  in  Lenox  Col- 
lege, Iowa,  from  which  institution  he  was  grad- 
uated in  the  Class  of  '87.  His  tastes  and  ambi- 
tion led  him  to  enter  the  medical  profession,  and 
to  fit  himself  for  that  work  he  became  a  student 
in  the  Homeopathic  Medical  College  of  Chicago, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '90, 
with  forty-two  fellow-students.  Having  received 
his  diploma  and  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  he  then 
came  to  Warsaw  to  enter  upon  his  life's  work, 
reaching  this  place  on  the  6th  of  April.  Here  he 
has  been  engaged  in  active  practice  continuously 
since.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  ruptures  and  the 
diseases  of  women  and  children.  He  is  now  as- 
sociated with  Dr.  Lawrence,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Winnard  &  Lawrence,  which  connection  is 
proving  mutually  pleasant  and  profitable. 

Dr.  Winnard  was  married  on  the  18th  of  No- 
vember, 1 89 1,  the  lad)-  of  his  choice  being  Miss 
Laurine  Ralston,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  W.  D.  Ral- 


126 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ston,  a  minister  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church,  now  located  in  Maroa,  111.  Both  the 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  Winnard  are  well  known  in  the 
community  and  are  held  in  high  regard,  for  they 
possess  many  excellencies  of  character.  He  gives 
his  entire  time  and  attention  to  business,  and  the 
success  which  has  crowned  his  efforts  is  well  mer- 
ited. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  in  religious  belief  is  a  Methodist.  He 
is  a  young  man  with  good  prospects  of  a  bright 
future  before  him,  and  the  industry  and  energy 
which  are  numbered  among  his  chief  character- 
istics will  undoubtedly  win  him  prosperity. 


"DWARD  P.  BECKER,  a  prominent  and 
^  well-known  citizen  and  ex-Postmaster  of 
__  Warsaw,  is  also  numbered  among  the  native 
sons  of  this  place,  his  birth  having  here  occurred 
on  the  1 8th  of  February,  1857.  He  comes  of  a 
family  of  German  origin;  his  parents,  Louis  and 
Philipena  (Brehm)  Becker,  were  both  natives  of 
Germamr,  and  spent  the  days  of  their  childhood 
and  youth  in  that  country.  In  1851  they  bade 
adieu  to  their  old  home  and  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  America,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  from  whence 
they  came  to  Illinois,  after  which  they  were  mar- 
ried. The  father  is  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  as  a  means  of  livelihood  for 
some  years,  but  he  is  now  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising. In  the  Becker  family  are  two  chil- 
dren, Rosetta  E.  and  Edward  P.  They  also  lost 
four  children,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Becker  of  this  sketch  has  spent  his  entire 
life  in  the  county  of  his  nativity.  The  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth  were  quietly  passed,  and 
his  education  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools 
of  Warsaw.  His  business  training  was  received 
as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed from  an  early  age.  He  was  also  engaged 
in  the  milling  business,  continuing  operations 
along  that  line  from  1885  until  1887,  inclusive. 
He  then  went  upon  the  road  to  sell  goods  for  the 
Warsaw   Milling    Company,    and   continued  his 


labors  as  a  traveling  salesman  until  he  became 
Postmaster  of  Warsaw.  He  was  appointed  to 
that  position  by  President  Harrison  on  the  18th 
of  July ,  1889,  and  it  was  not  long  after  he  had  en- 
tered upon  his  duties  that  he  demonstrated  to  the 
public  the  fact  that  a  faithful  officer  was  in  charge, 
one  who  would  fulfil  his  duties  with  promptness 
and  fidelity. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1880,  Mr.  Becker  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Addie  G.  Bristow,  the 
daughter  of  Henry  G.  Bristow,  and  a  most  esti- 
mable lady.  By  their  union  have  been  born  three 
children:  Arthur;  Lester,  deceased;  and  Harry; 
the  first  was  born  during  President  Arthur's  ad- 
ministration, and  the  last  while  Benjamin  Harri- 
son was  the  chief  executive  of  the  nation.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Becker  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  an 
inflexible  adherent  of  the  principles  of  his  party. 
Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  He  is  a  pleasant,  genial  gentleman, 
very  popular  with  all,  and  his  sterling  worth  has 
won  him  high  regard.  His  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  Warsaw,  and  he  well  deserves  mention 
among  its  leading  citizens. 

to  '        *"~^  <"T~$"&~^         ' S> 

f~ATHER  JOHN  CHRISTIAN  SCHURZ, 
rQ  who  has  charge  of  the  Catholic  Church  of 
I  Warsaw,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Bonn, 
Rhenish  Prussia,  January  6,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Anna  M.  (Sneider)  Schurz,  the  former 
of  whom  was  a  store-keeper.  Our  subject  was  their 
sixth  and  youngest  child.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  his  native  city,  and  he  was  graduated 
from  the  famous  Bonn  University  in  1866.  With 
a  couple  of  fellow-students  he  then  went  to  Eng- 
land, but  the  father  of  one  of  his  friends,  a  Cap- 
tain in  the  army,  was  ordered  to  the  East  Indies, 
while  the  son  died  of  consumption.  Mr.  Schurz 
was  left  a  stranger  in  a  country  whose  language 
he  could  hardly  speak.  He  did  not  wish  to  re- 
turn to  Germany,  for  he  would  then  have  to  serve 
in  the  army.  Having  to  provide  for  his  own 
maintenance,    he   began   working  in    a   Spanish 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


127 


bakery  in  Liverpool,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years,  when  he  secured  a  very  good  position  as 
Professor  in  a  grammar  school  in  that  city.  There 
he  engaged  in  teaching  Latin,  Greek,  German 
and  geometry,  and  was  thus  employed  until  the 
spring  of  1S65.  In  that  year  he  was  joined  by 
his  eldest  brother,  and  with  him  came  to  America. 
The  brother  pleaded,  "Let  us  go  to  the  United 
States,  for  our  cousin,  CarlSchurz,  and  his  parents 
are  there  and  the  advantages  there  are  better  than 
here."  So  Father  Schurz  severed  his  connection 
with  the  school,  and  in  May,  1865,  they  landed  in 
New  York,  from  whence  they  went  toWatertown, 
Wis.,  the  home  of  Carl  Schurz.  There  they  found 
Jacob  Jussen,  a  brother  of  Carl  Schurz'  mother, 
who  had  formerly  been  Mayor  of  a  German  city, 
and  was  then  serving  as  Postmaster  of  Watertown. 
A  vacancy  in  the  postoffice  was  offered  John, 
which  he  filled  for  two  and  a-half  years,  when  a 
change  in  administration  caused  him  to  lose  his 
position. 

The  successor  to  Jacob  Jussen  offered  to  con- 
tinue him  in  the  postoffice  at  an  increase  of  wages, 
making  his  income  $60  per  month,  but  the  posi- 
tion he  declined.  He  then  went  to  Milwaukee, 
and  on  to  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  New  Orleans,  Kan- 
sas City,'  and  to  the  State  of  Kansas,  where  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  He 
knew  nothing  about  farming,  but  he  built  a  house, 
had  his  land  broken,  and  there  began  studying 
with  a  view  to  entering  the  priesthood.  He 
prosecuted  his  studies  under  the  tutelage  of 
priests  in  Topeka,  and  after  a  year  and  a-half  be- 
came a  student  in  St.  Francis  Theological  Semi- 
nary, of  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

Father  Schurz  was  ordained  February  18,  1874, 
as  a  priest  for  the  diocese  of  Leavenworth,  Kan., 
and  was  stationed  at  Emporia,  as  assistant  to  Rev. 
Joseph  Perry.  After  six  months  he  was  made 
first  resident  priest  at  Wichita,  and  was  in  that  city 
duriiig  its  great  boom.  He  there  remained  for  four 
and  a-half  years,  during  which  time  the  nearest 
priest  to  him  was  ninety  miles  away.  A  large  scope 
of  territory  was  under  his  supervision,  including 
thirty-two  stations.  In  1878  he  was  given  an  as- 
sistant. About  this  time,  Father  Schurz  was 
thrown  from  a  buggy  and  dislocated  his  shoulder, 


besides  sustaining  internal  injuries.  While  in  poor 
health  he  took  a  trip  to  Europe,  where  he  had  two 
conferences  with  Pope  Pius  IX.,  and  brought 
home  with  him  as  a  relic  an  autograph  and  por- 
trait of  the  Pope.  After  four  months  he  returned 
to  this  country.  At  Wichita  he  had  many  pleas- 
ant experiences.  He  found  only  twenty  families 
there  at  first,  but  through  his  untiring  labors  he 
built  seven  churches  in  a  missionary  district,  two 
presbyteries,  two  schoolhouses,  laid  out  cemeteries 
for  each  church,  and  organized  three  colonies,  two 
German  and  one  Irish,  called  respectively  St. 
Mark's,  St.  Joseph's  and  St.  John's. 

In  1879,  Father  Schurz  removed  to  St.  Mark's, 
where  he  remained  until  1882.  For  two  years  he 
had  sought  to  sever  his  connection  with  the  Leav- 
enworth Diocese  and  join  the  Diocese  of  Peoria, 
111.,  which  he  succeeded  in  doing  in  the  spring  of 
1882.  He  was  assigned  by  Bishop  Spaulding  to 
Danville,  Vermilion  County.  In  1885,  he  again 
went  to  Europe  to  settle  up  the  estate  of  his  father, 
who  died  in  1884.  In  October,  1886,  he  was  sent 
to  Ottawa,  111.,  but  the  following  June  resigned 
at  that  place  and  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of 
the  church  at  Warsaw,  where  he  has  remained 
since  March,  1887.  He  also  has  charge  of  amis- 
sion at  Hamilton,  with  fifteen  families.  He  placed 
the  church  in  working  order  and  it  is  now  in  a 
thriving  condition.  Father  Schurz  is  a  great  lover 
of  flowers,  and  has  many  rare  specimens  in  his 
collection.  He  is  a  social,  genial  gentleman  and 
has  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been 
brought  in  contact. 


(JAMES  GUTHRIE  JOHNSON,  one  of  the 
I  prominent  citizens  of  Carthage,  111.,  well  de- 
(2/  serves  mention  in  the  history  of  his  adopted 
county,  for  besides  being  a  man  of  enterprise  and 
activity,  in  whom  the  thriving  spirit  of  the  age  pre- 
dominates, he  is  a  man  of  broad  and  liberal  mind, 
conversant  on  all  questions  of  the  day.  He  was 
born  in  Jefferson  County,  Ky.,  about  twelve  miles 
from  Louisville,  December  24,  1827,  and  is  a  son 
of  George  and  Eleanor   (Guthrie)  Johnson.     His 


128 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


maternal  grandparents  were  James  and  Elizabeth 
(Cooper)  Guthrie.  The  former  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Kentucky,  and  made  a  home  eleven 
miles  from  Louisville,  at  the  intersection  of  two 
much-traveled  roads,  where  he  kept  a  tavern.  He 
built  a  stone  house,  which  still  stands,  a  relic  ot 
former  greatness.  It  was  erected  in  1774,  and 
became  a  popular  resort  with  the  traveling  pub- 
lic. There  the  numerous  Catholic  missionaries 
were  instructed  to  remain  until  an  escort  was  sent 
to  conduct  them  safely  further  west.  James  Guth- 
rie was  a  prominent  character  in  his  day  and  knew 
all  the  prominent  pioneers  of  the  State.  One  of 
his  daughters,  Margaret,  lived  for  many  long 
years  in  the  old  stone  house,  and  in  speaking  of 
her  death  the  Christian  Observer  said:  "On 
Thursday,  December  22,  1892,  Miss  Margaret 
Guthrie,  of  Ferran  Creek,  Jefferson  County,  Ky., 
passed  away  in  peace.  She  was  ninety-two  years 
and  nine  months  old,  had  been  a  devoted  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  sixty-eight  years, 
and  until  past  the  age  of  eighty-eight  had  been  a 
regular  attendant  at  Sabbath-school.  There  are 
now  living  four  generations  of  the  family  who 
were  instructed  by  her.  She  was  the  last  of 
twelve  children  who  reached  the  average  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  One  of  the  most  liberal  givers 
to  the  church  while  she  lived,  she  bequeathed  her 
house  and  land  to  the  church  for  a  parsonage. 
She  was  always  to  be  found  at  the  bedside  of  the 
sick,  walking  miles  in  her  old  age  to  impart  com- 
fort to  the  afflicted.  At  her  death  she  was  the 
oldest  subscriber  of  the  Christian  Observer,  hav- 
ing read  it  for  upwards  of  fifty  years." 

When  our  subject  was  in  his  fourth  year  his 
parents  removed  to  Adams  County,  111.,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1831,  and  the  father  entered  land  from  the 
Government  and  made  a  home.  He  was  a  black- 
smith by  trade,  and  carried  on  a  smithy  on  his 
farm.  He  was  born  December  15,  1799,  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  died  on  the  old  homestead  in  this 
State  March  5,  1867.  His  wife,  who  was  born 
in  the  old  home  mentioned,  near  Louisville,  Jan- 
uary 21,  1802,  passed  away  April  10,  1887.  Mr. 
Johnson  was  the  first  nurseryman  of  Adams 
County,  and  set  out  trees  in  the  hazel  brush  be- 
fore he  had  broken  any  ground.      He  carried  on 


the  nursery  business  until  1850.  In  the  family 
were  nine  children,  and  with  the  exception  of  one 
who  died  at  the  age  of  three,  all  are  yet  living. 

James  Guthrie  Johnson  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm,  and  from  early  boyhood  was  a  great  ad- 
mirer of  the  changing  beauties  of  nature,  which  he 
studied  closely.  His  love  of  the  beautiful  has 
gone  with  him  throughout  his  life,  undimmed  by 
business  cares.  On  attaining  his  majority,  he 
left  home  and  was  married,  on  December  24,  1850, 
to  Miss  Melvina  Jane  Thomas,  who  lived  in  the 
same  neighborhood.  They  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  farm  in  Adams  County,  and  there  re- 
mained until  1855,  when  they  settled  on  a  par- 
tially improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Durham  Township,  Hancock  County. 
There  Mr.  Johnson  carried  on  farming  until  the 
fall  of  1863,  when  he  bought  land  near  Elvaston. 
Three  years  later  he  came  to  Carthage,  where  he 
engaged  in  growing  osage-hedge  plants,  and  in 
making  contracts  for  setting  out  fences  of  the  same, 
for  some  years.  In  1871  he  secured  patents  for  a 
corn-husking  peg,  known  as  the  Johnson  Husker, 
and  established  a  factory  for  its  manufacture. 
He  has  since  given  his  time  to  this  business,  which 
has  proved  very  successful,  yielding  him  a  hand- 
some competence,  much  of  which  he  has  invested 
in  farming  lands.  He  has  visited  nearly  all  the 
corn-growing  States,  making  arrangements  for 
the  sale  of  his  invention,  which  is  now  largely 
used. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Johnson  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  passed  away  on  the  3d  of 
December.  On  the  18th  of  November,  1886,  he 
wedded  Miss  Minerva  Hughes,  of  Ursa,  Adams 
County,  111.  His  family  numbers  two  daugh- 
ters: Rebecca  Ella,  wife  of  N.  P.  McKee,  an  artist 
and  teacher  of  painting  of  Carthage;  and  Alice 
Geneva,  wife  of  W.  L.  Aaron,  an  attorney  of 
Hays  City,   Kan. 

The  home  of  the  Johnson  family  is  one.  of  the 
most  desirable  residence  properties  in  Carthage. 
It  is  a  commodious  house,  standing  in  the  midst 
of  well-kept  grounds,  that  are  adorned  with  beau- 
tiful shrubbery.  One  has  scarcely  entered  the 
door  before  he  is  impressed  by  the  atmosphere  of 
taste  and  refinement  which  pervades  this  home. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVLRSIIY  Oh  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


Charles  Chandler 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


13 » 


For  twenty-five  years  Mr.  Johnson  has  been  col- 
lecting rare  and  interesting  works,  both  of  men 
and  nature.  We  have  before  mentioned  his  love 
for  the  beautiful  in  nature,  which  is  equaled  only 
by  his  appreciation  of  the  delicate  and  lovely  in 
art.  The  walls  of  his  home  are  handsomely 
adorned  by  many  interesting  and  beautiful  arti- 
cles, many  of  which  are  the  works  of  his  own 
hand.  From  polished  horns  taken  from  domestic 
cattle  and  goats,  he  has  made  several  valuable 
ornaments.  He  also  has  a  fine  pair  of  deer  horns ; 
a  large  hornets'  nest,  which  hangs  on  a  branch 
where  the  busy  insects  placed  it;  stuffed  birds  of  all 
sizes,  from  the  humming-bird  to  the  white  crane; 
the  saw  of  the  dangerous  saw-fish,  and  many 
Indian  relics,  including  pipes,  clothing,  etc.  In 
a  number  of  large  glass  cabinets  are  thousands  of 
choice  and  valuable  souvenirs.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  varieties  of  birds'  eggs,  varying  in  size 
from  that  of  the  humming-bird  and  titmouse  to 
that  of  the  ostrich,  together  with  alligator,  turtle 
eggs,  etc.  Other  cabinets  contain  fine  specimens 
of  oceanic  animals  and  sub-marine  growths,  to- 
gether with  all  kinds  of  shells,  wonderful  for  their 
beauty  and  delicacy  of  tint.  Sea-mosses  and  corals 
add  their  loveliness  to  the  collection,  and  the  ad- 
mirable arrangement  of  the  specimens  show  how 
carefully  Mr.  Johnson  has  studied  designs  and 
colors.  What  so  elevates  one  as  the  study  of  na- 
ture unmarred  by  man  ?  This  home  is  a  delicate 
curiosity-shop,  which  speaks  in  no  uncertain  terms 
of  the  cultured  taste  and  keen  appreciation  of  the 
owner  for  all  that  is  most  beautiful  and  noble  upon 
this  earth. 


^H^l 


SOL.  CHARLES  CHANDLER,  deceased. 
The  name  of  Chandler  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  McDonough  Coun- 
ty, and  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this 
record  was  connected  with  nearly  all  the  important 
industries  and  enterprises  that  tended  toward  its 
advancement  and  further  development.  He  was 
6 


born  in  Alstead,  Cheshire  County,  N.  H.,  August 
28,  1809,  and  was  a  son  of  James  and  Abigail 
(Vilas)  Chandler.  His  father  was  also  born  in 
the  old  Granite  State,  but  his  mother  was  a  na- 
tive of  Massachusetts.  Both  reached  an  advanced 
age,  the  mother  passing  away  in  1854,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-nine,  while  the  father  departed  this 
life  in  1857,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  The  latter 
was  an  agriculturist,  and  his  son  was  reared  in 
the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads.  His  training 
at  farm  labor  was  not  as  meagre  as  was  his 
training  in  the  district  schools,  which  he  attended 
in  the  winter  season . 

At  the  age  of  nineteen,  Charles  Chandler  left 
the  parental  roof  and  went  to  Boston,  where  for 
two  years  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  a  mer- 
cantile establishment.  After  two  years  he  re- 
turned home,  and  a  year  later  emigrated  to  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio.  The  spring  of  1834  witnessed  his 
arrival  in  Macomb,  where  his  elder  brother, 
Thompson  Chandler,  had  located  a  few  years 
previous.  Here  he  again  engaged  in  clerking,  in 
the  store  of  which  his  brother  was  part  owner, 
and  in  1836  he  embarked  in  business  for  himself 
along  the  same  line.  After  three  years  he  sold 
out  and  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business.  With 
keen  foresight,  he  bought  land,  which  could  be 
obtained  at  a  low  figure,  and  as  it  steadily  rose  in 
value,  he  realized  a  handsome  income  from  its 
sales.  His  real-estate  ventures  proved  a  very 
profitable  one,  and  his  sagacity,  enterprise  and 
well-directed  efforts  made  his  business  career  one 
of  great  success. 

In  1858,  Mr.  Chandler  embarked  in  the  bank- 
ing business,  establishing  a  private  bank,  which 
he  successfully  conducted  until  1865,  when  he 
merged  this  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Ma- 
comb. He  became  President  of  the  latter  insti- 
tution, and  held  that  position  until  his  death.  He 
made  it  one  of  the  solid  financial  institutions  of 
the  county,  and  its  safe  and  progressive,  yet  con- 
servative, policy  gained  the  confidence  and  sup- 
port of  the  entire  community.  He  was  also  in- 
terested in  banking  in  Bushnell,  establishing  a 
private  bank,  which  afterward  became  the  Farm- 
ers' National  Bank.  Of  this  he  became  one  of 
the  directors  and  largest  stockholders,    and  con- 


132 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tinned  his  connection  with  the  same  throughout 
his  life. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  1836,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Col.  Chandler  and  Sarah  K. 
Cheatham,  of  Macomb,  a  most  estimable  lad}-, 
who  took  an  active  interest  in  church  and  benev- 
olent work.  Her  death  occurred  in  1855,  and  her 
loss  was  mourned  by  many  friends.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  seven  children,  three  of  whom  survived 
the  mother:  Martha  Abigail,  widow  of  Henry  C. 
Twyman,  of  Macomb;  Charles  Vilasco,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work;  and  James 
Edgar,  of  Bushnell.  In  his  family,  Mr.  Chand- 
ler was  kind  and  considerate,  and  it  seemed  that 
he  could  not  do  too  much  to  enhance  the  welfare 
or  promote  the  happiness  of  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren. 

In  politics,  the  Colonel  was  a  Whig  in  early 
life,  but  became  a  stanch  Republican,  and  always 
took  a  great  interest  in  politics,  although  he  never 
sought  or  desired  political  preferment.  He  was, 
however,  elected  Coroner  for  two  3'ears,  was  Coun- 
ty Commissioner  four  years,  long  served  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace,  was  also  Alderman,  and  for  one 
term  served  as  Mayor  of  Macomb.  His  loyalty 
to  the  country  was  made  manifest  during  the 
Civil  War  by  his  active  service  in  behalf  of  the 
Union.  He  spared  neither  time  nor  expense  in 
its  aid.  As  he  was  too  old  to  go  to  the  front,  he 
did  much  toward  encouraging  others  to  enlist, 
and  his  faithful  and  efficient  service  was  recog- 
nized by  Gov.  Yates,  who  commissioned  him 
Colonel  of  the  State  Militia,  and  authorized  him 
to  raise  a  regiment  for  home  service.  Through- 
out his  life  he  maintained  the  greatest  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  his  adopted  town,  and  few  enter- 
prises or  industries  calculated  to  benefit  this 
community  failed  to  receive  aid  at  his  hand.  He 
was  popular  with  all  classes  of  people,  for  he  was 
a  gentleman  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  and 
his  well-spent  life  won  him  high  regard.  For 
some  years  before  his  death,  he  spent  the  winters 
in  a  more  genial  clime,  visiting  the  States  along 
the  Gulf,  also  Central  America,  Mexico  and  South 
America.  He  passed  away  December  26,  1878, 
and  the  country  thereby  lost  one  of  its  most  valued 
and  honored  citizens. 


(JOHN  W.  BERTSCHI,  who  occupies  the  posi- 

I  tion  of  County  Treasurer  of  Hancock  County, 
G/  «"d  makes  his  home  in  Carthage,  has  the 
honor  of  being  a  native  of  this  locality,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Appanoose  Township,  on  the 
1 2th  of  February,  1852.  He  is  a  representative 
of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families.  His 
father,  William  Bertschi,  is  still  living  on  the 
same  farm  to  which  he  removed  in  the  spring  of 
1852.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Elizabeth  Walti,  died  on  the  7th  of  October, 
1893,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and  was  buried 
the  following  day,  Sunday,  in  Nauvoo  Cemetery. 
The  parents  were  both  natives  of  Switzerland. 
The  father  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America  in 
1849,  but  the  following  year  returned  to  his  native 
land.  He  was  there  married  and  then  came  with 
his  bride  to  his  new  home  in  1851.  He  now  owns 
a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  and  is 
comfortably  situated  in  life. 

In  the  Bertschi  family  were  ten  children,  of 
whom  eight  are  now  living,  five  sons  and  three 
daughters.  Four  of  the  number  are  now  residents 
of  Hancock  Count}-,  and  most  of  them  follow 
fanning.  John  W.  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  devoted  his  time  to  farm 
work  until  the  fall  of  1890.  He  became  familiar 
with  the  business  in  all  of  its  details,  for  as  soon 
as  old  enough  to  handle  the  plow,  his  labors  in 
the  field  began. 

Mr.  Bertschi  continued  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm  until  the  age  of  twenty-six  years,  when,  on 
the  24th  of  October,  1877,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Margaret  Porth,  daughter  of 
Frederick  Porth,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ap- 
panoose Township,  where  the  birth  of  the  daugh- 
ter occurred  May  28,  1856.  Three  children  grace 
the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife:  William 
Tell,  bornAugust  19,  1878;  Roscoe  Russell,  born 
April  13,  1883;  and  Wallace,  born  May  14,  1887. 

Upon  his  marriage,  Mr.  Bertschi  secured  a  farm 
near  the  old  homestead,  which  he  still  owns.  He 
began  its  cultivation,  and  soon  the  well-tilled  fields 
yielded  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the 
care  and  labor  he  bestowed  upon  them.  He  gave 
up  farming  in  the  autumn  of  1890,  when  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  County  Treasurer,  being 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


[33 


the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  had 
previously  held  township  offices,  having  served 
as  Township  Supervisor  for  three  years,  as  Col- 
lector for  four  years,  and  as  Town  Clerk  for  one 
year.  He  has  also  served  as  Central  Committee- 
man of  his  township.  His  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion are  now  given  to  his  official  duties,  which  are 
discharged  with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  that 
have  won  him  high  commendation.  He  is  always 
true  to  every  trust,  whether  public  or  private,  and 
has  therefore  won  the  confidence  and  high  regard 
of  all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact. 


|~)EY.  FATHER  MICHAEL  PAUL  O- 
Y\  BRIEN,  pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church  of 
\?\  Carthage,  is  a  native  of  County  YVaterford, 
Ireland,  but  at  the  age  of  four  years  was  taken  by 
his  parents  to  England,  where  he  was  reared  to 
manhood,  his  boyhood  days  being  spent  in  Darling- 
ton, in  Durham  County.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  and  by  private  study,  and  then 
engaged  in  school  teaching,  being  for  two  years 
a  teacher  in  St.  George's  Academy,  of  London. 
He  was  also  employed  in  St.  George's  Industrial 
School  of  Liverpool,  and  at  St.  Joseph's  Academy, 
Oxford  Street,  London. 

Having  resolved  to  devote  his  life  to  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  Father  O'Brien  began  studying 
for  the  priesthood  in  a  college  in  Turin,  Italy,  and 
at  Mondovi,  Piedmont,  Italy.  He  was  ordained  by 
Bishop  Chadwick  in  St.  Cuthbert's  College, 
Ushaw,  Durham,  England,  in  1873,  and  served 
as  priest  in  the  Diocese  of  Hexham  and  New- 
castle-on-Tyne  until  1890,  when  he  determined 
to  devote  his  life  to  church  work  in  America. 
Crossing  the  Atlantic,  he  landed  on  the  shores  of 
this  country,  and  after  a  short  time  was  appointed 
to  the  Catholic  Church  at  Carthage.  This  was  in 
July,  1890. 

The  parish  over  which  Father  O'Brien  now 
has  charge  includes  four  churches,  namely,  at 
Carthage,  La  Harpe,  Gidding's  Mound  and  West 
Point,  with  about  fifteen  hundred  members.     He 


devotes  his  time  entirely  to  the  work  of  the  church 
and  is  laboring  earnestly  for  its  upbuilding  and  ad- 
vancement. He  has  now  had  charge  of  his  present 
parish  for  about  four  years.  Under  his  manage- 
ment the  church  has  been  considerably  improved 
and  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  a  beautiful  sanct- 
uary and  the  useful  sacristies,  or  vestries. 

P     .     .      ,.  ■=l<-JL^i^='  K>  «? 


HENDRICKS  VEATCH,  M.  D.,  who 
is  numbered  among  the  leading  medical 
practitioners  of  Carthage,  where  he  has 
built  up  an  excellent  business,  claims  Indiana  as 
the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  New  Albany  August  19,  1831.  His  father, 
Rev.  Isaac  Veatch,  was  a  Baptist  minister,  and 
served  in  the  State  Legislature  of  Indiana  as 
Representative  from  Spencer  County.  He  died 
of  cholera  in  Indiana  in  1833,  while  visiting  his 
daughter,  who  also  died  of  the  same  disease. 
His  son,  James  C.  Yeatch,  is  an  attorney  of 
Rockport,  Ind. ,  and  served  as  Deputy  County 
Auditor  before  he  attained  his  majority.  When 
he  had  reached  man's  estate,  he  was  elected 
County  Auditor.  He  was  a  candidate  for  Con- 
gress on  the  Republican  ticket  in  1856,  and  has 
represented  his  district  in  the  State  Legislature. 
In  i860  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  Na- 
tional Convention  that  nominated  Abraham  Lin- 
coln for  President,  and  was  also  a  Representative 
to  the  convention  that  nominated  James  A.  Gar- 
field for  the  presidency.  During  the  war  he 
served  as  Colonel  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Indiana  In- 
fantry, and  after  the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson 
was  made  Brigadier-General.  When  the  war 
closed  he  was  breveted  Major-Geueral.  During 
his  service  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  city 
of  Memphis,  under  Gen.  Hulburt,  and  later  had 
charge  of  the  enlisting  of  the  negro  troops.  At 
the  battle  of  Hatchie  River  he  was  wounded,  and 
was  carried  off  the  field  for  dead,  but  it  was  found 
that  life  was  not  extinct,  and  he  ultimately  re- 
covered. After  his  return  home  he  was  made 
Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  at  Evansville,  Ind., 
under  President  Grant,  and  filled  the  position  for 


134 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


fourteen  years.  After  that  time  he  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  law  practice  until  about  seven  years  ago, 
when  he  retired  from  business. 

The  eldest  son  of  the  Veatch  family,  John  Al- 
len, died  in  1872.  Before  the  birth  of  our  subject 
he  left  home,  going  to  Louisiana,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  teaching.  He  then  went  to  Texas,  and 
took  part  in  the  Mexican  War  as  a  Captain  of 
a  company  of  Texas  Rangers.  On  the  cessation 
of  that  struggle,  he  went  to  Colorado,  and  the 
last  heard  of  him  for  twenty  years  was  that  he 
was  in  a  massacre  of  the  Indians  while  on  the 
way  to  Texas.  When  two  decades  had  passed, 
and  James  C.  Veatch  was  serving  in  the  Indiana 
Legislature,  he  met  a  gentleman  who  said  there 
was  a  physician  in  California  by  the  name  of 
John  Allen  Veatch,  that  he  lived  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  was  the  noted  author  of  medical  works, 
and  also  works  on  the  flora  of  that  State.  Trac- 
ing him,  it  was  found  that  he  was  the  missing 
brother  of  our  subject.  He  died  in  Oregon,  but 
his  family  is  still  living  in  California.  He  pre- 
pared the  first  authentic  record  of  the  plants  of 
California,  and  attained  eminence  as  a  botanist 
and  physician. 

Our  subject  is  the  youngest  of  fifteen  children, 
but  only  two  are  now  living,  our  subject  and  the 
brother  before  mentioned,  who  is  now  seventy- 
five  years  of  age.  The  mother  of  this  family  re- 
moved to  Schuyler  County,  111.,  in  1S37,  and 
there  died  in  1874. 

Mr.  Veatch  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
a  boy  of  only  six  years  at  the  time  of  that  re- 
moval. He  remained  upon  the  home  farm  until 
after  the  marriage  of  all  his  brothers  and  sisters. 
He  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  with  his  broth- 
er-in-law, Dr.  McCaskill,  in  Pawnee,  Sangamon 
County,  and  pursued  a  course  of  lectures  in  the 
University  of  Missouri  at  St.  Louis,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '56.  Among  his 
classmates  was  Dr.  J.  Miner,  of  Winchester,  111. 
Dr.  Veatch  then  joined  his  brother-in-law,  who, 
after  two  years,  went  to  California,  and  our  subject 
continued  in  practice  alone  until  1877.  He  then 
removed  to  Sciota,  McDonough  County,  and  in 
1880  came  to  Carthage,  where  he  has  since  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  practice.     He  is  a  member 


of  the  Hancock  County  Medical  Society,  the  Mili- 
tary Tract  Medical  Society,  and  the  State  and 
American  Medical  Societies.  He  has  been  a  con- 
tributor to  the  Peoria  Medical  Monthly  for  some 
time,  and  has  written  many  able  articles  for  that 
sheet.  He  has  also  been  the  author  of  a  number  of 
articles  of  good  literary  merit  which  do  not  treat 
of  the  medical  science.  For  six  years  he  filled 
the  Chair  of  Hygiene  in  the  Carthage  College, 
and  has  delivered  many  lectures  on  the  subject 
before  teachers'  institutions. 

In  1857  Dr.  Veatch  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Sweet,  of  Auburn,  Sanga- 
mon County,  who  died  five  years  later,  leaving 
one  child,  Byron  E. ,  a  merchant  of  Chicago.  For 
his  second  wife  the  Doctor  married  Martha  E. 
Klepper,  of  Schuyler  County,  sister  of  Jacob 
Klepper,  the  banker  and  horseman  of  Augusta. 
They  have  one  child,  De  Laskie  Miller,  who  was 
named  for  Dr.  De  Laskie  Miller,  a  prominent 
professor  of  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago. 
He  is  now  in  a  dry-goods  store  in  Quincy.  Dr. 
Veatch  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church,  but  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Douglas  Demo- 
crat, but  when  the  war  broke  out  he  joined  the 
Republican  party,  and  has  since  been  one  of  its 
stanch  supporters.  The  greater  part  of  his  time 
and  attention,  however,  is  devoted  to  his  profes- 
sion, of  which  he  has  ever  been  a  close  student. 
His  skill  and  ability  have  won  for  him  a  high  and 
well-merited  reputation. 


wk^ 


(JOHN  FRAZER  SCOTT,  of  Carthage,  occu- 
I  pies  the  position  of  County  Clerk  of  Hancock 
G/  County,  and  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  the 
duties  connected  therewith  has  shown  that  he 
well  merits  the  confidence  and  trust  reposed  in 
him  by  his  fellow-citizens.  He  has  the  honor  of 
being  a  native  of  this  county,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Warsaw  on  the  1st  of  March,  1856. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Louisa  (Frazer)  Scott. 
His  father,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  emigrated 
westward  in  an  early  day  and  took   up  his  resi- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


135 


dence  near  Jacksonville,  111.  He  afterward  came 
to  Hancock  County,  and  was  engaged  in  business 
in  Warsaw.  In  Adams  County,  this  State,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Louisa,  daugh- 
ter of  James  Frazer,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who 
during  the  girlhood  of  his  daughter  came  to  Illi- 
nois. Mr.  Scott  carried  on  business  in  Warsaw 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1S65.  He  was 
several  times  nominated  for  office,  and  took  an 
active  interest  in  the  anti-Mormon  movement. 
He  was  connected  with  the  events  which  occurred 
w  hen  Joseph  Smith  and  others  were  killed.  He  did 
not  sympathise  with  this,  however,  and,  leaving 
the  company  who  were  engaged  in  the  matter,  he 
returned  to  his  home  in  Warsaw.  Mrs.  Scott  still 
survives  her  husband,  and  is  now  living  in  Carth- 
age. In  the  family  were  two  daughters:  Mary 
F.,  widow  of  George  J.  Rogers,  of  Warsaw: 
and  Louisa  J.,  wife  of  A.  W.  Boscow,  of  Carthage, 
with  whom  Mrs.  Scott  is  living.  An  uncle  of  our 
subject,  Larkin  Scott,  resides  near  Denver,  111. 
He  and  his  wife  have  lived  together  for  over  sixty 
years. 

.Mr.  Scott  of  this  sketch  was  only  nine  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death.  Heacquired 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
town,  and  then  began  earning  his  own  livelihood 
by  work  as  a  farm  hand.  He  was  also  employed 
as  a  clerk  in  a  clothing  store.  On  the  10th  of 
September,  1874,  he  came  to  Carthage  and  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  Deputy  County  Clerk,  under 
his  brother-in-law,  George  J.  Rogers,  with  whom 
he  served  for  three  years.  He  then  continued  in 
the  same  position  under  John  R.  Newton,  serving 
in  all  as  Deputy  County  Clerk  for  twelve  years. 
In  1886  he  was  elected  to  the  superior  office  for  a 
four-years  term,  and  in  1890  was  again  elected, 
so  that  when  his  present  term  expires  he  will  have 
served  for  eight  years.  He  is  the  candidate  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  for  he  is  a  warm  advocate 
of  Democratic  principles,  and  in  the  campaign  of 
1892  served  as  Chairman  of  the  County  Demo- 
cratic Committee. 

On  the  1 6th  of  November,  1882,  Mr.  Scott  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  Stepp,  of 
Carthage,  daughter  of  Frank  and  Mary  C.  (  Pheil  I 
Stepp.      Her  father,  who  was  formerly   engaged 


in  the  restaurant  business,  is  now  deceased,  but 
her  mother  is  yet  living  in  this  city,  where  Mrs. 
Scott  was  born.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  a  most  estimable  lady.  In  the 
family  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  are  three  chil- 
dren:  Mary  L. ,  John  Frank  and  Eugenia. 

Mr.  Scott  was  made  a  Mason  in  Hancock  Lodge 
No.  20,  A.  F.  &  A .  M  ,  and  has  filled  all  of  its  offices. 
He  was  Worthy  Master  at  the  time  of  the  build- 
ing of  the  Masonic  Hall.  He  also  belongs  to  Al- 
moner Commandery,  of  Augusta:  and  to  Carthage 
Chapter  No.  33,  R.  A.  M.,  of  which  he  has  been 
High  Priest,  and  he  holds  membership  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity.  He  has  frequently 
been  a  delegate  to  the  State  Democratic  Conven- 
tions, and  for  fifteen  years  has  attended  the  Na- 
tional Democratic  Conventions.  He  is  a  man 
true  to  all  trusts  reposed  in  him,  and  throughout 
the  community  in  which  he  has  so  long  made  his 
home  is  both  widely  and  favorably  known. 

■F3   1  * 


»+« 


(ILLIAM  RANSOM  HAMILTON  is  the 
well-known  and  popular  Postmaster  of 
Carthage.  He  was  born  in  Johnstown,  Ful- 
ton County,  N.  Y.,  November  5,  1829,  and  is  a 
son  of  Artois  Hamilton.  The  family  has  long 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  history  of 
this  community,  for  it  was  founded  in  Hancock 
County  in  pioneer  days.  Our  subject  was  con- 
cerned in  the  events  which  resulted  in  the  death 
of  Joseph  Smith,  the  noted  Mormon.  He,  in 
company  with  the  Deputy  County  Clerk,  David 
E.  Head,  took  the  county  records  in  his  father's 
wagon  to  about  eight  miles  east  of  Carthage,  and 
hid  them  in  a  cabin  in  the  woods,  for  it  was  ex- 
pected that  the  Mormons  would  sack  the  town. 
Mr.  Hamilton  also  remembers  seeing  the  body 
of  Hyrum  Smith  taken  to  Nauvoo  in  his  father's 
wagon,  while  that  of  Joseph  Smith  was  placed 
in  a  wagon  containing  four  Mormons  who  had 
come  to  take  the  murdered  men.  Mr.  Taylor,  • 
who  was  wounded  in  seven  places,  was  brought 
to  the  hotel  which  was  kept  by  Mr.  Hamilton's 
father,  opposite  the  site  of  the  Criss  House,   and 


136 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


William  aided  in  caring  for  the  injured  man,  who 
was  kept  there  for  ten  days.  Those  were  excit- 
ing times,  and  great  dangers  were  often  incurred. 

On  the  8th  of  June,  1854,  Mr.  Hamilton  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  H.  Miller, 
a  native  of  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  and  a  daughter  of 
Warren  Miller.  To  them  were  born  six  children, 
but  three  are  deceased.  Ida  A.,  Willard  C. 
and  Herbert  are  jet  living  in  Carthage. 

The  year  following  his  marriage,  Mr.  Hamilton 
entered  upon  official  duties,  being  Census  Taker 
of  the  county,  which  then  had  a  population  of 
twenty-two  thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight. 
In  1858  he  was  elected  Sheriff,  which  position  he 
filled  for  two  years.  On  his  retirement  from  of- 
fice in  i860,  he  removed  to  his  farm  in  Prairie 
Township,  now  Carthage  Township,  and  made 
his  home  thereon  until  1882.  His  knowledge  of 
public  affairs,  however,  caused  him  to  be  often 
called  upon  to  assist  one  or  another  of  the  county 
officials,  and  he  has  always  been  more  or  less 
connected  with  public  interests.  In  1882,  he 
took  his  family  to  California  and  Oregon,  expect- 
ing to  make  his  home  in  the  Northwest,  but  sick- 
ness caused  his  return  to  Illinois  in  1883.  Soon 
after  he  was  chosen  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by 
the  death  of  his  old  friend,  Justice  John  M.  Fer- 
ris, who  was  one  of  the  honored  and  most  highly 
respected  pioneers  of  the  county.  A  special  elec- 
tion soon  followed,  and  it  seemed  the  universal 
wish  that  Mr.  Hamilton  should  succeed  to  the 
judicial  honors.  He  acceptably  filled  the  various 
duties  of  the  position  for  ten  years,  but  about  a 
year  ago  he  became  Postmaster  of  Carthage,  Pres- 
ident Cleveland  having  appointed  him  to  the  posi- 
tion in  recognition  of  his  fifty  years  of  faithful 
sen-ice  in  the  ranks  of  the  Democracy,  his  good 
business  ability  and  popularity. 

Mr.  Hamilton  has  long  been  well  known  to 
many  of  the  leaders  of  his  party,  and  faithfully 
served  for  some  years  as  Chairman  of  the  County 
Democratic  Committee.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  and 
liberal  views  and  is  highly  regarded  by  all.  For 
over  forty  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  having  been  made  a  Mason  in 
Hancock  Lodge  No.  20,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  when 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  for  several  years 


served  as  Master.  He  also  belongs  to  Carthage 
Chapter  No.  33,  R.  A.  M. ;  Carthage  Council 
No.  47,  R.  &  S.  M.;  and  Almoner  Commandery 
No.  32,  K.  T.,  of  Augusta,  and  has  frequently 
been  a  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge.  Mr. 
Hamilton  is  a  pleasant,  genial  gentleman,  of  com- 
manding presence,  free  from  all  ostentatious  dis- 
play, and  possesses  those  social  qualities  which 
make  him  a  favorite  with  all. 

6~      ■        ""    c=J<  T  Sgj"  d 

(TESSE  C.  WILLIAMS,  who  for  many  years 
I  was  prominently  connected  with  the  business 
(2/  interests  of  Carthage,  but  is  now  practically 
living  a  retired  life  in  that  city,  was  born  in  Rich- 
mond, Madison  County7,  Ky.,  on  the  22d  of  Au- 
gust, 18 19.  His  father,  Richard  G.  Williams, 
was  a  native  of  Culpeper  County,  Va. ,  and  in 
1808  emigrated  to  Kentucky,  where  he  met  and 
married  Catherine  Holder,  who  was  born  in  that 
State  in  1797.  Her  father,  John  Holder,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  was  a  comrade  of  Daniel 
Boone.  Her  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Col. 
Richard  Calloway,  who  was  prominent  in  the 
French  and  Indian  and  Revolutionary  Wars.  He 
made  his  home  for  some  years  in  Kentucky.  A 
story  of  romantic  interest  is  connected  with  the 
marriage  of  his  daughter,  and  is  as  follows: 

Late  on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  three  young  girls, 
Betsy  and  Frances  Calloway,  daughters  of  Col. 
Calloway,  and  Jemima  Boone,  a  daughter  of  Dan- 
iel Boone,  ventured  from  the  enclosure  at  Boones- 
boro  to  amuse  themselves  with  a  canoe  upon  the 
river  that  flowed  by  the  fort.  They  drifted  down 
with  the  current,  and  before  they  were  aware  of 
danger  they  were  seized  by  five  Indian  warriors. 
Though  they  resisted  with  their  paddles,  they 
were  drawn  ashore  and  hurried  off  to  the  Shaw- 
nee tribe  on  the  Ohio.  Their  screams  were  heard 
at  the  fort,  and  the  cause  of  the  outcry  was  at 
once  imagined.  The  fathers  were  absent,  but 
soon  returned  and  quickly  started  in  pursuit, 
Col.  Calloway  heading  a  mounted  party,  while 
Boone,  as  was  his  custom,  went  on  foot.  His 
party  numbered  eight,  among  whom  were  three 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


'37 


young  men,  the  girls'  lovers,  who  shared  in 
the  anxiety  of  the  almost  distracted  fathers. 
Betsy  Calloway,  the  eldest  girl,  marked  the  trail 
as  she  was  hurried  along  by  breaking  twigs  and 
bending  bushes,  and  when  threatened  with  the 
tomahawk  if  she  persisted,  tore  small  bits  from  her 
dress  and  dropped  them  as  she  passed  along.  She 
would  also  frequently  plant  the  heel  of  her  shoe 
deeply  in  the  soil  to  make  distinct  impressions  to 
guide  those  she  knew  would  soon  pursue.  Every 
precaution  was  taken  by  the  Indians  to  obliterate 
any  trace  of  their  course,  but  keen  eyes  and  anx- 
ious hearts  were  following,  and  as  day  dawned  on 
Tuesday  a  film  of  smoke  showed  the  vicinity  of 
the  camp  where  the  Indians  were  cooking  break- 
fast. Col.  John  Floyd,  who  was  afterwards 
killed  by  the  Indians,  was  one  of  the  party,  and 
vividly  described  the  rescue.  "Our  study  was  to 
get  the  prisoners  without  giving  the  Indians  time 
to  kill  them  after  they  discovered  us.  Four  of 
us  fired,  and  we  all  rushed  on  them,  by  which 
they  were  prevented  from  carrying  anything  away 
except  one  shotgun.  The  red  men  escaped,  but 
with  no  guns,  clubs  or  provisions,  and  two  of 
them  were  severely  wounded.  The  return  of  the 
rescued  girls  was  the  occasion  of  great  rejoicing. 
The  young  lovers  had  proved  their  skill  and  cour- 
age under  the  eye  of  the  greatest  of  all  warriors 
and  woodsmen,  Daniel  Boone,  and  had  fairly 
won  their  sweethearts."  Two  weeks  later  the 
first  wedding  on  Kentucky  soil  was  solemnized, 
the  parties  being  Samuel  Henderson  and  Betsy 
Calloway.  The  contract  was  witnessed  by  friends 
and  neighbors,  the  formal  license  was  dispensed 
with,  and  the  vows  were  administered  by  Rev. 
Boone,  a  Hardshell  Baptist  preacher.  Within  a 
year  Frances  Calloway  became  the  wife  of  the 
gallant  Capt.  John  Holder,  who  afterwards  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  Kentucky  annals,  and 
Boone' s  daughter  married  the  son  of  Col .  Calloway . 
In  tracing  the  ancestry  of  the  Williams  family, 
we  find  that  Jesse  Williams,  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  eastern  Maryland  in  1750.  His 
grandfather  had  emigrated  from  Wales  and  had 
there  located  in  1720.  Jesse  Williams,  Sr.,  emi- 
grated to  Kentucky  in  18 17,  and  there  died  in 
1835.      His  son  Richard  became  a  resident  of  that 


State  in  1808,  and  continued  there  to  make  his 
home  until  called  to  his  final  rest  in  1876,  at  the 
age  of  ninety.  By  trade  he  was  a  saddler.  His 
wife  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  In  their 
family  were  thirteen  children,  of  whom  twelve 
grew  to  mature  years,  while  eight  are  yet  living. 
Only  two  are  residents  of  Illinois,  J.  C.  and  a 
sister  who  lives  in  Bloomington. 

The  boyhood  days  of  J.  C.  Williams  were  spent 
upon  the  old  home  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty 
he  left  the  parental  roof  and  went  to  southeastern 
Tennessee,  where,  in  1839,  he  assisted  in  build- 
ing the  East  Tennessee  &  Virginia  Railroad,  the 
first  road  built  into  the  former  State.  In  1840, 
he  went  with  his  employer  to  Georgia,  and  was 
engaged  on  the  construction  of  the  Georgia  Cen- 
tral Railroad.  He  served  as  book-keeper  for  the 
contractors,  and  in  1S41  returned  to  Kentucky, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  a  year.  He 
then  followed  school-teaching  until  1843,  when 
he  began  selling  goods  in  Mt.  Vernon,  Ky.  In 
1848,  he  began  business  there  on  his  own  account, 
and  continued  to  successfully  carry  on  operations 
along  that  line  until  1S56,  when  he  removed  to 
Crab  Orchard,  Ky.,  where  he  spent  eighteen 
months.  In  the  fall  of  1857,  he  came  to  Carthage, 
where  for  two  years  his  brother,  William  H.  Will- 
iams, had  been  engaged  in  business.  In  August 
the  latter  had  opened  a  large  store,  and  in  October 
of  the  same  year  Mr.  Williams  of  this  sketch 
assumed  control  of  the  same.  He  carried  a  stock 
valued  at  $6,000,  which  included  all  kinds  of 
general  merchandise.  After  two  years  his  brother 
retired  and  entered  the  army.  Later  he  went  to 
Iowa,  but  is  now  living  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  Mexico. 

Mr.  Williams  had  married  ere  leaving  his  na- 
tive State.  On  the  5th  of  March,  1850,  in  Lin- 
coln County,  Ky.,  he  wedded  Mary  Collier, 
daughter  of  John  and  Susan  Collier,  of  Rock 
Castle,  Ky.  Unto  them  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  yet  living.  Oscar  W. 
who  graduated  from  the  law  department  of  Har- 
vard College,  is  now  an  attorney  and  the  County 
Judge  of  Pecos  County,  Tex.  He  is  also  a  ranch- 
man and  is  largely  interested  in  Texas  lands. 
William  I),  graduated  from  Abingdon  College,  of 


i3» 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Abingdon,  111.,  studied  law  with  Judge  Ireland, 
of  Austin,  Tex.,  and  is  now  a  well-known  attor- 
ney of  Ft.  Worth,  where  he  is  engaged  in  prac- 
tice as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Williams  &  Butts. 
Josiah  J.,  who  graduated  from  Carthage  College, 
is  also  a  successful  lawyer.  He  studied  with  the 
firm  of  Scofield  &  Hooker,  of  this  city,  and  is 
now  in  practice  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  where  he  is 
serving  as  Assistant  Prosecuting  Attorney  of 
Jackson  County,  Mo.  Susan,  who  graduated 
from  Carthage  College,  is  successfully  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  city  schools.  Jessie,  a  stenog- 
rapher and  typewriter,  is  employed  in  the  pub- 
lishing house  of  Chapman  Brothers,  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Williams  began  business  for  himself  in 
Carthage  in  January,  i860,  and  for  two  years 
was  alone,  after  which  he  admitted  to  partnership 
A.  M.  Ossman.  The  following  June  Mr.  Oss- 
man  was  murdered,  while  assisting  Sheriff  Ing-  ' 
rahm  to  arrest  a  man  named  Ritter,  who  was 
killed  later  in  the  day.  The  widow  continued  in 
the  business  for  two  years,  after  which  Mr.  Will- 
iams became  sole  proprietor.  He  did  a  good  bus- 
iness, building  up  an  excellent  trade,  and  his  well- 
directed  efforts  brought  him  a  handsome  compe- 
tence. In  March,  1892,  he  retired  after  a  third 
of  a  century  spent  in  merchandising  in  Carthage. 
He  was  always  prominent  in  business  circles  and 
honorable  and  straightforward  in  his  dealings. 
He  has  always  paid  one  hundred  cents  on  the 
dollar,  and  his  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond.  He 
had  established  two  branch  stores,  but  did  not 
continue  their  operation  for  any  great  length  of 
time.  He  is  now  interested  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent in  Texas  lands,  having  his  capital  well  in- 
vested. 

When  a  young  man  in  Kentucky,  Mr.  Will- 
iams became  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with  the 
Christian  Church,  taking  an  active  interest  in  its 
welfare.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  City 
Council,  and  was  President  of  the  Board.  In 
1871  and  1872,  he  represented  his  district  in  the 
State  Senate,  during  which  time  the  work  of  re- 
construction was  carried  on.  By  his  ballot  he  has 
always  supported  the  Democratic  party.  His 
time,  however,  has  been  mostly  given  to  commer- 


cial interests,  and  through  the  legitimate  channels 
of  business  he  has  acquired  a  comfortable  prop- 
erty, which  is  the  just  reward  of  a  busy  and  well- 
spent  life. 

y  HOMAS  F.  DUNN,  who  is  now  serving  his 
I  C  second  term  as  Circuit  Clerk  of  Hancock 
v2/  County,  makes  his  home  in  Carthage,  and 
is  recognized  as  one  of  its  progressive  and  public- 
spirited  citizens,  wide-awake  to  the  best  interests 
of  the  community.  He  is  also  one  of  Hancock 
County's  native  sons,  and  a  representative  of  one 
of  her  early  families.  He  was  born  on  the  21st 
of  April,  1858,  and  is  of  Irish  lineage.  His  par- 
ents, John  and  Mary  (Cummings)  Dunn,  were 
both  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  The  father  re- 
sided in  that  country  during  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth,  and  when  a  young  man  of  eigh- 
teen years  sailed  for  America.  Hoping  to  better 
his  financial  condition  in  a  land  where  greater 
privileges  were  afforded,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  Connecticut.  ' 

In  the  Nutmeg  State,  John  Dunn  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Mary  Cummings.  They  became 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  but  three  of  the 
number  are  now  deceased.  Mary  still  resides  in 
Hancock  County;  Edward  J.  is  a  prosperous 
farmer  of  this  county;  John  J.  is  also  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits;  Ellen  is  the  wife  of  Edgar 
P.  Hull,  a  resident  of  Hancock  County;  and 
William  W.  is  clerk  in  the  Exchange  Bank  of 
Carthage.  In  1857  John  Dunn  came  to  Illinois, 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  Pilot  Grove  Town- 
ship, Hancock  County.  There  he  purchased  land, 
and  to  its  cultivation  and  improvement  he  has 
since  devoted  his  energies.  He  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  community, 
and  by  his  well-directed  efforts  has  acquired  a 
comfortable  property. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Mr. 
Dunn  whose  name  heads  this  record.  He  was 
reared  on  the  old  homestead  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farmer  lads.  His  days  were  passed  midst  play 
and   work,    and    in    attendance   at   the   common 


LIBRARY 

UNIVE.RSIIY  UK  kUfc-ii 

URBANA 


Gen.  Oliver  Edwards 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


141 


schools,  where  he  acquired  a  good  education. 
He  early  began  to  labor  in  the  fields,  and  became 
familiar  with  farm  life  in  all  its  details.  It  was 
his  desire,  however,  to  engage  in  some  other  pur- 
suit than  that  to  which  he  was  reared,  and  when 
twenty-two  years  of  age  he  left  the  parental  roof 
and  came  to  Carthage. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  official  life  of  Mr. 
Dunn  began.  He  was  appointed  Deputy  Circuit 
Clerk  of  Hancock  County,  and  continued  to  fill 
that  position  for  six  consecutive  years.  He  was 
then,  in  1888,  elected  as  Circuit  Clerk  for  a  term 
of  four  years.  So  ably  did  he  fill  the  office  that 
on  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  was  re-elected. 
He  is  ever  prompt  and  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  his  official  duties,  and  has  won  the  high  com- 
mendation of  all  concerned.  In  1881  he  served  as 
Township  Assessor.  In  his  political  views,  he  is 
a  Democrat,  and  the  party  has  found  in  him  a 
stanch  supporter  since  he  attained  his  majority. 
Like  his  parents,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  In  this  county,  where  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed,  he  is  both  widely  and  favorably 
known,  and  his  friends  throughout  the  community 
are  many. 

5=  "^a^'rSb^  -® 


SEX.  OLIVER  EDWARDS,  Mayor  of  War- 
saw, lives  in  an  elegant  home  overlooking 
the  Mississippi  Valley  for  many  miles.  He 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  pi ominent  citizens 
of  this  place,  and  his  name  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  many  of  its  leading  events.  His  an- 
cestors were  numbered  among  the  Revolutionary 
fathers,  and  his  great-grandfather,  who  served  in 
the  War  for  Independence,  was  made  a  prisoner 
in  what  was  called  the  Black  Hole  at  Quebec,  but 
succeeded  in  escaping  to  Albany,  N.  V.  His 
widow  afterward  received  a  pension  in  recognition 
of  his  sen-ices.  The  family  has  always  fur- 
nished representatives  as  defenders  of  the  country. 
John  S.  Edwards,  who  was  in  the  War  for  Inde- 
pendence, was  born  July  11,  1764,  in  Dedham, 
Mass.,  and  in  1775  removed  to  Norwich,  Mass. 
In  April,    1 781,  he  was  drafted  for  six  months' 


sen-ice  in  the  Colonial  army  under  Capt.  William 
Forbes.  With  his  command  he  marched  into  the 
interior  of  New  York,  where  the  Indians  were 
harassing  the  settlers,  and  was  stationed  for  three 
months  at  Ft.  Schuyler.  He  aftenvard  spent 
three  months  at  Ft.  Stannox,  where  he  received 
his  discharge.  He  died  in  the  ninety-third  year 
of  his  age.  Capt.  Oliver  Edwards  entered  the 
Colonial  sen-ice  in  1775,  and  valiantly  aided  in 
the  struggle  to  secure  to  the  oppressed  Colonies 
release  from  the  British  yoke  of  tyranny. 

Capt.  Oliver  and  Rachel  (Parsons)  Edwards, 
of  Northampton,  Mass.,  were  the  grandparents  of 
our  subject.  Their  son,  Dr.  Elisha  Edwards, 
father  of  the  General,  was  born  in  Chesterfield, 
Mass.,  January  26,  1793.  When  a  young  man 
he  went  to  Northampton,  and  began  learning  the 
apothecary's  trade  in  the  store  of  E.  Hunt.  In 
18 15,  he  emigrated  to  Springfield,  111.,  where  he 
embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account.  Af- 
terward he  formed  a  partnership  with  Henry 
Stearns,  which  continued  from  1820  until  1825. 
In  1828,  he  joined  Charles  J.  Upham  in  business, 
under  the  firm  name  of  C.  J.  Upham  &  Co.  Dr. 
Edwards,  who  was  a  prominent  citizen,  was  one  of 
the  subscribers  to  the  fund  for  the  purchase  of  the 
Court  Square,  and  was  one  of  the  original  Direc- 
tors of  the  Chicopee  Bank.  In  1821,  he  married 
Eunice  Lombard,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Sylvia 
(Burt)  Lombard,  and  to  them  were  born  five  sons 
and  five  daughters.  The  members  of  the  family 
now  living  are  Mrs.  Caroline  L.  Smith,  of  Spring- 
field, Mass.;  Mrs.  Sophia  Orne  Johnson,  of  Bath, 
N.  H.;  Mrs.  Charlotte  E.  Warner,  of  Springfield, 
Mass.;  William,  a  prominent  merchant  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio;  Mrs.  Julia  E.  Hurd,  of  Dorchester, 
Mass.;  Oliver,  of  Warsaw;  and  Mrs.  Mary  E. 
Child,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Gen. 
Edwards,  who  was  reared  in  the  expectation  of  be- 
coming a  master  mechanic  of  Springfield,  Mass. 
In  1856  he  emigrated  westward,  making  his  home 
in  Warsaw,  111.,  where  he  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Heberling,  Edwards  &  Co.,  and  occupied 
the  position  of  master  mechanic.  To  that  work 
he  devoted  his  energies  until  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Civil  War,  when,  prompted  by   patriotic  im- 


I42 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


pulses,  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
troops.  He  had  studied  the  events  previous  to 
the  beginning  of  the  struggle,  and  when  the  disso- 
lution of  the  Union  was  threatened  he  resolved  to 
strike  a  blow  in  its  defense.  He  donned  the  blue, 
and  like  his  ancestors  of  old  fought  valiantly  for 
his  country. 

Gen.  Edwards  was  a  brave  soldier.  He  entered 
the  service  as  First  lieutenant  and  Adj  utant  of  the 
Tenth  Massachusetts  Regiment,  June  21,  1861; 
was  mustered  in  as  Colonel  of  the  Thirty-seventh 
Massachusetts  Regiment  September  4,  1862;  and 
was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers 
May  19,  1865.  He  received  the  brevet  rank  of 
Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers  October  19,  1864, 
for  gallant  and  distinguished  sendees  in  the  battle 
of  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Va.,  and  Major- 
General  of  Volunteers  April  5,  1865,  for  conspic- 
uous gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Creek,  Va. 
He  was  honorably  mustered  out  of  service  January 
15,  1866. 

When  the  war  was  over,  Gen.  Edwards  re- 
turned to  Warsaw  and  for  a  year  and  a-half  served 
as  Postmaster  of  this  place.  In  the  mean  time,  he 
was  married.  On  the  3d  of  September,  1863,  he 
wedded  Ann  Eliza  Johnson,  daughter  of  the  late 
Gen.  E.  Johnson,  of  Warsaw.  They  became  par- 
ents of  two  children:  John  E. ,  who  is  now  general 
superintendent  in  Montana  for  Cruse's  cattle  and 
sheep  ranches;  and  Julia  Kate  at  home. 

Gen.  Edwards  resigned  as  Postmaster  to  become 
general  agent  for  the  Florence  Sewing-machine 
Company,  of  Northampton,  Mass.  His  connec- 
tion with  that  company  continued  for  seven  years, 
during  a  portion  of  which  time  he  was  its  man- 
ager. In  1879,  he  returned  to  Warsaw,  and  re- 
tired from  business,  but  in  1882  he  accepted  an 
appointment  as  General  Superintendent  of  the 
Gardner  Gun  Company  in  England.  Thus  his 
time  was  occupied  for  two  years,  when  he  resigned 
on  account  of  ill  health  and  returned  home.  The 
best  interests  of  the  community  have  ever  found 
in  him  a  friend,  one  ever  ready  to  aid  in  the  ad- 
vancement of  those  enterprises  which  are  calcula- 
ted to  prove  of  public  benefit.  He  has  been  honored 
with  a  number  of  local  offices,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing his  third  term  as  Mayor  of  Warsaw.     The  city 


has  had  no  more  competent  official  in  that  office 
than  Gen.  Edwards,  whose  fidelity  to  duty  is 
everywhere  known  and  recognized.  In  his  polit- 
ical views  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  so- 
cially, is  connected  with  Arthur  W.  Marsh  Post 
No.  343,  G.  A.  R.,  and  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. 

6=  d:=S]  <  ?  >  GET*  £> 

~PHRAIM  H.  PORTER,  the  well-known 
'y  editor  of  the  Hancock  County  Pilot,  which 
_ .  is  published  in  Warsaw,  claims  Alabama  as 
the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Gadsden,  November  24,  1858.  His  parents 
were  Ephraim  and  Sarah  A.  Porter,  the  former 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  the  latter  of  North 
Carolina.  During  his  life  the  father  engaged  in 
various  pursuits,  having  been  a  school  teacher, 
merchant,  farmer  and  saddler.  He  spent  about  a 
quarter  of  a  century  in  the  sunny  South,  but  in 
1865  removed  from  Georgia  to  the  North,  taking 
up  his  residence  in  Danville,  Iowa,  where  his  last 
days  were  passed.  His  death  occurred  on  the  8th 
of  August,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 
Mrs.  Porter  still  survives  her  husband  and  is  now 
living  with  her  sou  in  Warsaw.  The  family  num- 
bered eleven  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  liv- 
ing. Thej-  are  all  married,  but  are  widely  scat- 
tered. One  resides  in  Gadsden,  Ala.;  the  second 
in  Chicago;  another  in  Triplett,  Mo.;  the  fourth 
in  Alliance,  Neb.;  and  another  in  Marble  Mount, 
Wash. 

Mr.  Porter  of  this  sketch  was  only  seven  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to  Iowa. 
His  education  was  completed  in  the  High  School 
of  Danville,  that  State.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm, 
and  with  his  father  learned  the  saddler's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  a  time,  but,  wishing  to  de- 
vote his  time  and  attention  to  other  pursuits,  he 
decided  to  enter  the  newspaper  field,  and  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  began  learning  the  printer's 
trade  in  an  office  in  Danville.  He  was  afterward 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  publication  of  the 
Danville  News.  He  embarked  in  this  enterprise 
in  1881  and  continued  it  until  1883,  when  he  sold 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


i43 


out  and  removed  to  Martinsville,  Clark  County, 
111.,  where  he  formed  a  partnership  with  John 
Shepherd,  an  old  schoolmate,  and  established 
the  Martinsville  Planet.  This  connection  con- 
tinued for  a  year,  when  Mr.  Porter  bought  out 
his  partner's  interest  and  continued  the  publica- 
tion of  his  paper  alone  during  the  four  succeed- 
ing years.  Then,  selling  out,  in  1889,  and  coming 
to  Warsaw,  he  established  the  Hancock  County  Pi- 
lot, a  paper  published  in  the  interest  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  He  has  been  quite  successful  in  this 
undertaking,  and  it  has  now  gained  quite  an  ex- 
tensive circulation.  The  paper  is  a  bright,  newsy 
sheet,  well  edited,  and  is  deserving  of  a  liberal 
patronage. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1882,  Mr.  Porter  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Petzinger, 
and  to  them  has  been  born  an  interesting  family 
of  six  children.  In  his  social  relations,  Mr.  Por- 
ter is  an  Odd  Fellow,  belonging  to  Hancock  Lodge 
No.  71,  I.  O.  O.  F.  In  his  political  views,  he  is 
a  stalwart  Democrat.  Public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive, he  is  ever  alive  to  the  best  interests  of 
the  community  in  which  he  lives,  and  does  all  in 
his  power  to  aid  in  its  advancement. 

te  l"=E3  <'  T  ">  L=i    ,S         © 

^"HOMAS  B.  HUNT,  M.  D.,  who  is  success- 
I  C  fully  engaged  in  medical  practice  in  War- 
vJ/  saw;  and  who  is  numbered  among  the  lead- 
ing physicians  of  Hancock  County,  is  a  native  of 
Kentucky.  He  was  born  in  Fayette  County 
January  6,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Silas  W.  and 
Elizabeth  C.  (Wilson)  Hunt,  who  were  also 
natives  of  the  same  county.  Their  ancestors 
removed  thither  from  Virginia.  It  seems  that 
there  were  originally  three  branches  of  the  family 
in  this  country,  one  locating  in  New  York,  one 
in  Virginia,  and  the  third  in  Alabama.  The  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  followed  that  pursuit  throughout  his  entire 
life.  He  died  in  Kentucky,  September  30,  1869, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and  his  wife  died 
April  15,  1846,  at  the  age  of  forty-three.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  but  only  three 


are  now  living:  A.  S.,  proprietor  of  the  Phoenix 
Hotel,  of  Lexington,  Ky. ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hen- 
dricks, of  Georgetown,  Ky. ;  and  Thomas  B.  of 
this  sketch. 

The  Doctor  acquired  his  literary  education  in 
New  Castle,  Ky.,  and,  taking  up  the  study  of 
medicine,  was  graduated  from  the  Medical  Uni- 
versity of  Louisville,  in  the  Class  of  '64.  Pre- 
vious to  this  time,  he  had  practiced  to  a  limited 
extent,  for  he  had  taken  his  first  course  of  lec- 
tures in  the  winter  of  1859-60.  For  twelve  years 
he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Bedford,  Ky.  In  September,  1864,  he  became 
Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  Fifty-fourth  Regiment 
of  Kentucky  Mounted  Infantry,  and  served  one 
year,  his  duties  calling  him  to  southern  and  east- 
ern Kentucky,  East  Tennessee  and  southwestern 
Virginia.  He  was  always  in  the  field,  working  in 
an  improvised  hospital. 

When  the  war  was  over  Dr.  Hunt  returned  to 
Bedford,  in  September,  1865,  and  there  continued 
to  successfully  engage  in  practice  until  1872,  when 
he  left  his  native  State  and  came  to  Illinois.  He 
took  up  his  residence  in  Tower  Hill,  Shelby 
County,  where  he  remained  until  1880,  when  he 
came  to  Warsaw,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home,  devoting  his  time  and  attention  to  general 
practice.  His  success  has  been  assured  from  the 
first,  and  he  now  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage  as  the 
result  of  his  skill  and  ability. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  1862,  Mr.  Hunt 
was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Mary  H.  Affleck, 
the  wedding  being  celebrated  in  Bedford,  Ky. 
The  lady  is  a  daughter  of  Alex  and  Mary  R. 
(Bell)  Affleck,  and  on  her  father's  side  is  of 
Scotch  descent.  To  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  nine  children.  Two  died  in  Kentucky 
and  three  in  Illinois.  Those  living  are  Mollie 
Gibson  and  Mattie  M. ,  both  of  whom  are  engaged 
in  teaching;  Samuel  J.,  who  is  employed  in  the 
machine  shops  in  Peoria;  and  Berenice,  at  home. 

Socially,  Dr.  Hunt  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  the  Inde- 
pendent Odd  Fellows,  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  American  Legion  of  Honor,  and  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  In  1886  he  was 
elected  Commander  of  Arthur  W.  Morris  Post  No. 


144 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


343,  G.  A.  R.,  again  served  in  1890  and  1891, 
and  was  elected  for  the  fourth  term  in  1893.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  has 
served  as  Trustee  of  the  Warsaw  public  schools 
for  nine  years,  part  of  the  time  as  President  of 
the  Board.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  the 
cause  of  education,  and  in  everything  that  tends 
to  elevate  humanity.  He  is  President  of  the 
Board  of  Pension  Examiners  of  Carthage,  with 
which  he  has  been  connected  for  several  years, 
and  for  a  time  was  President  of  the  Board  both  in 
Bushnell  and  Carthage.  He  received  his  first 
appointment  under  President  Cleveland,  was  re- 
appointed by  President  Harrison,  and  then  again 
by  Cleveland.  By  his  ballot  he  always  supports 
the  Democracy.  He  is  a  man  of  social  nature 
and  generous  disposition,  and  in  the  community 
where  he  has  now  made  his  home  for  fourteen 
years  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known. 

pGJlLLIAM  P.  RAICH,  who  is  prominent  in 
\  A  /  business  circles  in  Warsaw,  represents 
V  Y  various  insurance  companies,  and  is  doing 
a  good  business  along  that  line.  One  of  War- 
saw's native  sons,  he  was  born  in  the  city  which 
is  still  his  home  on  the  15th  of  November,  1858. 
His  parents,  Frederick  and  Elizabeth  (Ross) 
Raich,  were  both  natives  of  Germany.  The  fa- 
ther was  a  stone  mason  by  trade  and  followed 
that  pursuit  for  many  years.  He  bade  adieu  to 
his  native  land  in  1856,  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Louisville, 
Kv.,  from  whence  he  came  to  Warsaw.  His 
death  occurred  in  1882,  and  his  wife  died  twenty 
years  previous,  passing  away  in  1862.  In  their 
family  were  five  children,  of  whom  three  are  yet 
living,  namely:  William  P.  of  this  notice;  Benja- 
min A. ,  who  is  connected  with  the  pickle  works 
of  Warsaw;  and  Fannie  M.,  who  holds  the  posi- 
tion of  book-keeper  with  the  firm  of  Eckbohm, 
Dross  &  Co. 

Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  midst  play  and  work,  and  his  education 
was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of  Warsaw. 


He  began  earning  his  own  livelihood  at  the  age 
of  fifteen  years,  and  whatever  success  he  has 
achieved  in  life  is  due  to  his  own  efforts.  In 
1873,  he  began  working  as  deliver}'  boy  in  the 
grocery  store  of  Stroh  &  Roth,  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed for  about  three  years.  In  1876,  he  began 
clerking  for  Mr.  Stroh,  and  the  following  year  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  firm  of  Eckbohm,  Dross 
&  Co.  as  book-keeper.  He  continued  in  that 
capacity  for  fifteen  years,  a  faithful  and  trusted 
employe.  In  the  mean  time  he  had  worked  into 
the  insurance  business,  and  in  1893  he  opened 
an  insurance  office.  He  now  represents  various 
companies,  including  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Company  of  New  York;  the  Bankers'  Life  of  Des 
Moines,  Iowa;  the  Northern  Assurance  Company 
of  London;  Niagara  Fire  Insurance  Company  of 
New  York;  the  Detroit  Fire  and  Marine;  Traders' 
of  Chicago;  and  the  American  Fire  Insurance 
Company  of  New  York.  He  has  a  good  and 
growing  business,  which  has  constantly  increased 
from  the  beginning,  until  it  has  reached  fair  pro- 
portions, and  yields  to  the  proprietor  a  good  in- 
come. 

The  lady  who  bears  the  name  of  Mrs.  Raich 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Lousia  A.  Schott. 
The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  was 
celebrated  on  the  nth  of  November,  1884,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  four  children, 
two  sons  and  two  daughters,  Clara,  George, 
Frederick  and  Carrie.  Mrs.  Raich  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  Schott,  a  resident  of  Warsaw.  Mr. 
Raich,  who  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Warsaw  Pickle 
Company,  assisted  in  organizing  the  company, 
which  was  incorporated  in  February,  1887,  and 
was  its  first  Secretary,  holding  that  position  for 
one  year. 

In  his  social  relations,  Mr.  Raich  is  an  Odd 
Fellow.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  been 
honored  with  a  number  of  local  and  official  posi- 
tions. He  was  elected  Collector  of  Warsaw  in 
1887,  was  chosen  Alderman  in  1889,  and  in  1893 
served  as  Assessor.  His  various  duties  he  dis- 
charged with  promptness  and  fidelity,  for  he  is  al- 
ways true  to  every  trust,  whether  public  or  pri- 
vate, that  is  reposed  in  him.      He  is  well  known 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


H5 


in  this  community,  where  his  entire  life  has  been 
passed,  and  his  warmest  friends  are  those  with 
whom  he  has  been  acquainted  from  boyhood,  a 
fact  which  indicates  an  honorable  and  straight- 
forward career. 

HON.  JOHN  DEE  STEVENS  (deceased), 
of  Carthage,  was  prominently  identified 
with  the  history  of  Hancock  County  for 
many  years,  and,  in  fact,  his  name  is  inseparably 
connected  therewith,  for  he  was  a  leader  in 
many  enterprises  and  public  movements  which 
have  resulted  in  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  county  and  in  promoting  its  best  interests  and 
material  welfare.  Almost  his  entire  life  was  here 
passed,  and  so  widely  and  favorably  was  he 
known  that  we  feel  assured  our  readers  will  re- 
ceive with  interest  this  record  of  his  career. 

Mr.  Stevens  was  one  of  the  native  sons  of  Illi- 
nois, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Carrollton, 
Greene  County,  February  8,  1826.  His  parents, 
Joseph  and  Elmira  (Dee)  Stevens,  were  married 
in  Carrollton,  in  April,  1825.  The  maternal 
grandfather,  John  Dee,  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
and  with  his  family  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  became  acquainted. 
In  18 1 8,  her  father's  family  went  to  St.  Charles, 
Mo.,  and  two  years  later  removed  to  Carrollton, 
111.,  where,  in  1822,  Joseph  Stevens  took  up  his 
residence.  He  was  born  in  New  York  City,  and 
in  Cincinnati  learned  the  hatter's  trade.  In 
r828,  he  removed  with  his  wife  and  son  John  to 
Hazel  Green,  Wis.,  and  for  a  few  months  was 
connected  with  the  lead-mining  interests  of  that 
region,  but  in  the  autumn  he  went  down  the 
Mississippi  on  a  keel-boat  to  where  now  stands 
the  town  of  Louisiana,  Mo. ,  which  was  then  only 
a  hamlet.  There  he  opened  a  hatter's  shop,  and 
in  connection  with  business  along  that  line  traded 
extensively  with  the  Indians,  making  various 
trips  to  the  several  tribes  in  northwestern  Illi- 
nois, Iowa  and  Wisconsin.  This  he  carried  on 
until  his  business  was  almost  stopped  by  the 
Black   Hawk  War,  in  1832.     The  following  year 


he  came  to  Hancock  County,  and  secured  Gov- 
ernment land  in  Chili  Township,  about  twelve 
miles  due  south  of  Carthage,  being  located  on 
the  main  line  of  travel  between  Quincy  and  the 
East.  He  established  the  stage-house  at  Chili  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  public,  and,  securing 
the  control  of  the  line,  continued  to  run  stages  be- 
tween Macomb  and  Quincy  for  some  years.  His 
place  was  noted  for  its  cheerful  hospitality,  and 
its  most  popular  and  companionable  landlord  be- 
came a  favorite  with  all  who  went  his  way.  He 
died  on  the  old  homestead  in  1846,  at  the  age  of 
forty-six.  His  widow  survived  him  about  seven- 
teen years,  her  death  occurring  in  1863.  Car- 
thage had  just  been  chosen  the  county  seat  when 
he  located  here,  and  he  was  present  at  the  first 
sale  of  town  lots,  which  occurred  in  1832.  He 
was  an  anti-Mormon,  and  was  called  to  aid  in 
suppressing  that  sect.  Not  long  after  he  located 
in  this  county,  he  was  joined  by  his  brother, 
Moses  Stevens,  who  also  secured  Government 
land.  He  was  a  contractor,  and  erected  the  court 
house  which  is  still  standing.  He  completed  the 
building  in  1839,  and  soon  afterwards  went  to 
Iowa.  In  1850,  he  went  to  California,  where  his 
death  occurred  the  same  year. 

John  Dee  Stevens  was  the  eldest  in  a  family  of 
four  sons  and  one  daughter  who  grew  to  mature 
years.  George  W.  resides  at  Medicine  Lodge, 
Kan.;  J.  O.  is  a  fanner  of  Chili  Township;  Mrs.  J. 
S.  Hatton  resides  in  Carrollton,  111.;  and  Frank, 
a  Union  soldier,  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Jackson,  Miss.,  in  1863.  John  remained  at  home 
during  his  boyhood,  and  passed  through  the  ex- 
citing scenes  which  accompanied  the  Mormon 
troubles.  He  was  with  the  men  who  were  called 
out  by  Gov.  Ford  to  aid  in  disbanding  the  Mor- 
mons at  Nauvoo.  On  the  27th  of  June,  1844, 
Hyrum  and  Joseph  Smith  were  killed  by  a  squad 
of  men  from  Warsaw,  who  had  been  expected  to 
join  Gov.  Ford  at  Golden  Point,  but  who  after 
disbandment  came  to  Carthage  and  committed 
the  atrocious  murder.  Mr.  Stevens  remembered 
seeing  both  men  when  they  were  brought  into 
the  court  house  the  following  morning.  Later 
he  was  with  the  forces  under  Thomas  Muckman, 
of  Mt.  Sterling,  who,  with  John  Carlin,  went  to 


146 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Nanvoo  to  serve  the  papers  on  the  Mormons. 
This  was  in  October,  1846.  The  army  of  about 
five  hundred  camped  three  miles  from  the  temple 
at  Nauvoo  and  awaited  negotiations,  which  it  was 
hoped  would  end  the  affair  peaceably,  but  these 
were  rejected,  and  hostilities  commenced.  The 
battle  was  begun  and  raged  for  an  hour  and  a- 
quarter,  when  the  supplies  gave  out,  and  the  at- 
tacking party  withdrew.  Mr.  Stevens  remained 
with  the  army,  doing  the  duty  assigned  him  un- 
til hostilities  ceased,  and  Nauvoo  was  given  into 
the  hands  of  the  authorities.  Soon  after,  the 
Mexican  War  came  on,  and  he  was  anxious  to 
enter  the  service,  but  the  death  of  his  father  oc- 
curred about  that  time  and  he  felt  that  his  sen-ices 
were  needed  at  home,  although  he  had  made 
preparations  to  join  a  regiment  at  Quincy. 

In  1849,  gold  was  discovered  in  California,  and 
the  following  year  Mr.  Stevens  joined  three 
young  men,  who  with  a  six-horse  team  started 
overland  to  California.  On  reaching  their  desti- 
nation, Mr.  Stevens  began  work  in  the  mines  at 
Plaeerville,  but  being  attacked  by  rheumatism, 
he  was  disabled  for  that  arduous  labor.  After 
leaving  the  mines,  he  sought  a  warm  climate,  and 
located  near  the  old  missions  of  Santa  Barbara 
and  Los  Angeles,  where  he  secured  employment 
with  some  Mormons  who  were  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business.  It  is  very  probable  that  he  did 
not  tell  his  employers  that  he  had  acted  as  a  sol- 
dier against  them  in  Hancock  County,  else  he 
would  have  lost  his  position,  if  nothing  worse  had 
occurred.  At  length  he  turned  his  face  toward 
home,  for  he  was  tired  of  wild  life  in  the  West, 
and  determined  to  join  a  surveying  party  which 
was  fixing  the  boundary  line  between  Mexico  and 
the  United  States.  In  company  with  a  Mr.  Pea- 
body  from  Ohio,  and  an  old  sailor  named  Mor- 
mon Bill,  he  started  on  the  trip,  the  three  travel- 
ing on  ponies.  The  journey  was  full  of  interest- 
ing and  sometimes  dangerous  adventures  and  was 
one  never  to  be  forgotten  by  Mr.  Stevens.  His 
companions  were  not  men  of  the  best  class,  and  af- 
ter a  time  he  parted  company  with  them,  join- 
ing a  man  who  was  going  direct  to  Texas. 
Mr.  Stevens  proceeded  to  Eltar,  Mexico,  where 
he  joined  two  Americans  and  sixty  native  laborers, 


who  were  building  a  substantial  fort.  Here  Mr. 
Stevens  began  raising  tobacco,  which  sold  for 
$10  per  pound  in  Mexico,  but  the  Apache  In- 
dians coming  to  attack  him,  the  camp  and  its  fol- 
lowers all  fled  to  Eltar,  and  the  crop  was  lost. 
Our  subject  then  set  out  to  join  the  surveying 
party.  On  the  way  he  fell  in  with  a  band  of 
thieves,  but  at  length  reached  the  party,  and  later 
found  himself  in  San  Antonio,  Tex. 

Mr.  Stevens  did  not  then  at  once  set  out  for 
Illinois,  but,  with  the  hope  of  retrieving  his  for- 
tunes, made  a  trip  to  Ft.  Clark.  At  length,  after 
an  absence  of  five  years,  he  returned  to  the  scenes 
of  his  boyhood,  poor  in  pocket,  but  rich  in  expe- 
rience. The  following  year  he  visited  Ft.  Riley, 
Kan.,  then  the  headquarters  of  all  the  wild  spirits 
of  the  border,  but  a  few  months  spent  there  satis- 
fied him,  for  he  was  in  the  company  of  gamblers, 
and  he  returned  to  the  prairies  of  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, and  accustomed  himself  to  the  habits  of  a 
more  civilized  life. 

About  this  time  he  married  Miss  Julia  Ann 
Towler,  of  La  Prairie,  Adams  County,  and 
after  his  marriage  he  began  farming  on  the  old 
home  which  he  had  left  seven  years  before,  and 
there  resided  until  1870,  when  he  was  elect- 
ed County  Sheriff,  and  removed  to  Carthage. 
In  1872,  he  was  re-elected  and  efficiently  served 
for  four  years.  During  the  succeeding  ten  years 
he  devoted  himself  to  farming  interests,  but  did 
not  remove  to  the  country.  In  1882,  he  was 
chosen  to  represent  his  district  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature, and  while  thus  serving  always  had  the  in- 
terests of  his  constituents  at  heart,  and  took  an 
active  part  in  advocating  such  legislation  as 
would  cause  the  railroads  to  provide  more  ade- 
quate service  for  the  people.  This  roused  the  op- 
position of  those  connected  with  the  railroads,  and 
when  he  was  renominated  the  opposing  party  so 
persistently  worked  against  him  that  he  was  de- 
feated. For  years  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Coun- 
ty Democratic  Committee,  and  did  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  his  party's  interests.  He  was 
the  author  of  the  '  'Aledo  Letter, '  "which  resulted  in 
the  union  of  the  Democrats  and  Greenbackers  in 
the  district  for  the  election  to  Congress  of  their 
candidate,  William  H.  Neece,  much  to  the  cha- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


■47 


grin  and  annoyance  of  the  Republican  leaders. 
He  was  a  man  of  keen  observation,  a  close  stu- 
dent of  human  nature,  and  his  great  urbanity  and 
suavity  of  manner  made  him  a  leader  of  men. 
He  became  Postmaster  of  Carthage  under  Cleve- 
land, but  resigned  his  office  on  the  election  of 
President  Harrison,  not  desiring  to  serve  under  a 
political  opponent.  Though  he  was  an  advocate 
of  Democratic  principles,  he  did  not  fully  agree 
with  the  President  on  all  matters,  as  he  was  a 
strong  advocate  of  the  free-coinage  system. 

Mr.  Stevens  took  an  active  interest  in  every- 
thing that  pertained  to  the  perpetuation  of  the  au- 
thentic history  of  the  county  in  which  he  so  long 
made  his  home.  He  was  for  years  a  member 
of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association,  and  for  two 
years  served  as  its  President.  He  was  a  man  of 
broad  and  liberal  mind,  who  believed  in  giving  to 
the  pioneers  who  were  the  founders  of  the  county 
their  just  dues.  Those  who  knew  him  esteemed 
him  highly  for  the  many  excellencies  of  his  char- 
acter, and  certainly  his  name  deserves  an  honored 
place  on  the  pages  of  his  adopted  county. 

Mr.  Stevens  died  at  his  home  in  Carthage  Jan- 
uary 3,  1S94,  after  an  illness  of  but  a  few  days. 
His  children  are  Leona  M.,  who  is  connected 
with  the  educational  interests  of  the  county;  Clara 
B. ,  wife  of  Thomas  Jackson,  a  fanner  of  Hancock 
County;  and  Elmira  A.,  at  home. 


Wl  C.  ECKBOHM  is  acknowledged  by  many 
y  to  be  the  leading  business  man  of  Warsaw. 
fc)  He  is  connected  with  some  of  its  leading 
industries  and  interests,  and  thereby  has  aided 
materially  in  the  progress,  prosperity  and  up- 
building of  this  place.  The  various  enterprises 
with  which  he  is  connected  have  yielded  to  him  a 
good  income  and  numbered  him  among  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Eckbohm  is  a  native  of  Germany.  He 
was  born  in  Liebick,  March  13,  1846,  and  is  a 
son  of  Henry  and  Marie  (Wohlbrand)  Eckbohm. 
The  father  was  a  ship  carpenter  by  trade,  and  fol- 
lowed that  business  in  his  native  land.     In   i860, 


he  bade  adieu  to  his  old  home  and  friends  and 
with  his  family  crossed  the  briny  deep  to  America. 
On  landing  in  this  country  he  came  direct  to 
Warsaw,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  about  the  year  1884.  I"  tne 
family  were  three  children,  of  whom  two  are  now 
living,  namely:  Mrs.  Capt.  Myers,  and  Martin  C. 
of  this  sketch.  A  brother,  Charles,  was  drowned 
at  Mound  City,  111.,  on  the  10th  of  June,  1881. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject.  He  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  his  native  land  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  emigration  to  America.  During 
the  past  thirty-four  years,  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  Warsaw,  and  is  familiar  with  the  history  of  its 
upbuilding  and  advancement.  In  October,  1872, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Shafer, 
of  Warsaw,  daughter  of  John  Shafer.  They  have 
one  child,  Clara. 

In  1 88 1,  Mr.  Eckbohm  established  the  firm  of 
Eckbohm,  Dross  &  Co.,  dealers  in  hardware,  ag- 
ricultural implements  and  groceries.  He  had 
formerly  been  engaged  in  the  grain  business  for 
several  years.  When  the  above-mentioned  firm 
was  established,  he  labored  assiduously  to  build 
up  a  good  business,  and  by  his  well-directed  ef- 
forts, his  fair  and  honest  dealing,  and  his  earnest 
desire  to  please  his  customers  he  soon  secured  a 
liberal  patronage.  He  also  established  a  branch 
house  in  Keokuk  and  one  in  Alexandria,  and  both 
proved  profitable  investments,  yielding  to  the 
owner  a  good  income.  In  1888,  he  established 
the  pickle  works  at  Warsaw.  A  company  was 
formed  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000.  From 
the  beginning  trade  has  constantly  increased,  and 
the  business  in  1893  amounted  to  upwards  of 
$75,000.  In  that  year  they  purchased  forty-two 
thousand  bushels  of  cucumbers. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Eckbohm  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  has  twice  served  as  City  Alderman 
of  Warsaw  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction 
to  his  constituents.  He  manifests  a  commenda- 
ble interest  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community,  and  his  hearty  support 
and  co-operation  are  given  to  those  enterprises 
which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 


148 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Through  the  legitimate 
channels  of  business  he  has  won  a  success  of  which 
he  is  well  deserving — a  success  which  has  brought 
to  him  a  handsome  income,  and  made  him  one  of 
Warsaw's  substantial  citizens. 

REV.  HOLMES  DYSINGER.  D.  D.,  Presi- 
dent of  Carthage  College,  is  well  known  as  a 
leading  educator  throughout  Illinois  and 
other  Central  States.  He  was  born  near  Mifflin, 
Pa.,  March  26,  1853,  and  was  one  of  a  family  that 
numbered  six  sons  and  a  daughter.  The  family 
is  of  German  origin,  his  ancestors  having  set- 
tled originally  in  York  and  Lancaster  Counties, 
Pa.,  more  than  a  century  ago.  His  grandparents 
on  both  sides  removed  to  that  part  of  Mifflin 
County  which  was  afterwards  cut  off  and  forms 
a  part  of  Juniata  County.  There  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Joseph  Dy singer  and  Mary 
Amelia  Patterson,  who  became  the  parents  of  our 
subject.  They  were  not  wealthy  people  and  did 
not  leave  to  their  children  a  handsome  compe- 
tency, but  they  gave  to  them  what  is  oftentimes 
far  better — a  good  home  training.  They  were 
reared  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy,  and  les- 
sons of  honor,  obedience  and  consideration  for 
one  another  were  instilled  into  their  young  minds. 
Their  parents  possessed  true  refinement,  and  sur- 
rounded their  children  with  only  that  which  was 
pure  and  good. 

In  the  labors  of  the  farm,  Mr.  Dysinger  of  this 
sketch  was  also  well  developed.  From  an  early 
age  he  was  very  fond  of  study,  and  soon  man- 
ifested a  praiseworthy  ambition  to  excel  in  the 
country  schools,  which  convened  for  about  three 
mouths  out  of  the  year.  He  found  in  his  parents 
his  principal  teachers,  and  the  older  members  of 
the  family  often  assisted  the  younger  in  their  les- 
sons, an  experience  which  proved  of  benefit  to 
Mr.  Dysinger  in  his  after  life.  His  love  of  good 
books  continued  to  grow,  and  he  soon  became  fa- 
miliar with  the  broad  and  elevating  thoughts  of 
many  master  minds.      He  wished  to  enter  profes- 


sional life,  and  one  of  his  first  independent  efforts 
was  at  school-teaching,  which  he  began  at  the 
early  age  of  seventeen.  During  the  spring  and 
summer  he  would  aid  in  the  labors  of  the  farm, 
and  in  the  winter  season  take  charge  of  the 
school.     He  was  thus  employed  for  five  years. 

In  the  winter  of  1871-72,  under  the  preaching 
of  the  Rev.  D.  M.  Blackwelder,  he  united  with 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  from  that  time  has 
been  actively  interested  in  its  promotion.  Be- 
coming imbued  with  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the 
ministry,  be  began  a  course  of  preparation  for  the 
sacred  office,  and  his  studies  were  chosen  with 
the  view  of  fitting  himself  for  college.  In  the 
spring  of  1873,  he  became  a  pupil  at  Airy  View 
Academy,  at  Port  Royal,  Juniata  County,  Pa., 
where  he  took  up  the  study  of  Latin  and  Greek 
in  connection  with  the  academic  course.  As  time 
advanced,  his  desire  to  enter  the  ministry  grew 
continually  stronger,  for  he  felt  that  his  labors 
were  needed  in  the  work  of  uplifting  humanity. 
With  the  exception  of  one  term  at  the  academy 
and  a  few  private  lessons,  he  prepared  himself  for 
college  without  the  aid  of  a  teacher,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1875  was  admitted  to  the  Sophomore  Class 
of  Pennsylvania  College,  at  Gettysburg,  Pa., 
where  he  applied  himself  assiduously  to  his  stud- 
ies. He  was  graduated  from  that  school  in  the 
spring  of  1878,  and  had  the  honor  of  being  vale- 
dictorian of  his  class.  The  excellent  work  which 
he  did  in  the  school,  and  the  regard  of  the  faculty, 
were  shown  by  his  appointment  as  tutor  and  man- 
ager-in-chief of  the  preparatory  department  of 
his  alma  mater.  While  thus  employed  he  spent 
all  his  spare  time  in  the  study  of  theology  in  the 
seminar}-  classes,  and  at  length  completed  the 
course  and  was  graduated  from  the  seminary  in 
June,  188 1.  However,  he  continued  his  studies 
along  that  line  for  the  following  year,  and  at  the 
termination  of  his  post-graduate  course  in  theol- 
ogy, he  received  notice  of  his  election  to  the  Pro- 
fessorship of  Ancient  Languages  of  North  Carolina 
College,  where  he  remained  for  about  a  year. 
He  afterwards  served  for  a  short  time  as  supply 
in  a  mission  church  in  Mooresville,  N.  C.  In  the 
spring  of  1883,  he  accepted  the  Chair  of  Ancient 
Languages  in  Newberry  College,  Newberry,  S.C., 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSIiY  Of  ILLINOIS 
UR8ANA 


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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


151 


and  entered  upon  his  duties  in  the  following  au- 
tumn. He  filled  that  position  five  years,  and 
during:  four  years  of  that  period  also  served  as 
Professor  of  Hebrew  and  Old  Testament  Exegesis 
in  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Theological  Semi- 
nan-  of  the  South. 

In  August,  1886,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Dysinger  and  Miss  Ada  Ray,  a  most  es- 
timable and  accomplished  lady  of  Blairsville,  Pa. 
While  at  Newberry  College,  the  Professor  became 
a  member  of  the  American  Institute  of  the  He- 
brew Language,  an  organization  formed  by  Prof. 
W.  R.  Harper,  then"  of  Yale  College,  but  now 
President  of  the  Chicago  University.  During  the 
regular  vacation  months,  he  was  employed  one 
season  as  a  professor  in  that  institute.  He  is  a 
man  of  earnest  purpose,  and  his  researches  and  in- 
struction in  Hebrew  literature  did  much  for  the 
advancement  of  knowledge  along  that  line.  His 
connection  with  Carthage  College  began  July  10, 
1888.  He  was  elected  its  President,  and  he  and 
his  able  corps  of  assistants  form  a  most  excellent 
faculty.  He  is  capable  of  filling  the  most  respon- 
sible position,  which  he  has  now  held  for  about 
six  years  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 

g-  ^g<,,i>i; 


HON. WILLIAM  HARRISON  RANDOLPH, 
deceased,  who  was  one  of  the  most  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  citizens  Macomb 
has  ever  known,  and  who  was  a  leading  factor  in 
all  that  pertained  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  city, 
was  born  in  Lebanon,  Ohio,  on  the  20th  of  Au- 
gust, 18 13,  and  was  a  son  of  David  and  Rebecca 
(Sutphen)  Randolph.  Both  were  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  and  from  that  State  they  removed  to 
Kentucky,  and  thence  to  Ohio.  Some  members 
of  the  family,  however,  are  still  living  in  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.  The  Randolph  family  was  founded  in 
America  in  a  very  early  day,  by  ancestors  who 
crossed  the  Atlantic  and  settled  in  New  Jersey 
prior  to  the  Revolution. 

W.  H.  Randolph  spent  his  early  boyhood  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  in  his  youth  he  served  an 
apprenticeship  in  a  woolen  mill  in  Lebanon, Ohio. 
7 


Wishing  to  try  his  fortune  on  the  broad  prairies 
of  the  West,  and  with  the  hope  of  thereby  better- 
ing his  financial  condition,  he  came  to  McDon- 
ough  County,  111.,  in  1834,  and  cast  his  lot 
among  the  early  settlers.  He  embarked  in  gen- 
eral merchandising  in  Macomb,  and  from  a  small 
beginning  he  steadily  increased  his  business  until 
it  had  assumed  extensive  proportions.  His  fel- 
low-townsmen, soon  recognizing  his  worth  and 
ability,  called  him  to  public  office,  and  in  1838 
he  was  elected  County  Sheriff,  which  position  he 
filled  for  six  years,  or  for  three  terms.  In  1844, 
he  was  sent  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  and 
in  1846  was  elected  his  own  successor.  Many 
years  passed  before  he  was  allowed  to  retire  to 
private  life,  for  he  was  always  found  prompt  and 
faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  public  duties,  and 
the  confidence  and  trust  of  the  people  were  always 
with  him.  In  1848,  he  was  elected  Circuit  Clerk 
of  the  county,  and  filled  that  position  until  1856. 
He  very-  seldom,  if  ever,  held  an  office  to  which 
he  was  not  re-elected  on  the  expiration  of  his  first 
term.  His  popularity  and  the  confidence  reposed 
in  him  were  so  great  that  he  always  ran  far  ahead 
of  his  ticket,  and  on  no  occasion  was  he  a  defeated 
candidate. 

On  the  26th  of  January,  1837,  Mr.  Randolph 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Matilda  Jane  Brook- 
ing, daughter  of  Thomas  Alexander  and  Mary 
Louise  (Thrushley)  Brooking,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Richmond,  Va.,  and  the  latter  of  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.  Her  parents  were  honored  pioneers  of 
McDonough  County,  who,  in  1834,  settled  upon 
a  farm  four  miles  north  of  Macomb.  They  had  a 
family  of  thirteen  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet 
living,  namely:  Mrs.  Randolph;  William  T.  and 
Alexander  V.,  of  Macomb;  Robert  S.,  of  Audo- 
ver,  S.  Dak.;  Mrs.  J.  E.  Randolph,  of  Ft.  Scott, 
Kan.;  and  August,  a  farmer  of  Dallas,  Tex. 
One  of  the  number,  Edward  S.,  was  killed  near 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  upon  the  occasion  of  a  raid  by 
Forest's  men.  He  was  taken  prisoner,  and  was 
afterwards  killed  by  his  captors,  August  21,  1864. 
He  was  buried  by  the  roadside,  and  all  trace  of 
his  grave  was  soon  lost,  so  that  his  resting-place 
is  unmarked.  A  sister,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Upde- 
graff,  died  October  13,  1873.    Mrs.  Lucy  Snyder, 


152 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  Carrollton,  Mo.,  died  in  August,  1889.  Louise 
died  in  May,  1852,  and  the  others  died  in  early 
childhood. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Randolph  began  their  domestic 
life  in  Macomb,  and  always  made  their  home  in 
this  city.  In  1854,  he  opened  the  first  banking 
house  in  McDonough  County,  in  company  with 
Joseph  M.  Parkinson,  Joseph  \V.  Blount  and  M. 
T.  Winslow.  During  the  first  two  years  they 
were  quite  successful,  but  they  were  persuaded  by 
T.  L.  McCoy,  of  Galesburg,  to  invest  $20,000  in 
the  Nemaha  Y alley  Bank.  The  Macomb  Bank 
was  to  issue  its  own  notes  and  to  be  held  respon- 
sible for  the  same,  as  was  the  case  with  every 
other  bank  interested  therein,  but  afterwards  an- 
other arrangement  was  made  whereby  any  notes 
issued  on  the  Nemaha  Valley  Bank  could  be  pre- 
sented to  any  bank  connected  therewith  for  col- 
lection, and  then  sent  to  their  respective  banks 
for  final  redemption.  In  1858,  the  Nemaha  Val- 
ley Bank  failed.  Messrs.  Randolph  &  Co.  re- 
deemed their  whole  issue  and  over  $5,000  of  the 
notes  of  other  parties,  for  which  they  never  ob- 
tained compensation.  This  caused  their  failure, 
and  Mr.  Randolph  alone  lost  over  $100,000. 
Here  the  honorable  dealing  which  always  charac- 
terized his  business  career  was  strongly  shown. 
He  did  not  compromise  with  his  creditors,  paying 
a  few  cents  on  the  dollar,  but  he  began  at  once  to 
liquidate  all  debts,  and  labored  earnestly  to  pay 
his  creditors.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  had 
paid  nearly  the  entire  amount.  No  one  doubted 
his  honesty  of  purpose,  for  his  word  was  as  good 
as  his  bond. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Randolph  began  the  erection  of 
the  well-known  Randolph  Hotel,  which  stands  as 
a  monument  to  his  enterprise  and  public  spirit. 
Not  finding  a  suitable  tenant,  he  took  charge  of  it 
in  1858,  and  continued  to  carry  on  the  hotel  busi- 
ness until  his  death.  He  made  the  house  a  fav- 
orite stopping-place  with  the  traveling  public, 
and  it  was  an  honor  to  the  city.  During  the 
same  year  that  work  on  the  hotel  was  begun,  he 
laid  off  Oakwood  Cemetery,  comprising  a  tract  of 
eleven  acres,  north  of  the  city.  It  was  the  most 
beautiful  and  eligible  spot  near  Macomb,  and  he 
set  it  aside  as  a  resting-place  for  those  who  had 


crossed  the  dark  river.  Mr.  Randolph  was  also 
interested  in  the  real-estate  business.  In  1853, 
he  began  business  along  that  line  under  the  firm 
name  of  Randolph,  Parkinson  &  Co.,  and  this 
connection  was  continued  until  November  3,  1856, 
when  the  firm  became  McLean,  Randolph  &  Co. 
The}'  confined  their  operations  to  a  region  known 
as  the  "Military  Tract,"  comprising  sixteen 
counties,  lying  between  the  Illinois  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivers,  and  for  a  time  did  an  extensive  bus- 
iness, which  materially  increased  Mr.  Randolph's 
wealth.  He  was  a  man  of  keen  sagacity  and 
foresight,  which,  combined  with  his  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  country,  made  his  purchases 
and  sales  profitable. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Randolph  was  first  a  Whig, 
and  on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
he  at  once  joined  its  ranks.  No  one  was  ever 
doubtful  as  to  where  he  stood,  for  he  was  a  man 
of  firm  convictions,  and  neither  fear  nor  favor 
could  make  him  withhold  an  opinion  on  questions 
which  he  believed  to  be  vitally  important  to  the 
country.  When  the  Republican  party  was  yet 
new  and  its  success  seemed  doubtful,  he  put  forth 
every  effort  in  its  behalt  and  labored  untiringly 
for  its  growth  and  upbuilding.  In  i860,  he  re- 
doubled his  efforts  in  support  of  Illinois'  greatest 
statesman,  and  his  labors  in  this  community  did 
much  toward  securing  the  large  majority  which 
was  given  to  the  Martyr  President.  His  loyalty 
and  patriotism  were  made  manifest  on  the  out- 
break of  the  late  war,  and  his  time  and  means  were 
given  freely  to  the  support  of  the  Union.  The 
boyrs  in  blue  were  ever  welcome  at  his  house,  and 
if  they  had  no  money  to  pay  bills  it  mattered  not, 
for  he  gave  to  them  freely.  They  were  engaged 
in  the  effort  to  preserve  the  Union,  and  the  cause 
was  dear  to  his  heart. 

On  the  15th  of  June,  1863,  Mr.  Randolph  was 
appointed  Deputy  Provost-Marshal  for  McDon- 
ough County,  without  his  solicitation,  and  was 
re-appointed  September  28,  1864.  His  friends 
urged  him  not  to  accept,  for  they  knew  that 
many  enemies  would  arise,  anxious  to  take  the 
life  of  one  whom  they  would  regard  as  a  foe;  but 
it  was  a  question  of  duty,  not  of  safety,  with  him, 
and  he  accepted  the  appointment.     His  first  act 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


•53 


was  to  make  an  enrollment  of  the  militia,  report- 
ing the  names  to  the  Provost-Marshal  in  Mt. 
Sterling.  At  this  time  McDonough  Count}-  was 
short  in  the  quota,  and  a  draft  was  ordered.  The 
number  deficient  was  drawn,  and  among  others 
John  Bond,  of  Hire  Township,  was  drafted.  Mr. 
Randolph  at  once  notified  him,  and  ordered  him 
to  report  at  once  at  Mt.  Sterling;  but  this  not  be- 
ing done  he  proceeded  to  Blandinsville  to  arrest 
Bond.  The  latter  endeavored  to  escape,  but  Mr. 
Randolph  told  him  he  was  a  prisoner.  Bond 
then  took  a  step  or  two  back  and  fired  at  Mr. 
Randolph,  after  which  he  fled.  The  Marshal  re- 
turned the  shots,  and  each  fired  again  several 
times.  James  Bond,  a  brother  of  the  prisoner, 
now  came  up  in  the  rear  of  the  Marshal  and  be- 
gan firing,  and  inflicted  a  fatal  wound,  the  death 
of  Mr.  Randolph  following  within  twenty-four 
hours.  His  loss  was  mourned  throughout  the 
entire  community,  for  he  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent,  influential  and  highly-respected  citi- 
zens. His  name  is  inseparably  connected  with 
the  history  of  the  community,  for  he  was  one  of 
the  important  factors  in  its  upbuilding. 

Mrs.  Randolph  still  survives  her  husband  and 
is  yet  living  in  Macomb.  She  is  the  possessor  of 
considerable  valuable  property,  and  the  income 
derived  therefrom  surrounds  her  with  all  the 
comforts  of  life. 


REV.  DAVID  LOY  TRESSLER  was  born 
in  Loysville,  Pa.,  February  15,  1S39,  and 
was  a  son  of  Col.  John  Tressler,  whose  death 
occurred  in  1S59.  The  father  was  a  man  of  much 
more  than  ordinary  ability,  and  was  a  prominent 
citizen  of  the  Keystone  State.  He  was  a  warm 
friend  to  education,  and  with  his  own  means 
erected  a  school  in  Loysville,  of  which  he  was  at 
the  head  for  several  years.  On  his  death  his  son 
succeeded  to  his  position.  This  academy  was 
later  transformed  into  a  Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home, 
and  stands  to-day  as  the  permanent  Orphans' 
Home  of  the  Lutheran  Church  of  Pennsylvania. 
Others  in  the  familv  evinced  a  talent  for  educa- 


tional work,  and  a  brother  of  our  subject,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  occupied  the  Chair 
of  Mathematics  in  the  Capital  University  in  Col- 
umbus, Ohio. 

The  Rev.  D.  L.  Tressler  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and 
in  Loysville  Academy,  of  which  he  afterwards  be- 
came principal.  In  1857  he  entered  the  sopho- 
more class  of  the  Pennsylvania  College,  and  was 
graduated  with  honor  in  i860.  The  same  year 
he  became  principal  of  the  academy  which  his  fa- 
ther founded,  but  in  1862  resigned  that  position, 
and  largely  among  his  students  raised  a  company 
of  volunteers  for  service  in  the  Civil  War.  He 
was  chosen  Captain,  and  led  his  command  in  the 
battles  of  South  Mountain,  Antietam  and  Fred- 
ericksburg. In  the  last-named  he  was  twice 
wounded,  but  after  recovering  he  resumed  his  com- 
mand and  took  part  in  the  famous  battle  of  Chan- 
cellorsville.  He  was  tendered  a  Colonel's  com- 
mission, but  declined  this  and  returned  home. 

Capt.  Tressler  then  took  up  the  study  of  law, 
and  in  1864  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  For  five 
years  he  continued  practice,  and  was  considered  a 
rising  young  lawyer,  for  his  talents  were  such  as 
to  make  him  well  adapted  for  that  profession ;  but 
he  had  other  aspirations,  and  as  he  expressed  it, 
"  If  I  wish  to  be  rich  in  this  world's  goods,  I  will 
remain  in  the  legal  profession ;  if  rich  in  the  next 
world,  I  will  enter  the  ministry."  Accordingly, 
in  1870,  having  removed  to  Mendota,  111.,  he  en- 
tered the  ministry  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and 
was  immediately  called  to  Lena,  where  he  labored 
most  assiduously  and  successfully  until  coming  to 
Carthage  in  1872,  having  been  elected  a  professor 
in  Carthage  College.  After  one  year's  work  in 
the  classroom  he  was  called  to  the  head  of  the  in- 
stitution, entering  upon  the  duties  of  President  in 
1873.  He  also  had  charge  of  the  financial  affairs 
of  the  college  and  was  pastor  of  the  Trinity  Luth- 
eran Church.  It  was  largely  through  his  instru- 
mentality that  the  substantial  house  of  worship 
was  erected. 

In  1865,  Dr.  Tressler  wedded  AdaJ.  Mclntyre, 
of  Pennsylvania,  who  survives  him  and  still  makes 
her  home  in  Carthage,  highly  respected  by  all 
who  know  her  as  a  lady  of  refinement,   possessed 


'54 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  many  excellencies  of  character.  She  was  a 
faithful  helpmate  to  her  husband,  and  by  her  gen- 
tle, womanly  influence  aided  him  greatly  in  his 
work  as  an  educator  and  minister. 

Dr.  Tressler  was  admirably  fitted  for  the  im- 
portant position  which  he  held.  He  was  a  man 
of  indomitable  energy,  quick  intellect  and  fine 
business  tact,  possessed  a  kind,  generous  and  sym- 
pathetic nature,  was  of  a  cheerful  disposition,  and 
always  looked  upon  the  bright  side  of  things.  He 
had  a  happy  faculty  of  making  every  one  feel  at 
ease  in  his  presence,  and  with  untiring  zeal  and 
energy  he  labored  for  the  success  of  the  college 
and  for  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  Christ. 
He  was  a  fluent  and  graceful  writer,  possessed 
many  of  the  qualities  of  a  fine  orator,  and  in  man- 
ner was  easy  and  free  and  void  of  all  ostentation 
and  display.  His  career  was  devoted  to  all  that 
was  noble  and  best  in  life  and  to  the  elevation  of 
humanity.  His  death,  which  occurred  February 
20,  1880,  in  his  forty-second  year,  was  deeply 
mourned,  not  only  in  this  community,  but 
throughout  the  circles  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 


3<'   ?  "^fa"*  2 

HENRY  BOWER,  of  Carthage,  who  is  now 
practically  living  a  retired  life,  is  a  native  of 
the  Keystone  State,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Carlisle,  Pa.,  on  the  nth  of  March, 
1825.  His  father,  Daniel  Bower,  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Cumberland  County.  He  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  married  Martha  Bishop,  a  na- 
tive of  York  County.  Their  last  years  were  spent 
in  Cumberland  County,  and  when  death  came 
they  were  laid  to  rest  in  Carlisle  Cemetery. 

Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  his  parents'  home,  and  ere  he  attained 
his  majority  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three 
years  and  a-half  to  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  a  time.  At  length  he  determined 
to  seek  a  home  in  the  West,  and  in  1855  started 
for  Kansas,  but  located  instead  in  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, 111.  In  the  spring  of  1857,  he  came  to  Carth- 
age, and,  meeting  old  friends,  decided  to  remain  in 
this  place.      He  secured  the  position  of  Jailer,   in 


which  capacity  he  served  for  three  years.  In 
1865,  he  opened  a  blacksmith  shop  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  city  water  works,  and  continued 
to  work  at  his  trade  until  1878.  He  did  a  good 
business  and  accumulated  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence. Part  of  his  capital  he  invested  in  a  one 
hundred  acre  farm  situated  a  mile  and  a-half  west 
of  Carthage,  on  the  Keokuk  road.  He  rents  his 
land,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  well  improved,  and  therefore  yields  to  him  a 
good  income. 

Mr.  Bower  was  married  ere  leaving  the  State  of 
his  nativity.  On  the  22d  of  March,  1849,  in  Mt. 
Rock,  Pa.,  he  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss 
Rachel  Melinda  Davidson,  who  has  been  his 
faithful  companion  and  helpmeet  along  life's 
journey  for  forty-five  years.  To  them  were  born 
the  following  children:  John  Davidson,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-three;  Lillie,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  nineteen;  William  W.,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  poultry  business;  Matthew  B.,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  seven ;  and  Addie,  who  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  one  year.  All  died  of  typhoid  fever  in 
1871. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Bower  is  a  Republi- 
can. He  has  long  supported  that  party  by  his 
ballot,  but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  both  are  highly  respected  citizens,  who  well 
deserve  representation  in  this  volume. 

OTHAIRE  BRUCE  COCKERN  is  one  of 
I  C  the  honored  veterans  of  the  late  war,  who 
\  J  went  to  the  front  and  valiantly  stood  for  the 
preservation  of  the  Union.  He  now  makes  his 
home  in  Carthage,  111.,  and  for  a  year  past  has 
been  engaged  in  the  publication  of  the  Hancock 
County  Journal,  of  which  he  is  now  editor  and 
proprietor.  He  was  born  at  Hillsboro,  Ky.,  on 
the  22d  of  December,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
P.  and  Mary  A.  (Crawford)  Cockern,  who  were 
natives  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  respectively.  The 
Cockern  family  came  originally  from  England, 
and   settled   in    Pennsylvania.     Later,   its  repre- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


155 


sentatives  became  residents  of  the  Panhandle  Dis- 
trict of  West  Virginia.  The  father  of  our  subject 
is  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  has  followed  that  pur- 
suit through  much  of  his  life.  He  is  now  living 
in  California,  whither  he  removed  in  March, 
1863.  The  mother  died  in  Carthage,  111.  .Jan- 
uary 24,  1861.  In  the  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely:  L. 
B.,  of  this  sketch;  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Gilliam,  who 
resides  in  Live  Oak;  Mrs.  Eliza  B.  Gray,  of 
Marysville;  Mrs.  Zerelda  A.  Bartlett,  of  Suisun; 
Mrs.  Aramanda  A.  Creighton,  of  Glenburn;  and 
George  W. ,  who  is  located  in  Fairfield,  Cal. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  lads,  spending  his  summer  months  at  labor 
in  the  field,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  attended 
the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  The 
year  1851  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Hancock 
County,  where  he  has  made  his  home  continu- 
ously since.  At  an  early  age  he  began  working 
as  a  farm  hand  at  $8  per  mouth,  and  was  thus 
employed  for  several  seasons. 

The  Union  found  in  Mr.  Cockeru  one  of  its  most 
zealous  defenders  during  the  late  Civil  War. 
Prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,,  he  eidisted  on 
the  6th  of  May,  1 861,  in  his  country's  service,  and 
joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  D,  Sixteenth 
Illinois  Infantry.  His  first  season's  service  was 
in  northern  Missouri.  This  was  light  service — 
he  having  only  to  chase  the  rebel  cavalry  just 
enough  to  keep  the  horses  poor.  In  1862  he  was 
under  the  command  of  Gen.  Pope  until  after  the 
siege  of  Corinth.  He  participated  in  that  siege, 
was  later  stationed  atTuscumbia,  Ala.,  until  that 
line  was  abandoned,  and  then  went  to  Nashville, 
where  with  his  command  he  lay  for  ten  months. 
He  later  did  sen-ice  under  Gens.  Rosecrans  and 
Thomas,  and  went  with  Sherman  as  far  as  Rome, 
Ga.,  in  the  campaign  against  Atlanta,  just  prior 
to  the  ever  memorable  inarch  to  the  sea.  His  term 
of  service  expired  while  at  Rome,  Ga.  He  was  a 
non-commissioned  officer,  having  been  made  Cor- 
poral on  the  day  of  his  muster  in,  while  later  he 
was  promoted  to  be  Sergeant.  He  was  ever  found 
at  his  post  of  duty,  faithful  to  the  trust  and  confi- 
dence reposed  in  him.     Through  the  heroic  efforts 


of  the  private  soldiers,  the  Union  was  preserved, 
and  to  them  the  country  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude 
which  can  never  be  repaid. 

After  his  return  to  Hancock  County,  Mr.  Cock- 
em  was  engaged  in  the  recruiting  service  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  married  on  the 
28th  of  March,  1866,  to  Miss  Emily  A.  Symonds, 
daughter  of  Frederick  W.  Symonds,  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire.  Five  children  were  born  to 
them,  but  two  of  the  number,  Robert  and  an  in- 
fant sister,  are  at  rest.  Those  still  living  are 
Mary,  Isabel  and  John. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Cockern  was  appointed  Postmas- 
ter at  Carthage,  111.,  by  President  Grant,  and  held 
that  position  for  five  years,  proving  a  capable  and 
efficient  officer.  He  now  devotes  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  the  publication  of  his  paper.  In 
politics,  he  was  first  a  Democrat,  following  in  the 
political  footsteps  of  his  father,  and  on  attaining 
his  majority  voted  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  Dur- 
ing the  war,  however,  he  became  a  Republican, 
and  has  generally  supported  its  men  and  meas- 
ures. .Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic.  He  is  a  valued  citizen  of 
the  community,  who  manifests  the  same  loyalty 
to  his  duties  of  citizenship  in  days  of  peace  as  he 
did  in  days  of  war.  Through  the  columns  of  his 
paper  he  exerts  his  influence  for  all  that  promotes 
the  best  interests  of  the  community,  and  his  co- 
operation is  given  to  all  worthy  and  commendable 
enterprises. 


"DWARD  M.  ROBBINS,  D.  D.  S. ,  is  the  lead- 
^  ing  dental  surgeon  of  Carthage,  where  for 
_ _  eighteen  years  he  has  been  continuously 
and  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
chosen  profession.  A  native  of  Indiana,  he  was 
born  in  LaGrauge  County,  April  11,  1S42,  ami 
is  a  son  of  Dr.  Eppaah  and  Mary  (Clarke)  Rob- 
bins.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
but  was  reared  in  Ohio,  and  the  mother  claimed 
New  York  as  the  State  of  her  nativity.  They  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  LaGrauge  County  until  1850, 


156 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


when  they  emigrated  with  their  family  to  Fayette 
County,  111.,  and  the  Doctor  continued  in  prac- 
tice in  this  State  until  1871.  He  then  removed 
to  Osage  Mission,  Kan.,  where  he  resided  until 
his  death,  in  February,  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years.  He  made  his  home  in  Hancock 
County  from  October,  1861,  until  4871,  residing 
in  Nauvoo  and  Poutoosuc.  The  only  brother  of 
our  subject,  George  E.,  a  dentist,  was  drowned 
in  the  Walnut  River,  at  Arkansas  City,  Kan.,  in 
June,  1893.  The  only  sister  became  the  wife  of 
R.  D.  Cogswell,  M.  D.  They  lived  in  Hancock 
County  from  1861  until  1868. 

Doctor  Robbins  of  this  sketch  was  a  lad  of  only 
eight  years  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Illinois.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  in  an  academy  at  Alton,  which 
is  now  known  as  Shurtliff  College.  He  then  began 
the  study  of  medicine  with  his  father,  but  in  Au- 
gust, 1862,  prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  he 
enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  H,  Seventy- 
eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  at 
Ouincy  on  the  20th  of  the  month,  with  John  K. 
Allen  as  Captain,  George  T.  Bear  as  Lieutenant, 
and  Samuel  Simmons  as  Second  Lieutenant.  He 
served  under  Gens.  Buell  and  Rosecrans,  and 
the  first  hard-fought  battle  in  which  he  partici- 
pated was  at  Chickamauga,  where  his  company 
suffered  a  heavy  loss.  His  division,  however, 
under  Gen.  Steadman,  saved  the  entire  army. 
Later,  he  was  in  the  battles  of  Chattanooga,  Mis- 
sion Ridge,  Sweet  Water,  and  was  then  with  his 
command  sent  to  Knoxville  to  relieve  Banks. 
He  took  part  in  the  first  battle  of  the  Atlanta 
campaign  at  Tunnel  Hill,  and  the  engagements 
at  Resaca,  Keunesaw  Mountain  and  Peach  Tree 
Creek.  His  division  was  also  in  the  battle  of 
Jonesboro,  which  resulted  in  the  evacuation  of 
Atlanta.  They  were  then  sent  back  to  Hunts- 
ville  and  Mt.  Forest,  and  afterwards  again  went 
to  Atlanta,  and  on  the  celebrated  march  to  the 
sea  under  Gen.  Sherman.  The  Doctor  then 
marched  to  Richmond  and  on  to  Washington, 
where  he  participated  in  the  Grand  Review.  He 
received  his  discharge  in  Chicago.  In  the  spring 
of  1863,  he  had  been  detailed  to  act  as  assistant 
hospital  steward  in  the  medical  department,   but 


was  always  with  the  regiment  and  on  the  field 
taking  care  of  the  wounded. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  serv- 
ices, Mr.  Robbins  returned  to  Illinois,  and  re- 
sumed the  stud}'  of  medicine,  but  soon  after  be- 
gan dealing  in  stock  and  later  took  up  farming. 
In  1869  he  resumed  his  studies  and  entered  a 
dental  college  in  Chicago,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1871.  The  following  year  he  re- 
moved to  Osage  Mission,  Kan.,  but  after  two 
years  returned  to  Illinois,  and  in  1875  came  to 
Carthage,  where  he  has  since  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cen- 
tral Illinois  Dental  Society,  of  which  he  has 
served  as  President,  and  of  the  State  Society,  in 
which  he  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the  execu- 
tive council. 

Dr.  Robbins  was  married  March  24,  1870,  to 
Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Con- 
ner) Brownlee,  who  were  pioneers  of  Hancock 
County,  where  Mrs.  Robbins  was  born.  They 
have  three  children:  Eulalie,  a  young  lady  of 
twenty,  who  is  now  studying  music  under  Prof. 
Liebling,  of  Chicago;  and  Eddie  and  Samuel,  who 
are  at  home. 

The  Doctor  served  as  a  member  of  the  Town 
Council  for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  then 
called  upon  by  the  people  of  Carthage  who  were 
in  favor  of  anti-license  and  the  support  of  public 
enterprises  calculated  to  promote  the  interests  of 
the  community  to  become  a  candidate  for  Mayor. 
This  he  did,  and  he  is  now  acceptably  and  credit- 
ably filling  that  office.  He  is  indeed  always 
found  on  the  side  of  progress  and  advancement. 
The  Doctor  is  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the 
Hancock  County  Agricultural  Board,  which  owns 
a  forty  acre-park,  finely  arranged  for  fairs  and  pic- 
nics. He  is  Secretary  of  the  company,  which  has 
given  twelve  public  exhibitions.  He  has  always 
been  a  great  lover  of  fine  horses,  and  is  now  en- 
gaged in  breeding  trotters.  He  bred  "Combina- 
tion, "with  a  record  of2:i8^'2  ;  "Sebasco,"  a  three- 
year-old,  with  a  record  of  2:10;  and  he  now  owns 
"Eulalie,"  by  "Egmont,"  full  sister  of  "Combi- 
nation." He  also  has  one  mare  sired  by  "Jerome 
Eddy,"  the  famous  horse  that  sold  for  $30,000. 

In  his  social  relations,  the  Doctor  is  connected 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


157 


with  the  Odd  Fellows'  society  and  the  encamp- 
ment, and  also  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity , 
which  he  has  represented  in  the  Grand  Lodge. 
He  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  is  ranked 
among  the  best  and  most  valued  citizens  of  the 
community,  his  name  being  inseparably  con- 
nected with  all  that  pertains  to  the  general  wel- 
fare and  to  the  promotion  of  its  best  interests. 
Carthage  has  had  no  better  Mayor,  or  one  who  is 
more  universally  esteemed. 


ILTOX  T.  HUNT,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
dry-goods  business  in  Warsaw,  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Elhebe,  Hunt  &  Co., 
was  born  in  this  place  on  the  10th  of  October. 
1 86 1,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  early 
families  of  the  county.  His  parents,  M.  T.  and 
Helen  M.  (  Baldwin  1  Hunt,  came  to  this  place  in 
[854,  and  the  father  became  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  business  interests  of  this  place. 
He  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  his  will- 
was  born  in  New  York.  He  came  from  his  native 
State  to  Illinois,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Mc- 
Donough  County,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
his  removal  to  Warsaw,  as  before  stated.  For  a 
time  he  followed  farming,  but  later  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  pork-packing  business,  in  which  he 
continued  for  about  seven  years.  He  was  a  man 
of  good  business  and  executive  ability,  and  his 
enterprising  and  well-directed  efforts  won  for  him 
success,  and  secured  for  him  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. 

In  1856  Mr.  Hunt  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  first  wife.  In  their  family  were 
the  following  children:  Mrs.  Jennie  Withers,  who 
resides  in  Henderson  County;  Carrie,  who  is  now 
deceased;  Henry,  who  is  living  in  Texas;  and  El- 
len, of  Warsaw.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Hunt  was  again  married,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Mrs.  Helen  (Baldwin)  Wilson.  Their  un- 
ion was  graced  by  three  children :  Mrs.  Eugenia  A. 
Dallam,  Milton  T.  of  this  sketch,  and  Kate,  now 
deceased.  The  father  of  this  family  was  called  to 
his  final  rest  March  8,  1879,  and  his  wife  passed 


away  on  the  6th  of  December,  1886.  Mr.  Hunt 
whose  name  heads  this  record  has  known  no 
other  home  than  Hancock  County.  Here  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed,  and 
it  has  been  the  scene  of  his  business  career.  Dur- 
ing his  earlier  years  he  followed  farming  to  some 
extent,  and  also  worked  in  a  grocery  store  at  va- 
rious intervals,  but  in  1892  he  embarked  in  the 
business  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Elhebe,  Hunt 
&  Co.  He  is  now  in  charge  of  the  store,  which 
is  a  well-appointed  one,  tastefully  arranged  and 
stocked  with  everything  found  in  an  establish- 
ment of  this  kind.  He  is  enjoying  a  good  trade, 
for  his  courteous  and  gentlemanly  treatment  of 
his  patrons,  and  straightforward,  honorable  deal- 
ing, always  retain  the  trade  of  those  whose  cus- 
tom he  once  secures.  He  is  wide-awake  and  enter- 
prising, and  his  success  is  well  merited. 

Mr.  Hunt  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, and  has  taken  the  Knight  Templar  Degree. 
In  religious  belief  he  is  an  Episcopalian.  He  ex- 
ercises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  for  he  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of 
its  principles,  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  Repub- 
licanism, and  he  takes  an  active  interest  in  even- 
thing  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  city. 


~»+£P~ 


flOHN  GILLER  is  extensively  engaged  in  the 
I  brewing  business  in  Warsaw.  A  native  of 
G/  Canada,  he  was  born  in  the  city  of  Hamilton, 
Wentworth  County,  Ontario,  on  the  8th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1859.  His  father,  Rudolph  Giller,  was  a 
native  of  Switzerland,  and  there  spent  the  days 
of  his  childhood.  In  the  year  1848,  he  bade 
adieu  to  home  and  friends  and  crossed  the  broad 
Atlantic  to  America.  Taking  up  his  residence  in 
Louisville,  Ky.,  he  embarked  in  the  brewing 
business,  and  there  carried  on  operations  for  some 
years.  At  length  he  left  that  .State,  and  in  1S54 
removed  to  Canada.  He  was  the  first  manufac- 
turer of  lager  beer  in  Canada,  ale  having  been  the 
only  product  of  the  kind  made  hitherto.  Mr. 
Giller  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine 


i5« 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Bauer,  who  was  born  in  the  grand  duchy  of 
Baden,  and  in  1852  he  came  with  his  family  to 
Illinois. 

Our  subject  was  a  child  of  only  two  years  when 
his  parents  came  to  this  State.  His  early  boy- 
hood days  were  quietly  passed.  During  his 
youth  he  went  to  New  York,  and  in  Rochester 
learned  his  trade  in  Bartholomew's  brewery. 
There  he  continued  until  1879,  when  he  returned 
home.  Two  years  later  he  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  Martin  Popel,  his  stepfather.  His  own 
father  had  died  in  1861. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1886,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Giller  and  Miss  Anna  Wolf, 
daughter  of  the  late  Charles  Wolf.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  three  children,  a  son  and 
two  daughters:  Florentine,  Olivia  and  Walter 
John. 

Mr.  Giller  is  a  member  of  the  Turners'  Society, 
is  one  of  the  firemen  of  Warsaw,  holds  member- 
ship with  the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid 
and  the  Odd  Fellows'  fraternity,  and  belongs  to 
Ft.  Edward  Encampment.  He  is  a  man  of  good 
business  ability  and  has  made  a  success  of  his  un- 
dertakings. 

(D)ICTOR  DORY  was  for  many  years  promi- 
\  /  nently  connected  with  the  mercantile  inter- 
V  ests  of  Warsaw,  but  is  now  living  a  retired 
life,  having  placed  his  business  in  the  hands  of 
his  sons,  who  are  now  conducting  it  under  the 
name  of  Doty  Brothers.  He  is  a  man  of  deter- 
mined effort,  enterprising  and  energetic,  and  in  his 
undertakings  he  won  a  well-merited  success.  As 
he  is  so  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  com- 
munity, we  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his 
life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers. 
Mr.  Dory  was  born  in  the  department  of  the 
Moselle,  France,  May  7,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Barbara  (Laluette)  Dory.  He  remained  on 
his  father's  farm  during  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  but  in  1848,  having  attained  his  ma- 
jority, he  left  the  old  home  and  sailed  for  America. 
He  took  passage  on  the  vessel   "Pyramid, ' '  which 


after  a  voyage  of  fifty-three  days,  dropped  anchor 
in  the  harbor  of  New  Orleans.  Mr.  Dory  then 
had  a  cousin  living  in  the  Crescent  City,  who  ad- 
vised him  to  go  North  on  account  of  the  cholera 
which  raged  in  the  Southern  States.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day,  therefore,  he  took  passage  on  the 
"Southern"  for  a  trip  up  the  Mississippi.  Three 
days  later  cholera  broke  out  on  board  the  ship,  and 
each  evening  the  boat  would  go  to  land  to  bury 
the  victims  of  that  disease,  numbering  from  ten  to 
sixteen  in  a  single  day.  One  entire  family  of 
seven  members  died,  save  a  boy  of  fifteen.  Mr. 
Don-  was  taken  with  the  cholera  at  Louisville, 
the  fifth  day  after  his  arrival  in  this  country,  and 
for  six  weeks  he  was  unable  to  walk.  He  then 
went  to  Bloomington,  Ind.,  where  his  brother 
Sylvester  was  living,  and  with  him  remained  for 
three  years. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Dory  and  his  brother  came  to 
Warsaw,  and,  purchasing  a  stock  of  goods,  opened 
a  store  on  the  present  site  of  the  store  now  con- 
trolled by  Dory  Brothers.  There  he  carried  on 
business  continuously  until  his  retirement,  with 
the  exception  of  two  years  spent  in  his  native 
land.  In  1858,  on  account  of  impaired  health  he  re- 
turned to  France,  where  he  spent  two  years,  again 
coming  to  Warsaw  in  i860.  In  1872,  his  brother 
Sylvester  left  this  place  and  went  to  Louisville, 
Ky.  Later,  he  removed  to  Dakota,  where  he  now 
resides. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1866,  Mr.  Dory  wedded 
Miss  Maty  A.  Festor,  of  St.  Louis,  who  was  of 
French  extraction.  They  became  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living, 
namely:  Firmin,  Albert,  Victor,  Estella  and  Ce- 
celia. They  have  given  their  children  all  liberal 
educational  advantages  and  thus  fitted  them  for 
the  practical  and  responsible  duties  of  life.  The 
children  now  deceased  are  Victor  S.,  who  died 
May  8,  1869;  Amy,  who  died  June  19,  1884; 
Yitaline  A.,  who  died  August  27,  1886;  Eugene, 
who  died  September  12,  1S86,  at  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen; Joseph,  who  died  September  17,  1890;  and 
August,  who  died  September  24,  1892. 

Mr.  Dory  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
and  is  one  of  its  earnest  and  ardent  supporters,  do- 
ing all  in  his  power  for  its  promotion  and  upbuild- 


LIB- 


John  B.  Risse 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


161 


ing.  When  he  came  to  the  West  he  spent  some 
time  in  looking  over  the  country,  visited  Quincy, 
Keokuk,  Burlington  and  Warsaw,  and  finally  de- 
cided to  locate  at  the  last-named,  for  it  then  seemed 
to  present  excellent  advantages  and  gave  evidence 
of  rapid  growth .  Although  the  town  has  not  be- 
come as  large  as  some  of  the  others,  Mr.  Dory 
need  have  no  occasion  to  regret  his  choice  of  it  as 
a  home,  for  he  has  here  found  friends  and  pros- 
perity. 


HON.  JOHN  B.  RISSE  is  a  prominent  at- 
torney, and  ex -County  Judge  of  Hancock 
County.  This  locality  has  been  the  scene 
of  his  entire  professional  career,  and  on  life's 
stage  he  has  played  well  his  part.  For  seventeen 
years  he  served  as  County  Judge,  and  his  long 
continuance  in  office  well  indicates  his  fidelity  to 
duty  and  the  high  commendation  which  he  re- 
ed veil  from  his  fellow-townsmen.  In  the  ranks 
of  the  legal  profession,  he  occupies  a  foremost 
place,  and  as  one  of  its  most  prominent  representa- 
tives we  gladly  place  his  history  in  this  volume. 

Judge  Risse  was  born  on  the  28th  of  October, 
1835,  in  Dorsten,  West  Prussia,  German}-,  and 
was  the  third  in  a  family  of  four  children,  num- 
bering three  sons  and  a  daughter.  The  two 
brothers  of  our  subject,  however,  died  in  infancy. 
The  sister,  Frances,  is  now  the  wife  of  James  Og- 
den,  a  prosperous  farmer  residing  in  Hancock 
County.  The  parents,  Laurenz  and  Wilhelmina 
(  Punzmann)  Risse,  were  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The  father  was  born  in  Dorsten,  and. be- 
came a  shoe-maker  by  trade.  In  1844,  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  America  in  company  with  his 
family,  and  located  at  Galena,  111.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1847.  In  that  year  he  removed  to 
Nauvoo,  where  he  embarked  in  business  as  a 
shoe-dealer.  He  continued  in  that  business  until 
his  death  and  met  with  a  fair  degree  of  success  in 
li is  undertakings.  In  1870,  he  was  called  to  the 
home  beyond,  having  reached  the  allotted  age  of 
three-score  and  ten  years.  His  wife,  who  was  in 
Cologne,  survived  him  for  a  number  of  years  and 


departed  this  life  in  1887,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-seven  years. 

The  Judge  spent  the  first  eight  years  of  his  life 
in  the  land  of  his  birth,  and  then  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  emigration  to  America.  The 
days  of  his  youth  were  spent  in  his  father's 
home.  In  the  public  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood he  acquired  a  good  English  education.  He 
began  reading  in  a  law  office  in  Nauvoo,  and  af- 
ter thorough  and  diligent  preparation  passed  an 
examination  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
1856.  Mr.  Risse  at  once  began  practice  in 
Nauvoo,  and  there  remained  until  December, 
1869,  when  he  was  elected  County  Judge  of  Han- 
cock County,  and  removed  to  Carthage.  For 
seventeen  years  he  continued  to  fill  that  position 
with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his 
constituents.  At  length,  on  his  retirement  from 
public  life,  he  opened  a  law  office,  and  has  since 
devoted  his  energies  to  private  practice. 

On  the  1 6th  of  April,  1861,  Judge  Risse  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ursula  Reimbold, 
who  was  born  in  Cologne,  Germany,  a  most  es- 
timable lady,  who  has  been  to  her  husband  a 
faithful  companion  and  helpmate.  They  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  six  children,  four  sons  and 
two  daughters.  The  eldest,  William  B.,  is  now 
an  attorney-at-law,  associated  with  his  father; 
Minnie  is  the  wife  of  John  J.  Rheinberger,  a  wine 
grower  of  Nauvoo;  Christina  is  the  wife  of  Au- 
gust J.  Beger,  who  is  engaged  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness in  Nauvoo;  Henry  C.  is  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising in  Parsons,  Kan. ;  and  the  two  youngest 
members  of  the  family,  Edward  J.  and  Ferdinand 
L.,  are  still  with  their  parents.  The  family  is 
one  of  prominence  in  the  community,  and  its  mem- 
bers are  widely  and  favorably  known. 

In  his  political  views,  Judge  Risse  is  a  Demo- 
crat, who  warmly  advocates  the  principles  of 
his  party  and  always  supports  by  his  ballot  its 
men  and  measures.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leaders  of  Democracy  in  Hancock  County, 
and  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  his  party's 
interests  and  insure  its  success.  He  and  his  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  con- 
tribute liberally  to  its  support.  He  is  now  en- 
joying an  extensive  law  practice  and  is  recognized 


l62 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


as  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  this  part  of  the 
State.  His  record  on  the  bench  is  one  of  which 
he  may  well  be  proud.  In  his  rulings  he  was 
ever  just,  unbiased  by  fear  or  favor,  and  the  high 
opinion  in  which  he  was  held  by  all  the  voters  of 
the  county  is  indicated  by  his  frequent  re-election. 
He  is  a  man  of  deep  research,  of  studious  and 
thoughtful  habits,  and  by  earnest  application  he 
has  won  the  prominent  place  which  he  now  oc- 
cupies. Since  his  twelfth  year  Judge  Risse  has 
resided  in  Hancock  County  and  has  a  large  cir- 
cle of  warm  friends. 

P\HILIP  DALLAM,  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
\S  Bulletin,  of  Warsaw,  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
\Z)  Mo.,  May  22,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Frank  A. 
and  Anna  M.  (McKee)  Dallam,  who  were  na- 
tives of  Kentucky  and  New  York  respectively. 
The  father  was  a  newspaperman,  and  it  was  thus 
very  natural  that  his  son  should  take  up  the  line 
of  work  in  which  he  is  now  engaged.  During 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Frank  Dallam  wore 
the  blue,  enlisting  as  Captain  of  Company  E, 
Tenth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  afterwards  served 
on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Ross,  and  continued  in  the 
army  for  about  two  years,  when  on  account  of  ill 
health  he  was  forced  to  resign.  After  being  mus- 
tered out,  he  located  in  California,  and  thence  re- 
moved to  Nevada.  He  served  as  a  member  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention  when  the  State 
was  admitted  to  the  Union,  and  in  his  business 
relations  was  connected  with  the  Virginia  City 
Enterprise ,  doing  editorial  work.  His  next 
place  of  residence  was  in  Quincy,  where  he  served 
on  the  staff  of  the  Whig  until  1867.  In  that  year 
he  came  to  Warsaw,  where  his  death  occurred  on 
the  17th  of  March,  1868.  After  coming  to  this 
city,  he  purchased  the  Bulletin,  which  is  now 
managed  by  his  son. 

Philip  Dallam  was  the  third  child  in  his  fa- 
ther's family.  His  elder  brother,  Frank,  is  now 
Receiver  of  Public  Moneys  at  Waterville,  Wash., 
to  which  position  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Harrison.       Philip   spent    his   boyhood   days  in 


Quincy  and  OquawTka,  and  acquired  a  fair  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.  He  was  practically 
brought  up  in  the  newspaper  office,  and  to  the 
work  connected  therewith  has  devoted  his  entire 
attention  throughout  his  business  career.  He 
became  the  publisher  of  the  Bulletin  in  1875,  and 
has  one  of  the  neatest  offices  in  the  State,  the  work 
which  he  turns  out  possessing  the  same  charac- 
teristic. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1880,  Mr.  Dallam  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Eugenie  A.  Hunt, 
daughter  of  Milton  T.  Hunt,  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Hancock  County.  They  now  have  a  fam- 
ily of  four  children  and  have  lost  one  child.  The 
parents  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this 
community,  where  they  have  many  warm  friends 
and  pleasant  acquaintances. 

Socially,  Mr.  Dallam  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Ancient  Order  of 
Modern  Woodmen.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Library  Board  of  Warsaw,  and  gives  his  support 
and  co-operation  to  all  enterprises  which  are  cal- 
culated to  elevate  the  community  and  promote 
the  general  welfare.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  and  his  pa- 
per advocates  its  principles. 

HON.  ORVILLE  F.  BERRY,  who  is  now 
representing  the  Twenty-fourth  District  of 
Illinois  in  the  State  Senate,  is  one  of  the 
leading  and  influential  citizens  of  Carthage,  prom- 
inent in  its  political  and  business  affairs.  A  na- 
tive, of  Illinois,  he  was  born  on  the  16th  of 
February,  1852,  in  Table  Grove,  McDonough 
County,  and  is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren whose  parents  were  Jonathan  L-  and  Martha 
(McConnell)  Berry.  The  only  daughter  of  the 
family  died  in  infancy,  and  the  two  brothers  are 
partners  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Carthage. 

The  father  of  this  family  was  born  in  Tennessee, 
and  there  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  When  a  young  man  he  came  to  Hancock 
County,  111.,  and  in  1840  purchased  land,  whereon 
he  remained  for  several  years,   successfully  en- 


POkTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


163 


gaged  in  its  cultivation.  He  came  of  a  family 
of  Scotch  origin,  but  for  several  generations 
past  its  members  have  resided  in  this  country. 
The  father,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mex- 
ican War.  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  Brewer,  of  Hancock  County,  who  died  in 
1S47,  leaving  two  children:  Charles  L. ,  who  is 
now  a  contractor  of  Wichita,  Kan.;  and  John,  who 
was  in  the  naval  sen-ice  during  the  late  war,  and 
was  killed  during  that  struggle.  In  1850,  Mr. 
Berry  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  McConnell, 
and  removed  to  McDonough  County,  where  he 
puichased  a  farm,  making  his  home  thereon  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of  forty-eight 
years.  He  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  of  McDonough 
County  for  two  years,  and  was  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  the  neighborhood  in  which  he  made  his 
home.  A  well-educated  man,  he  followed  teach- 
ing for  a  time,  and  was  thus  employed  both  in 
Hancock  and  McDonough  Counties.  His  brother, 
Harrison  Berry,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  ministers 
and  physicians  of  the  latter  county.  The  mother 
of  Senator  Bern-  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  during  her  early  girlhood  came  with  her  par- 
ents to  Hancock  County,  in  1844.  Her  death 
occurred  in  McDonough  County  when  she  was 
about  forty  years  of  age.  Her  father  was  one  of 
the  honored  pioneers  of  Hancock  County,  and 
on  his  arrival  here  purchased  a  farm  in  Foun- 
tain Green  Township,  on  which  he  resided 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  very-  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-four  years.  He  was  of  Scotch 
and  Irish  extraction.  In  the  development  and 
upbuilding  of  this  county  he  ever  bore  his  part, 
and  was  numbered  among  its  leading  and  valued 
citizens. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  On-ille 
F.  Berry,  who  was  only  five  years  of  age  when 
his  father  died.  Three  years  later,  in  i860,  his 
mother  departed  this  life,  and  he  was  left  an  orphan 
when  a  lad  of  eight  summers.  He  and  his  brother, 
Melvin  P.,  then  went  to  live  with  their  grand- 
father, Francis  McConnell,  in  Fountain  Green 
Township.  There  they  worked  at  farm  labor  and 
attended  the  country  schools.  Mr.  Berry  of  this 
sketch  thus  spent  his  time  until  sixteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  left  his  grandfather's  home  and  be- 


gan earning  his  own  livelihood.  He  was  thus 
early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources,  but  thereby 
developed  a  self-reliance  and  independence  of 
character  which  have  proven  of  incalculable  ben- 
efit to  him  in  later  years.  He  began  working  as 
a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  and  after  spending  the 
summer  in  the  fields  he  would  enter  the  district 
schools  and  pursue  his  studies  through  the  win- 
ter season.  The  last  three  years  he  attended  the 
High  School  at  Fountain  Green.   ■ 

On  starting  out  in  life  for  himself,  Mr.  Berry- 
secured  as  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  the  jour- 
ney Miss  Anna  M.  Barr,  of  Fountain  Green 
Township,  their  marriage  being  celebrated  on  the 
5th  of  March,  1873.  Having  inherited  a  small 
amount  of  money  from  his  father's  estate,  Mr. 
Berry  then  purchased  a  farm  in  Fountain  Green 
Township,  and  continued  its  cultivation  for  a  year, 
but,  as  his  taste  lay  in  another  direction,  on  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  came  to  Carthage,  where 
he  began  reading  law  in  the  office  of  Mack  & 
Baird.  In  January,  1877,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  and  immediately  thereafter  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Judge  Thomas  C.  Sharp,  of  Carthage. 
This  connection  has  since  continued,  covering  a 
period  of  seventeen  years.  In  1879,  Melvin  P. 
Berry-  was  admitted  to  the  firm,  and  the  style  was 
changed  to  Sharp  &  Berry  Brothers.  The  senior 
member  has  now  been  an  invalid  for  several  years, 
and  the  business  is  thus  left  to  the  care  of  his 
partners.  Our  subject  has  won  prominence  in  his 
chosen  profession,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  Hancock  County  Bar,  a 
reputation  which  is  well  merited,  as  it  has  been 
won  through  skill  and  ability. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bern,- were  born  five  children, 
but  three  of  the  number  died  in  infancy,  and 
one  son  was  drowned  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years. 
Orville  F.,  the  only  sun-iving  child,  is  now  a  lad 
of  ten  summers. 

Mr.  Berry  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  is  a  most  stalwart  advocate  of  its  principles. 
On  attaining  his  majority  he  was  elected  Assessor, 
and  when  nineteen  years  of  age  he  sen-ed  as  a 
delegate  to  the  State  Convention.  He  has  always 
taken  an  active  part  in  everything  that  tends  to 
advance   Republican  interests.     When  Carthage 


164 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  changed  from  a  village  to  a  city,  he  was 
elected  its  first  Mayor,  and  was  twice  re-elected. 
In  1888,  he  was  elected  State  Senator,  and  when 
the  returns  were  received  in  1892  it  was  found 
that  he  was  again  the  people's  choice  for  that 
position.  During  the  first  session  he  served  as 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Education  and 
Educational  Institutions.  During  that  time  the 
compulsory  school  law  was  passed.  Mr.  Berry 
has  ever  been  a  warm  friend  to  the  public  schools, 
and  his  labors  in  the  Senate  resulted  in  great  good 
to  the  cause  of  education.  He  was  strongly  op- 
posed to  throwing  out  the  English  language  from 
the  public  schools,  and  in  1 892  made  an  open  fight 
in  behalf  of  the  mother  tongue.  The  friends  of  ed- 
ucation rallied  to  his  support,  and  he  was  re-elected 
by  a  large  majority.  Believing  that  good  schools 
are  the  foundation  of  a  good  government,  neither 
fear  nor  favor  would  cause  him  to  waver  in  sup- 
port of  that  view.  Mr.  Berry  was  also  a  member 
of  the  Committees  on  Judiciary,  Judiciary  Depart- 
ment, Railroad  Corporations,  Charitable  Institu- 
tions, Canals  and  Rivers,  and  World's  Fair.  He 
was  also  chairman  of  the  Republican  Steering 
Committee.  His  record  in  the  Senate  is  one  of 
which  he  may  well  be  proud,  for  he  labors  to  ad- 
vance the  best  interests  of  the  people,  and  has 
their  confidence  and  high  commendation.  He 
was  also  appointed  as  one  of  five  Commissioners 
to  revise  the  statutes,  on  a  committee  composed 
of  two  members  from  the  Senate  and  three  from 
the  House. 

Mr.  Bern-  also  takes  great  interest  in  civic  so- 
cieties, is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  Lodge,  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  of 
which  he  was  Grand  Master  of  Illinois  in  1883 
and  1884.  He  has  been  a  representative  to  the 
Supreme  Lodge  of  the  United  States  and  Canada 
for  ten  years,  and  was  twice  a  delegate  to  the 
Congress  of  the  Fraternal  Societies  of  the  United 
States.  He  also  delivered  the  oration  for  Illinois 
on  A.  O.  U.  W.  Day  at  the  Columbian  Exposi- 
tion in  Festival  Hall.  He  was  the  first  Secretary 
of  the  County  Fair  Association,  held  that  position 
for  six  years,  and  for  three  years  was  General 
Superintendent.     In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Pres- 


byterian, and  has  served  as  Superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school  for  eight  years.  He  is  an 
able  attorney,  and  the  large  practice  which  he 
receives  attests  his  skill  and  ability.  He  has  risen 
to  his  prominent  position  by  his  own  efforts; 
with  no  special  advantages,  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward,  until  he  has  become  a 
leader  in  political  and  professional  circles  in  his 
native  State. 

(TAMES  SAMPLE,  who  resides  in  Carthage, 
I  was  born  in  May  town,  Lancaster  County, 
O  Pa.,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Jane  (Haw- 
thorne) Sample.  The  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  were  spent  upon  his  father's  farm,  where  he 
remained  until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He 
then  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and  leaving 
the  East  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1847.  He  spent 
three  years  in  traveling  and  working  at  his  trade 
in  New  Orleans  and  other  places,  and  in  1850 
came  to  Hancock  County,  settling  near  Fountain 
Green,  where  he  entered  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment. In  his  early  life  he  had  learned  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter  and  joiner,  and  his  brothers,  John 
and  Frank,  also  followed  the  same  pursuit  until 
the  war.  The  parents  both  died  in  1887,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-four. 

After  coming  to  Hancock  County,  Mr.  Sample 
was  associated  with  his  brothers  in  business  until 
he  entered  the  service  of  his  country  as  a  defen- 
der of  the  Union.  He  was  a  valiant  soldier,  al- 
ways found  at  his  post  of  duty,  and  was  wounded 
in  the  service.  The  injuries  he  sustained  were 
such  as  to  unfit  him  for  further  work  in  the  line 
of  his  trade,  and  after  his  return  home  he  em- 
barked in  the  furniture  business,  which  he  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  until  the  summer  of  1893, 
when  he  retired.  He  not  only  built  up  a  good 
trade  in  this  place,  but  also  established  branch 
houses  at  Fountain  Green  and  Ferris.  He  is  a 
man  of  excellent  business  and  executive  ability, 
and  his  well-directed  efforts  brought  him  a  hand- 
some competency. 

In    1852,    Mr.  Sample   was  united  in  marriage 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


'65 


with  Miss  Elizabeth  Delia  Spangler,  of  Hancock 
County.  They  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Katie, 
now  the  wife  of  W.  S.  Huckins,  a  traveling  sales- 
man, and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huckins  have  one  son. 
The  Sample  home  is  a  comfortable  and  substan- 
tial residence,  and  in  addition  to  this  property  our 
subject  owns  a  business  block  and  is  interested  in 
farm  lands. 

Mr.  Sample  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party  since  its  organization,  and  for 
many  terms  has  served  on  the  Town  Board.  He 
has  been  closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  the 
city,  was  partly  instrumental  in  securing  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  college  in  this  place,  and  has 
done  all  in  his  power  toward  aiding  in  those  en- 
terprises which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit,  and  which  advance  the  best  interests  of 
the  community.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity  of  Carthage,  and  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  the  Grand  Army  post.  He  is  one 
of  the  ruling  Elders  in  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  has  been  active  in  church  and  benevolent 
work.  His  life  has  been  well  and  worthily  spent, 
and  he  is  now  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest. 

Gl  LBERT  FULLER  was  born  in  Sandisfield, 
LA  Mass. ,  on  the  5th  of  September,  1804.  and 
/  l  died  iu  Warsaw,  111..  February  6,  1880,  in 
the  seventy-sixth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  him,  and  his  loss  was 
deeply  mourned.  His  father,  Joseph  Fuller,  was 
a  farmer,  but  the  son  was  reared  to  mercantile 
pursuits,  and  in  his  native  State  followed  mer- 
chandising for  some  time.  In  1850,  he  left  his 
old  home  and  removed  to  Vermont,  becoming 
proprietor  of  a  paper-mill  in  Fair  Haven.  He 
continued  its  operation  for  five  years,  and  in  1855 
removed  to  Granville,  N.  V.,  where  he  spent  one 
year. 

During  the  succeeding  year,  Mr.  Fuller  severed 
all  business  relations  in  the  East  and  emigrated 
to  Illinois,  taking  up  his  residence  in  Warsaw, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  He  became 
one  of  the  leading  stockholders  in  a  foundry,  and 


continued  in  that  line  of  business  with  excellent 
success  for  many  years. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1840,  Mr.  Fuller  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Julia  May,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Asa  and  Adah  Judd.  She  came  from  an 
old  Massachusetts  family,  which  was  founded  in 
America  during  early  Colonial  days.  Her  father 
was  a  farmer  and  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  paper.  She  was  born  in  Otis,  Berkshire 
County,  Mass.,  January  21,  1815,  and  is  nowthe 
only  surviving  member  of  her  father's  family. 
Her  brother,  Dr.  Homer  Judd,  came  to  Warsaw  in 
1853,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
dentistry  here  for  a  number  of  years.  He  became 
one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the  dental  pro- 
fession, and  was  known  throughout  the  countrv. 
His  death  occurred  in  Upper  Alton,  111.,  May  20, 
1890.  Another  brother,  Orson  Judd,  resided  iu 
Shalersville,  Ohio.  Riley  was  a  fruit-grower  ot 
Kansas,  and  a  sister  was  the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Mer- 
ryman,  a  physician  now  of  Dixon,  111. 

Previous  to  her  marriage  with  our  subject,  Mrs. 
Fuller  was  the  wife  of  Charles  May.  Their  wed- 
ding was  celebrated  on  the  21st  of  June,  1837,  and 
thej'  became  the  parents  of  one  son,  Charles,  who 
was  born  May  10,  1838.  He  graduated  from  a 
medical  and  also  a  dental  college  of  Cincinnati. 
During  the  late  war  he  entered  the  army,  and  his 
sen-ice  so  impaired  his  health  that  his  death  oc- 
curred on  the  nth  of  March,  1867. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fuller  were  born  three  chil- 
dren. Dr.  A.  H.  is  now  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  dentistry  in  St.  Louis,  and  holds  a  fore- 
most place  in  professional  ranks.  Dr.  Briggs 
Judd,  who  was  born  December  8,  1843,  became 
a  physician,  but  entered  the  army  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
seventh  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  captured  by 
Gen.  Forest  near  Memphis,  Tenn.,  July  21,  1864, 
and  was  incarcerated  for  a  year  in  Cahaba 
Prison,  Ala.  His  was  the  regiment  that  started 
home  on  the  ill-fated  "Sultana,"  but  fortunately 
for  the  Doctor  he  had  taken  passage  on  the 
"Magenta"  the  day  previous.  Helen  A.  is  the 
youngest  member  of  the  Fuller  family,  and  resides 
in  Warsaw. 

Mr.  Fuller  was  possessed  of  excellent  business 


1 66 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ability,  was  enterprising  and  industrious,  and  his 
energy  and  perseverance  made  his  business  career 
one  of  success.  He  took  an  active  interest  in  the 
upbuilding  of  Warsaw  and  was  long  numbered 
among  its  leading  and  progressive  citizens.  The 
history  of  his  life  well  deserves  a  place  in  this 
volume. 

(JOSEPH  AVERY  WHITE.  Jr.,  has  during 
I  the  past  six  years  made  his  home  in  Warsaw, 
(2/  where  he  carries  on  business  as  a  lumber 
merchant,  enjoying  a  good  trade,  which  he  has 
secured  through  well-directed  efforts  and  straight- 
forward, honorable  dealing.  The  record  of  his 
life  is  as  follows:  A  native  of  Massachusetts,  he 
was  born  on  the  3d  of  November,  1857,  and  is  a 
son  of  J.  A.  and  Jane  Elizabeth  (Fisher)  White, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  old  Bay  State.  The 
White  family  is  of  English  extraction,  and  the 
original  American  ancestors  crossed  the  Atlantic 
from  England  to  Boston  in  the  year  1630,  just 
one  decade  after  the  Pilgrims  landed  on  Plymouth 
Rock.  J.  A.  White,  Sr. ,  was  an  importer  of  West 
India  goods,  and  followed  that  business  in  Boston 
for  about  thirty  years.  He  was  a  well-known 
merchant  of  that  city.  His  wife  died  March  25, 
1868.  In  their  family  were  four  children:  Henry 
F. ,  who  now  resides  in  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa;  Ed- 
ward Irving,  who  is  located  in  Chicago;  George 
Allen,  who  is  living  at  the  old  home  in  Massa- 
chusetts; and  J.  A.  of  this  sketch. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Mr.  White 
whose  name  heads  this  record  we  note  that  his 
boyhood  days  were  spent  midst  play  and  work  in 
his  native  State,  and  that  his  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  city  schools  of  Boston.  After  com- 
pleting his  literary  course,  he  was  graduated  from 
the  Comers  Business  College,  of  Boston,  in  1876. 
He  then  went  to  Minnesota,  where,  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Burlington,  Cedar  Rapids  &  North- 
ern Railroad  Company,  he  was  engaged  in  sur- 
veying for  a  period  of  three  years.  Later,  he  re- 
moved to  Knox  County,  Mo.,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  a  lumber-yard  at  Knox   City   for  two 


years.  The  succeeding  two  years  were  spent  in 
La  Belle,  and  subsequently  he  made  his  home  for 
a  short  time  in  Alexandria,  Mo.  His  next  place 
of  residence  was  in  Kansas  City,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  business  as  a  dealer  in  feed,  hay,  grain, 
etc.  The  year  1888  witnessed  his  arrival  in  War- 
saw. Here  he  opened  a  lumber-yard,  and  has 
since  conducted  the  same  with  good  success. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1884,  Mr.  White 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Man-  Kennedy. 
The  lady  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Mason) 
Kennedy.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Belfast, 
Ireland,  and  after  emigrating  to  this  country  mar- 
ried Miss  Mason,  a  native  of  Georgia.  They  re- 
sided for  some  time  in  Mobile,  Ala.,  and  thence 
removed  to  Kirksville,  Mo.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White 
are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  com- 
munity, where  they  have  many  warm  friends. 
Mr.  White  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  sup- 
port of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never  sought 
or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  of- 
fice. He  is  a  man  of  good  business  and  executive 
ability,  and  is  a  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizen, 
who  manifests  a  commendable  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community 
in  which  he  makes  his  home. 

g *-^H-^l=*— I 

(TAMES  E.  MANIFOLD  was  for  many  years 
I  a  prominent  citizen  of  Hancock  County,  and 
(*/  will  be  remembered  by  the  greater  part  of 
the  citizens  of  this  community.  A  native  of  Tenn- 
essee, he  was  born  in  Roane  County  on  the  30th 
of  July,  1822.  His  parents  were  George  and 
Mary  (Persley)  Manifold,  and  their  family  num- 
bered eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, who  in  order  of  birth  were  as  follows:  Sarah, 
deceased,  wife  of  W.  Wheeler,  a  resident  of  Jeffer- 
son County,  Iowa;  Nancy,  who  is  now  the  wife 
of  John  McCord,  a  resident  of  La  Harpe  Town- 
ship, Hancock  County;  Elizabeth,  now  deceased; 
William  F. ;  Joseph  N.;  James  E.,  of  whom  we 
write;  Benjamin  J.,  who  is  living  in  Durham 
Township;  and  John,  who  makes  his  home  in  La 
Harpe  Township. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


167 


No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject  save  his 
removal  to  Illinois.  When  a  lad  of  fourteen  years 
he  left  his  native  State  and  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  emigration  to  Illinois.  The  family 
located  in  Hancock  County,  and  the  education  of 
James  Manifold,  which  was  begun  in  his  native 
State,  was  completed  in  the  district  schools  of  this 
locality.  He  shared  in  the  trials  and  hardships 
of  life  on  the  frontier,  and  was  familiar  with  the 
history  of  pioneer  life  of  Hancock  County,  for  he 
saw  this  region  when  it  was  wild  and  unimproved, 
and  was  an  eye-witness  of  its  development  and 
advancement. 

After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity,  Mr.  Mani- 
fold was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Logan,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Elizabeth  (McCarty)  Logan.  The 
lady  was  born  on  the  28th  of  November,  1830, 
and  was  educated  in  the  district  schools.  She 
has  proved  to  her  husband  a  faithful  companion 
and  helpmate,  aiding  him  in  his  work  by  her 
thrifty  ways,  her  good  management,  encourage- 
ment and  sympathy.  Mr.  Manifold  always  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming.  He  first  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  laud  in 
Durham  Township,  eight  miles  west  of  the  Mani- 
fold homestead,  and  there  resided  for  forty-seven 
years.  He  placed  the  entire  tract  under  the  plow, 
and  transformed  the  once  wild  land  into  rich  and 
fertile  fields,  which  yielded  to  the  owner  a  good 
income.  He  then  purchased  an  eighty-acre  farm 
adjoining  his  first  tract,  and  afterward  bought  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  additional. 

Subsequently ,  he  bought  his  present  homestead 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  having  made 
upon  this  farm  some  valuable  improvements,  it  be- 
came one  of  the  best  country  homes  in  Hancock 
County.  Altogether  he  owned  seven  hundred  and 
ninety  acres  of  valuable  land,  of  which  all  was 
arable,  with  the  exception  of  a  thirty-acre  timber 
tract. 

For  twenty-six  years  Mr.  Manifold  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Dur- 
ham, and  took  an  active  interest  in  all  that  per- 
tained to  its  upbuilding  and  growth,  and  gave 
liberally  to  its  support.     He  was  also  a  friend  to 


benevolent  and  charitable  institutions,  and  the 
needy  were  never  turned  from  his  door  empty- 
handed.  In  his  political  views,  he  was  a  Repub- 
lican, but  never  sought  or  desired  official  distinc- 
tion, preferring  to  devote  his  entire  time  and  at- 
tention to  business  interests.  Whatever  he  un- 
dertook he  carried  forward  to  a  successful  com- 
pletion, undeterred  by  any  obstacles  that  might 
arise  in  his  path.  His  death  occurred  August 
28,  1892.     His  widow  now  manages  the  estate. 

to  l  cj?'t">b  :;  a 

^"  HO  MAS  H.  BOSCOW,  M.  D.,  who  is  suc- 
I  C  cessfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
Viy  cine  at  Kirksville,  Mo.,  but  resides  in  War- 
saw, is  a  native  of  England,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Liverpool  on  the  27th  of  April,  18 19. 
His  parents  were  Nicholas  and  Alice  (Newell) 
Boscow.  The  father  engaged  in  merchandising 
in  his  native  land  until  1842,  when  with  his  fam- 
ily he  immigrated  to  America.  He  took  up  his 
residence  in  Hancock  County,  111.,  but  his  death 
occurred  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  1824,  while  visit- 
ing a  daughter  in  that  city. 

The  Doctor  is  one  of  twelve  children.  He 
bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends  in  1842,  and 
sailed  for  New  Orleans,  from  whence  he  made 
his  way  to  Peoria,  and  thence  to  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, 111.  Here  he  purchased  a  farm  and  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits  for  about  ten  years.  Ere 
leaving  his  native  land,  he  had  studied  medicine, 
and  embarked  in  his  profession  on  the  Isle  of 
Man.  In  1853,  he  came  to  Warsaw  and  opened 
a  store,  dealing  in  dry  goods.  He  carried  on 
operations  along  that  line  with  fair  success  until 
1868,  when  he  sold  out  and  resumed  the  practice 
of  medicine.  He  is  a  skilled  physician,  and 
makes  a  specialty  of  chronic  diseases.  He  has 
an  office  in  Kirksville,  Mo.,  and  for  a  time  also 
had- a  branch  office  in  Quincy,  111. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1840,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Dr.  Boscow  and  Miss  Anna  F. 
Bonnyman,  a  native  of  the  Isle  of  Man.  Her 
mother,  Mrs.  Jane  Maria  (Radcliffe)  Bonnyman, 
was  also   born  on  the  Isle  of  Man,   at  the  old 


1 68 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


homestead  which  had  been  in  possession  of  the 
Radcliffe  family  for  three  hundred  years.  After 
the  death  of  her  husband  she  managed  the  affairs 
of  the  estate.  She  reached  the  very  advanced 
age  of  ninety-two  years,  and  up  to  the  very  last 
retained  her  mental  and  physical  faculties  to  a  re- 
markable degree. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boscow  were  born  nine 
children,  of  whom  four  are  still  living.  Hard- 
ing, Alexander  and  Thomas  are  all  residents  of 
California.  Maria  is  living  in  Warsaw.  One  son, 
Charles  S. ,  became  a  physician  of  California.  He 
graduated  from  the  High  School  of  Warsaw 
when  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  the  youngest 
pupil  who  had  ever  graduated  here  up  to  that 
time.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Keokuk 
Medical  College  in  1884,  and  in  1886  removed  to 
California,  where  he  became  an  active  and  promi- 
nent member  of  the  State  Medical  Society.  His 
death  occurred  on  the  21st  of  January,  1888.  A 
daughter,  Mrs.  Fannie  Wolf,  died  in  New  York, 
July  15,  1864.  Sarah  was  the  wife  of  Dr.  Bull, 
ofKahoka,  Mo.,  and  died  January  29,  1894. 

Dr.  Boscow  votes  with  the  Republican  party 
and  keeps  well  informed  on  all  the  issues  of  the 
day,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  political 
preferment.  In  religious  belief  he  is  an  Episco- 
palian. The  greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  de- 
voted to  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  he  has  ever 
been  a  close  student  of  the  profession.  He  has 
made  a  specialty  of  chronic  diseases,  and  in  this 
line  has  won  prominence.  He  receives  from  the 
public  a  liberal  patronage,  which  is  well  merited 
by  his  skill  and  ability. 

§ "-acrVb1    "        « 

(TjEYMOUR  L.  McCRORY,  attorney-at-law 
?\  and  Notary  Public  of  Ea  Harpe,  is  a  native 
Cfy  of  Liberty  Township,  Adams  County,  111. 
He  was  born  on  the  9th  of  March,  1867,  and  is  a 
son  of  James  McCrory,  who  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington County,  Pa.,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1820. 
The  latter  was  the  eldest  child  of  Samuel  and 
Hannah  McCrory.  On  the  6th  of  November, 
1843,  in   his   native  county,  was   celebrated   the 


marriage  of  James  McCrory  and  Miss  Letitia  Job, 
who  was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  ten  children, 
nine  daughters  and  a  son.  Her  mother  died 
when  she  was  only  nine  days  old,  and  she  is  now 
the  only  survivor  of  the  entire  family.  Until  she 
was  seven  years  of  age  her  eldest  sister  cared  for 
her,  and  from  that  time  until  her  marriage  she 
made  her  home  with  a  Quaker  family  by  the 
name  of  Sutherland.  On  the  6th  of  November, 
1893,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCrory  celebrated  their  fif- 
tieth wedding  anniversary.  For  a-half  century 
they  had  traveled  life's  journey  together,  sharing 
with  each  other  its  joys  and  sorrows,  its  adver- 
sity and  prosperity.  Their  union  was  blessed  with 
a  family  of  eight  children,  all  of  whom  are  yet 
living,  namely:  Minerva  E.,  wife  of  Alvin  Harts- 
horn, of  Richfield  Township,  Adams  County, 
where  he  is  now  serving  as  Township  Supervisor; 
Zoula  Myrtle,  wife  of  N.  P.  Mclntyre,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Carrollton,  Mo.;  Martin  R.,  a  physi- 
cian and  surgeon  of  Pueblo,  Colo.;  John  K.,  a 
real-estate  broker  of  Trinidad,  Colo.;  Charlotte 
L.,  wife  of  J.  E.  Worrell,  Jr.,  who  carries  on 
farming  in  Bowen,  Hancock  County;  George  B., 
a  blacksmith  residing  on  the  old  farm  in  Liberty, 
111.;  H.  Geneva,  at  home;  and  Seymour  L.,  our 
subject.  The  father  of  this  family  emigrated  to 
Adams  County,  111.,  in  1850,  and  for  some  time 
followed  the  plasterer's  trade,  which  he  had 
learned  in  early  life.  He  is  now  living  retired 
on  the  old  farm  which  he  purchased  in  1851. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Mr. 
McCrory  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He 
attended  the  district  schools  near  his  old  home 
until  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  then  en- 
tered Chaddock  College,  of  Quincy,  111.,  where 
he  remained  for  a  3-ear.  After  leaving  that  insti- 
tution at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  taught  for  four 
years  in  the  district  schools  of  Adams  Count}-, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  again  en- 
tered Chaddock  College  as  a  teacher  of  stenog- 
raphy. At  the  same  time  he  entered  upon  a  lit- 
erary course  of  study,  which  he  continued  for 
three  years.  During  the  second  year  of  that 
course  he  also  entered  the  law  department  01 
Chaddock  College,  where  he  continued  his  studies 
for  a  time.     Later  he  became  a  student  in  the  law 


LIBR'RV 
I'l   i;r  IluNUIS 
URBANA 


Hon.   C.  V.   Chandler 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


'7' 


office  of  Shannon  &  Lemmon,  of  Quincy,  111., 
and  under  their  direction  completed  his  course. 
Passing  the  State  examination,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar  on  the  oth  of  March,  1893,  and  since 
that  time  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  prac- 
tice. On  the  1st  of  May  following,  he  came  to 
La  Harpe  and  opened  an  office,  and  on  the  8th 
of  the  same  month  he  was  commissioned  Notary 
Public. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1893,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  McCrory  and  Miss  Fannie 
B.  Gillies,  only  daughter  of  Rev.  John  and  Fan- 
nie (Bartholow)  Gillies,  of  Kirksville,  Mo.  The 
young  couple  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist 
Protestant  Church  and  take  an  active  part  in  its 
work  and  upbuilding.  Their  home  is  a  hospita- 
ble one,  and  they  are  favorably  known  through- 
out this  community.  In  politics,  Mr.  McCrory  is 
a  Democrat,  and  his  first  Presidential  vote  was 
cast  for  Grover  Cleveland  in  [888.  He  is  still  a 
young  man,  but  has  given  evidence  of  ability  in 
his  profession  that  will  rapidly  win  him  a  fore- 
most place  at  the  Bar. 

Mr  McCrory,  who  has  a  bright  future  before 
him,  is  making  marked  progress  in  his  profession. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  belonging  to  Gem  City  Lodge  No.  357, 
of  Quincy,  111. 


B^+^l 


EHARLES  VTLASCO  CHANDLER  has  for 
many  years  been  prominently  identified  with 
all  that  pertains  to  the  upbuilding  of  Ma- 
comb, with  its  leading  enterprises,  with  its 
industries,  and  with  those  interests  which  are 
calculated  to  promote  the  general  welfare.  In 
manner,  he  is  plain  and  unassuming,  yet  prob- 
ably no  man  is  better  known  in  McDonough 
County.  The  family  of  which  he  is  a  mem 
ber  traces  its  ancestry  back  through  several 
generations  to  William  Chandler  and  his  wife 
Annis,  who  came  from  England  to  America,  and 
located  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  in  1637.  They  be- 
longed to  the  nobility  of  England,  ami  the  coal  of 
8 


arms  bore  the  family  motto,  ".  Id  Mortem  Fidelis. ' ' 
The  crest  borne  on  the  closed  helmet  above  the 
coat  of  arms  is  that  of  a  pelican  in  her  nest  wound 
ing  her  breast  in  order  to  feed  her  young  witli  her 
own  blood — an  emblem  of  parental  affection.  The 
mantle,  cut  and  jagged,  hanging  from  the  hel- 
met indicates  the  faithful  service  of  the  warrior; 
the  gauntlet,  his  prowess;  and  across  the  check 
ered  base  of  blue  and  red  is  a  belt  ornamented  by 
three  lions  passant. 

To  William  and  Annis  Chandler  were  born  five 
children,  one  of  whom,  Capt.  Thomas  Chandler, 
was  seven  years  of  age  when  his  parents  emigrated 
to  America.  He  became  one  of  the  proprietors 
and  early  pioneers  in  the  settlement  of  Andover, 
and  was  a  Representative  to  the  General  Court 
in  [678  and  [679.  He  died  in  1703.  A  tradition 
tells  of  the  existence  of  iron  works  owned  by  one 
of  his  sons,  and  the  story  is  supported  by  a  record 
of  a  bill  of  sale  of  a  half-interest  in  the  same  in 
1718.  The  works  were  located  where  Marland 
Village  now  stands.  Henry,  the  sixth  child  born 
to  Thomas  and  Hannah  1  Brewer)  Chandler,  was 
born  May  28,  [667,  and  was  married  November 
26,  [691,  to  Lydia  Abbott.  He  was  a  man  of 
prominence,  who  took  a  leading  part  in  public 
affairs.  Having  purchased  seventeen  hundred 
acres  of  land,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Con- 
necticut River,  for  .£700,  he  removed  thither  in 
1723,  and  there  spent  his  remaining  days,  his 
death  occurring  August  27,  1737.  He  had  thir- 
teen children  and  ninety-nine  grandchildren.  The 
fifth  child,  Nehemiah  Chandler,  was  born  in  1703, 
and  in  August,  1733.  he  wedded  Man'  Burroughs, 
who  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five  years, 
five  months  and  nine  days.  His  death  occurred 
September  9,  1756.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chandler  were 
the  parents  of  ten  children.  Their  son  Samuel 
was  born  October  1 1,  1737,  and  married  Margaret 
Thompson,  of  Alstead,  N.  H.  He  was  a  Lieu- 
tenant of  the  first  company  of  militia,  formed  in 
1773,  in  Alstead.  James  Chandler,  who  was  the 
sixth  in  order  of  birth  in  their  family  of  eight 
children,  was  born  April  23,  1771,  and  on  the 
29th  of  September,  1705.  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Abigail  Vilas.  This  worthy  couple  were 
the  grandparents  of  our  subject.      Mr.  Chandler 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  died  Novem- 
ber   t8,  [857,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Charles  Chandler, 
was  the  sixth  in  a  family  of  nine  children,  and 
was  born  May  28,  1S09.  Having  arrived  at  years 
of  maturity,  he  was  married  December  15,  1836, 
to  .Sarah  K.  Cheatham,  who  was  born  October  15, 
iSiq.  and  wasa  daughter  of  Samuel  G.  Cheatham, 
of  Macomb.  Her  death  occurred  in  this  city  Sep- 
tember 29,  1S55.  Charles  Chandler  held  the  office 
of  School  Commissioner  of  the  county,  was  Justice 
of  the  Peace  and  Notary  Public.  He  also  served 
as  Colonel  in  the  Illinois  State  Militia.  In  March, 
1858,  he  established  a  private  bank,  which,  on  the 
8th  of  February,  1865,  was  merged  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Macomb.  He  embarked  in  this 
line  of  business  during  the  hard  times  that  fol- 
lowed the  financial  panic  of  1857,  but  the  people 
reposed  the  utmost  confidence  in  him,  and  knew 
that  he  would  make  good  all  promises.  Never  a 
dollar  was  deposited  with  him  that  was  not  re- 
turned when  called  for.  In  1865  he  organized 
the  First  National  Bank,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$50,000.  Among  its  stockholders  were  Joseph 
Anderson,  Joseph  Burton,  J.  W.  Mcintosh,  C.  V. 
Chandler.  A.  E.  Hoskinson,  S.  F.  Lancey,  Henry 
C.Twyman,  J.  H.  Cummings  and  J.  B.  Cummings. 
Its  first  officers  were  Charles  Chandler,  President: 
J.  H.  Cummings.  Cashier;  C.  V.  Chandler,  Teller; 
and  Joseph  Burton,  Joseph  Anderson,  S.  F.  Lan- 
cey. A.  E.  Hoskinson  and  Charles  Chandler  as  Di- 
rectors. The  last-named  gentleman  continued  his 
connection  with  the  business  interests  of  the  city 
until  his  death  in  1878. 

C.  V.  Chandler  was  born  in  the  First  Ward  of 
Macomb,  January  25,  1843,  and  still  resides  in 
his  native  city.  After  attending  its  public  schools, 
he  pursued  his  studies  for  a  time  in  Danbury, 
Conn.,  and  later  was  a  student  in  Lake  Forest 
Academy,  of  Illinois.  It  was  his  intention  to  en- 
ter Williams  College  ill  [862,  but  love  of  country 
shaped  his  course  otherwise,  and  with  an  earnest 
desire  to  aid  in  the  defense  of  the  Union,  he 
joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  I.  Seventy- 
eighth  Illinois  Infantry.  After  nine  months,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Second  Lieutenant. 
At  the  battle  ofChickamauga,  September  20,  [863, 


he  was  wounded  by  a  rifle-ball,  which  passed 
through  both  thighs,  and  again  by  a  ball  which 
passed  through  one  thigh.  Just  before  the  injury, 
he  had  taken  hold  of  a  small  hickory  tree,  and  re- 
marked to  the  First  Lieutenant,  "I  guess  we  will 
pull  through  all  right."  Almost  immediately 
the  ball  struck  him,  and  he  added,  "I  guess  we 
will  not."  Mr.  Chandler  now  has  in  his  posses- 
sion a  cane  made  from  the  tree  to  which  he  was 
holding  at  the  time.  Obtaining  a  furlough,  he 
returned  home,  but  after  recovering  his  health  and 
strength  he  rejoined  his  regiment  March  1,  1864. 
In  the  mean  time  he  had  been  made  Adjutant,  but 
he  so, m  found  that  he  would  have  to  resign  his 
commission  and  return  home,  for  the  injuries  he 
had  sustained  unfitted  him  for  active  service. 

The  business  career  of  Mr.  Chandler  has  been 
an  honorable,  straightforward  one,  which  has 
gained  for  him  the  confidence  and  good- will  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact.  On 
his  return  from  the  war,  he  became  Teller  in  the 
First  National  Bank,  and  continued  to  fill  that 
position  until  the  death  of  his  father,  December 
26,  1878,  at  which  time  he  became  President  of 
the  institution.  He  then  continued  at  the  head 
for  a  number  of  years,  but  afterward  sold  out  to 
the  firm  of  Hungate.  Ward  cc  Co.,  who  changed 
the  name  to  the  Bank  of  Macomb.  In  1893,  how- 
ever, Mr.  Chandler  re-purchased  it.  and  is  now 
its  President.  His  business  interests  have  been 
extensive.  He  erected  and  is  still  owner  of  the 
Opera  House  Block,  and  in  connection  with  this 
he  has  a  number  of  other  fine  brick  business 
blocks  in  the  city. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  18(16.  Mr.  Chandler 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Clara  A.  Baker, 
daughter  of  Judge  J.  H.  Baker,  a  well-known  citi- 
zen of  Macomb.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  six  children:  Charles  J.,  who  died  in  infancy : 
Clara,  wife  of  F.  H.  Mapes;  Mary,  Ralph.  George 
and  Isabella,  who  are  yet  at  home.  The  Chandler 
household  is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  the 
members  of  the  family  rank  high  in  social  circles. 

Mr.  Chandler  is  connected  with  several  civic 
societies.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  is  a 
Royal  Arch   Mason  and  a  Knight  Templar.      He 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


'73 


is  also  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  of  Mc 
Donough  Post  No.  [83,  G.  A.  R.,  having  served 
as  Commander  of  the  latter  order.  He  votes 
in  support  of  the  Republican  party,  and  is  a 
stalwart  advocate  of  its  principles.  In  the  year 
1S70  he  was  appointed  City  Treasurer,  and  held 
the  office  for  sixteen  years.  He  has  also  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  Twenty-seventh  General 
Assembly,  and  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
City  Council.  By  his  connection  with  business 
interests,  lie  has  aided  materially  in  the  prosperity 
of  his  native  city.  His  hearty  support  and  co- 
operation are  given  to  all  worthy  public-  enter- 
prises and  charities,  and  in  no  small  degree  is 
Macomb  indebted  to  him  for  its  advancement  and 
progress.  He  is  free  from  all  ostentation  and  dis- 
play, and  does  not  take  credit  to  himself,  yet  his 
fellow-townsmen  recognize  that  he  has  been  a 
most  important  factor  in  everything  pertaining  to 
the  good  ofMcDonough  County. 

e.  ^jgi  <,,  1  „>  f=3  ..,.      . m 

30HN  H.  HUNGATE  is  a  banker  of  I.a 
Harpe,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  progressive  business  men  of 
this  place.  He  has  also  taken  a  leading  part  in 
politics,  and  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the 
upbuilding  of  this  place.  A  native  of  Hancock 
Count)  .  he  was  born  June  2,  (838,  and  is  a  son  of 
Adonijali  Hungate,  who  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Ky.,  September  15,  1 S07,  and  died  in  I.a 
Harpe,  August  14,  1891,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years  and  eleven  mouths.  When  he  was 
but  eight  years  old  he  lost  his  father.  Col.  John 
Hungate,  who  was  an  officer  in  tht  War  of  1S12, 
and  died  shortly  before  the  declaration  of  peace. 
Adonijali  Hungate.  deprived  of  the  means  of 
modern  education,  and  iii  a  sparsely  settled  region, 
grew  b  1  manhood  among  the  pioneers  of  his  nativ  e 
State,  receiving  but  limited  privileges.  He  was 
married  August  27,  (829,  to'  Elizabeth  Ward, 
daughter  of  Capt.  Nathan  Ward. 

In  [833,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  Mr. 
Hungate  removed  to  the  new  and  sparsely  settled 
State  of  Illinois,  locating   near  what  is  now    Foun 


tain  Green.  He  is  therefore  numbered  among  the 
pioneers  of  this  county.  In  1838,  however,  he  re- 
moved to  McDonough  County,  where  he  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  on'  a  farm.  Uniting 
with  the  Baptist  Church  at  New  Hope,  he  re 
mained  ever  after  a  faithful  worker  in  the  cause 
of  Christ.  At  a  time  antedating  the  church  and 
schoolhouse,  his  humble  home  was  frequently 
opened  for  public  worship,  and  thus  it  became  a 
rendezvous  for  the  itinerate  evangelist,  and  the 
people  who  there  gathered  for  service  became  the 
nucleus  for  the  organization  of  a  new  church.  It 
was  at  his  house,  February  20,  1849,  that  the 
Hillsboro  Baptist  Church  was  organized,  he  and 
his  devoted  wife  becoming  charter  members.  A 
short  time  after,  largely  through  his  liberality  and 
efforts,  a  house  of  worship  was  erected  near  his 
home  and  a  Sunday-school  formed.  In  1S73,  ne 
retired  from  active  life  and  removed  to  La  Harpe, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death.  He  was  ever 
found  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties, 
whether  public  or  private.  He  endeavored  to  fol- 
low closely  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Master,  and  his 
philanthropic  and  patriotic  virtues  well  deserve 
emulation. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hungate  were  born  sixteen 
children:  Charles  G.,  of  Blandinsville;  William 
J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Nathan 
Ward,  who,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  was 
murdered  by  the  Indians  in  [864,  eighteen  miles 
from  Denver,  Colo.,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Indian 
War  which  resulted  in  the  extermination  of  that 
band  of  red  men  at  Sandy  Creek  by  Gen.  Schiving 
ton;  Harrison  H.,  a  very  extensive  farmer  of  Walla 
Walla,  Wash.,  ex -member  of  the  Legislature  from 
his  district,  and  the  present  Treasurer  of  Walla 
Walla  County;  John  II.,  of  this  sketch;  Mary  S., 
widow  of  Samuel  Ruberts,  ofMcDonough  Count)  ; 
Martha  A.,  deceased,  wife  of  Peter  Calder,  of  Cal- 
ifornia; Cynthia  J.,  wife  of  Isaac  N.  Reed,  of  Den- 
ver, Colo.;  James  A.,  a  miller  and  farmer  of  Pull- 
man, Wash.,  and  a  member  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention  of  that  State;  Laura  J.,  who  died  in 
1871,  while  visiting  in  California:  Samuel  C,  who 
was  graduated  from  Abingdon  College,  and  died 
in  Macomb  in  1873:  Nancy  E.,  wife  of  Campbell 
Robinson,  of  Washington;  Calvin    A.,    who   died 


174 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


leaving  a  wife  and  four  children  in  Washington; 
Levi  L..  whodiedin  Hancock  Count)-,  in  1882; 
Lucy  W.,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  Lillie  B.,  wife 
of  C.  H.  Ingram,  of  La  Harpe. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  John 
H.  Hungate,  who  in  the  public  schools  of  Mc- 
Douough  County  acquired  his  early  education, 
which  was  supplemented  by  study  in  the  Burling- 
ton University,  of  Burlington,  Iowa.  After  teach- 
ing for  a  year  and  a-half,  he  entered  the  law  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Chicago,  and  was 
graduated  therefrom  in  1861.  He  immediately 
embarked  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  forni- 
ing  a  partnership  with  Judge  Bailey,  of  Macomb, 
which  was  continued  until  1864,  when  Mr.  Hun- 
gate was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  for 
four  years.  During  his  term  of  office  he  framed 
the  law  providing  for  the  indexing  of  all  the  Cir- 
cuit Court  Records  throughout  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois. The  bill  was  drawn  originally  to  apply  only 
to  McDouough  County,  but  was  taken  up  by  the 
Judiciary  Committee  of  the  Legislature  and  ap- 
plied to  the  State  at  large. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office,  Mr.  Hun- 
gate removed  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  wasen- 
gaged  in  legal  practice  for  five  years.  He  then 
look  a  trip  through  the  West,  and  on  his  return 
bought  out  the  bank  in  La  Harpe  formerly  owned 
by  the  firm  of  C.  F.  Gill  ec  Co.  This  was  in  1874, 
and  since  that  time  he  has  been  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  banking  business  in  this  place.  Un- 
til quite  recently  he  was  also  connected  with  the 
bank  of  Macomb.  In  1876,  he  was  nominated  for 
Congress  by  the  Democratic  party,  but  as  the  dis- 
trict had  a  Republican  majority  of  two  thousand, 
he  was  defeated  by  Benjamin  F.  Marsh,  who, 
however,  won  the  election  by  only  seven  hundred, 
a  fact  which  indicated  the  popularity  of  Mr.  Hun- 
gate. In  1868,  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Senate 
from  the  district  comprising  McDouough,  Mercer. 
Warren  and  Henderson  Counties,  but  could  not 
overcome  the  strong  opposition  of  the  other  party. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  convention  that  nomina- 
ted Grover  Cleveland  for  the  Presidency  in  Chi- 
cago in  1884,  and  during  that  year  made  some 
speeches  in  support  of  his  party. 

In  1877,  Mr.  Hungate  made  a  trip  to  Europe, 


visiting  various  points  of  interest  in  England,  Ire- 
land and  France.  After  his  return  he  was  mar- 
ried, on  the  8th  of  May,  1878,  to  Miss  Florence  E. 
Matthews,  of  Monmouth,  111.,  daughter  of  James 
H.  and  Nancy  (Steward)  Matthews.  Her  grand- 
father was  a  Presbyterian  minister,  and  organized 
the  first  church  in  Macomb.  Her  father  was  a 
graduate  of  Hanover  College,  and  for  a  time  was 
President  of  McDouough  College.  A  brilliant  and 
scholarly  man,  his  many  excellencies  of  character 
made  him  greatly  beloved.  Five  children  have 
graced  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hungate: 
Quintin  Ward,  Edith  Clare,  John  M.,  Jeane  (who 
died  in  infancy  ) ,  and  Harold  G.  The  family  is  one 
of  prominence  in  the  community,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hungate  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  know 
them.  He  is  a  member  of  La  Harpe  Lodge  No. 
195,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  His  life  has  been  well  and 
worthily  spent,  and  his  business  career  has  been 
one  of  success. 


(3  MITH  F.  BRYAN,  who  for  years  has  followed 
7\  farming,  now  lives  retired  in  La  Harpe, 
Vjy  enjoying  the  rest  which  he  has  so  truly  earned 
and  richly  deserves.  His  energy  and  enterprise 
in  former  years  brought  to  him  a  competency, 
which  supplies  him  with  all  the  comforts  and 
many  of  the  luxuries  of  life,  and  his  declining 
years  will  be  pleasantly  passed  among  his  old 
friends  and  acquaintances  in  this  community. 

A  native  of  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  Mr.  Bryan  was 
born  November  17,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob 
Bryan,  who  was  also  born  in  the  same  county  and 
was  of  Irish  extraction.  The  family  resided  in 
New  Jersey  prior  to  1819.  The  father  received 
but  limited  school  privileges,  but  through  read- 
ing, experience  and  observation,  he  becamea  well- 
informed  man.  On  the  14th  of  May,  1824,  he 
was  joined  in  marriage  with  Mary  Bagley,  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Showerman)  Bagley, 
the  ceremony  being  performed  in  Crawford  Coun- 
ty, Pa.  Seven  children  were  born  to  them,  four 
sous  and  three  daughters,  but  the  eldest  daughter 
died  in  infancy,      Rice  B.  is  also  deceased.     Han- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


■75 


nah  was  killed  by  a  runaway  in  La  Harpe  Town- 
ship in  1850.  Cowden  \I.,  a  jeweler  of  La  Harpe, 
died  December  9,  [884.  Smith  F.  is  the  next 
younger.  John  F.,  a  soldier  of  the  late  war,  died 
of  exposure  at  Port  Hudson,  La.,  March  9,  [864. 
Elizabeth  B.,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Cas- 
singham,  a  resident  farmer  of  I,a  Harpe  Town- 
ship. 

Smith  F.  Bryan  was  reared  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Mercer  County  Pa.,  and  upon  the  farm 
in  Hancock  County,  whither  he  came  with  his 
parents  May  15.  1840.  The  trip  westward  was 
made  by  boat  from  Beaver  down  the  Ohio  River 
to  Cairo,  and  up  the  Mississippi  to  Warsaw.  On 
landing  at  that  place  they  loaded  their  household 
effects  on  wagons,  and  in  this  way  completed  their 
trip  to  what  is  known  as  the  James  Gittings 
farm,  three  miles  north  of%a  Harpe.  The  father 
purchased  four  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section 
3,  La  Harpe  Township,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Henderson  County,  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  timber-land.  The  son,  Smith  F., 
was  educated  in  the  subscription  schools  of  La 
Harpe  Township,  but  he  too  is  mostly  self-educa- 
ted, for  altogether  his  attendance  at  the  common 
schools  would  probably  not  cover  a  period  of  more 
than  fifteen  months.  He  became  familiar  with 
all  the  duties  of  farm  life,  however,  and  aided  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  old  homestead  until  about 
twenty-seven  years  of  age. 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1859,  Mr.  Bryan  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Delina  Painter, 
daughter  of  Joseph  T.  and  Phoebe  (Rea)  Painter, 
a  native  of  La  Harpe  Township,  born  November 
13,  [836.  Her  family  had  located  in  that  town- 
ship on  the  4th  of  May  previous.  Our  subject 
and  his  wife  became  the  parents  of  nine  children, 
namely:  Emma  Y..  wife  of  James  Brown,  of  La 
Harpe;  Ida  May,  who  died  October  25,  1865;  Jo- 
seph P.,  who  died  August  10,  1891;  John  P..  a 
farmer  of  LaHarpe  Township;  William  E.  and 
James  R.,  who  both  earn-  011  agricultural  pursuits 
in  that  township;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  Elmer  M. 
Spiker;  Charles  C,  at  home;  and  one  son  who 
died  in  infancy. 

In  1 860  Mr.  Bryan  purchased  two  hundred  acres 
of  land  on  section  9,  La  Harpe  Township,  and  still 


owns  this  farm.  Hecontinued  its  cultivation  un- 
til the  14th  of  August,  [862,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  under  Capt.  Joseph  Shaw.  He 
faithfully  served  for  three  years,  and  was  then 
mustered  out  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  June  5,  1865. 
His  first  battle  was  with  Sherman  in  the  three- 
days  fight  at  Yazoo  River.  He  also  participated 
in  the  engagement  at  Arkansas  Post,  and  the 
battle  of  Thompson's  Hill,  and  was  under  fire  at 
Champion  Hills,  Black  River  Bridge,  siege  of 
Yicksburg,  and  the  battle  of  Jackson.  For 
three  months  he  was  confined  in  the  hospital  at 
Keokuk,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Bryan  is  now  a  member  of  Geddes  Post 
No.  142,  G.  A.  R.,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in 
the  organization,  which  perpetuates  the  fraternal 
feeling  which  existed  among  the  boys  in  blue.  He 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  John  C.  Fre- 
mont in  1856,  and  has  since  been  a  stalwart  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party  and  its  principles. 
He  has  served  as  Township  Assessor,  and  for 
twenty  consecutive  years  was  School  Director. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  their  well-spent  lives  entitle 
them  to  the  high  regard  in  which  they  are  held. 
and  make  them  well  worthy  a  place  in  this  vol- 
ume, among  the  best  and  most  prominent  citizens 
of  Hancock  County. 

S         '      "*_S)"^"T~>  &~~ ' 3) 

(TAMES  E.  MAKKLAXD,  whois  engaged  in 
I  the  livery  business  in  Blandinsville,  claims 
G/  Indiana  as  his  native  State.  He  was  born  in 
Decatur  County,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1S44, 
and  is  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of 
twelve  children,  whose  parents  were  Zadock  and 
Delilah  (Williams)  Markland.  Six  of  their  chil- 
dren died  in  infancy,  and  those  still  living  beside 
our  subject  are,  Richard  J.,  a  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  of  Clay  County,  111.;  William,  who  fol- 
lows the  same  pursuit  in  Wabash  County,  Ind.; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  Duvall,  a  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  Cumberland  County-,  111.;  Oliver, 
who   carries    on    agricultural    pursuits   in   Jasper 


7" 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


County,  111.:  and  Surrilda,  wife  of  John  Courson, 

a  fanner  of  Jasper  County,    111. 

When  a  lad  of  six  summers,  James  E.  Mark- 
land  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emigration 
to  Jasper  County,  111.  The  father  purchased  a 
farm,  and  our  subject  was  thereon  reared,  remain- 
ing under  the  parental  roof  until  nineteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  left  home  and  began  farming  in 
his  own  interest.  He  worked  as  a  farm  hand 
for  two  years,  and  thus  made  a  start  in  life.  He 
acquired  a  good  English  education  in  the  district 
schools,  and  is  now  a  well-informed  man. 

When  he  had  attained  his  majority,  Mr.  Mark- 
land  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  A. 
Bonham,  daughter  of  Levi  and  Mary  (Hunt) 
Bonham,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  on  the 
16th  of  July,  1863.  They  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  four  children,  namely:  Frances  I.,  wife  of 
George  N.  Fife,  a  teamster  of  Blaudinsville:  Will- 
iam L.,  who  is  now  attending  school  in  Chicago: 
Cora  E.,  wife  of  James  B.  Mann,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  teaming  in  Blandinsville;  and  Roy,  at 
home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Markland  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  rented  farm  in  Jasper  County,  111., 
which  our  subject  continued  to  cultivate  until  the 
spring  of  1865,  when  he  left  the  State  and  came 
with  his  family  to  Blandinsville.  Here  he  made 
his  home  until  the  spring  of  1866,  when  he  em- 
barked in  farming  in  Sciota  Township,  there  car- 
rying on  agricultural  pursuits  for  two  years.  In 
1868  we  find  him  engaged  in  farming  in  Logan 
County,  111.:  and  in  the  spring  of  1870  he  re- 
moved to  Henderson  County,  where  he  continued 
agricultural  pursuits  until  1874.  In  that  year  he 
returned  to  Blandinsville  and  began  trading  in 
stock,  a  pursuit  which  he  followed  until  1880, 
when  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Blandins- 
ville Township.  In  1885  he  again  took  up 
his  residence  in  town,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  butchering  business  for  two  years,  and 
during  the  following  four  years  he  engaged 
in  teaming  in  Blandinsville.  In  1889  he  em- 
barked in  the  livery  business,  and  in  1890  built 
his  present  stables. 

Mr.  Markland,  who  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  Democracy,  has  twice  served 


as  Constable,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Town 
Board  for  two  years.  Socially,  he  is  a  member 
of  Hardin  Lodge  No.  25,  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  New 
Hope  Lodge  No.  263,  I.  O.  O.  F.;  and  Aten 
Lodge  No.  22,  L-  H.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
Christian  Church,  and  is  a  valued  and  enterpris- 
ing citizen,  who  manifests  a  commendable  interest 
in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the 
community.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity,  and  is  both  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  this  community. 

GJDDISON  F.  HELMS  is  now  serving  as  Sher- 
I_l  iff  of  Hancock  County,  and  makes  his  home 
/  I  in  Carthage.  The  record  of  his  life  is  as 
follows:  A  native  of  Virginia,  he  was  born  in 
Floyd  County  on  the  1st  of  November,  1844,  and 
is  a  son  of  Hamilton  and  Aurena  (Slusher)  Helms, 
who  were  also  natives  of  Virginia.  The  father 
was  a  farmer,  and  in  1859  he  left  his  native  State, 
emigrating  westward  to  Hancock  County,  111., 
for  he  believed  he  might  better  his  financial  con- 
dition by  removing  to  the  broad  prairies  of  the 
West.  Taking  up  his  residence  in  Carthage  Town- 
ship, he  there  resided  for  seven  years,  after  which 
he  returned  to  Virginia,  where  his  death  occurred 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  His  wife  passed  away 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  They  had  two  sons 
and  one  daughter,  who  are  yet  living  in  Han- 
cock County. 

Our  subject  returned  to  the  Old  Dominion  with 
his  parents  in  the  autumn  of  1866,  but  the  follow- 
ing spring  again  came  to  Illinois,  where  he  began 
farming  upon  rented  land.  He  continued  to  carry 
on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1881,  when  became 
to  Carthage,  and  was  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff, 
holding  the  office  under  William  Damson.  He 
also  served  in  the  same  capacity  under  James  H. 
Wetzel,  and  when  the  latter's  term  had  expired, 
in  1886,  he  became  a  candidate  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  for  the  office.  The  election  returns, 
however,  showed  that  M.  V.  Riley,  his  opponent, 
was  the  successful  candidate,  and  during  the  four 
succeeding  years  Mr.  Helms  served  as  Constable 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  Carthage  Township.  In  1890  it  was 
time  to  elect  a  sheriff,  and  in  that  year  he  ran 
against  Z.  T.  Starkey.  This  time  he  received  a 
good  majority,  and  in  December  entered  upon 
his  duties  as  County  Sheriff,  with  Charles  Weis- 
mann  as  Deputy.  He  lias  done  considerable  pri- 
vate detective  work,  and  possesses  a  keen  e\  e  and 
retentive  memory,  which  well  fit  him  for  that 
service. 

In  Hancock  County,  in  July,  1S67.  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Helms  and  Miss  Au 
relia  Printy,  step-daughter  of  John  \Y.  Cox,  of  St. 
Mary's,  and  a  native  of  this  county.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  three  children,  two  sons 
and  a  daughter,  namely:  Emma,  wife  of  John 
Moore,  formerly  of  Carthage,  but  now  of  Quincy; 
Jay  H.  and  Clay  Vaughn.  The  family  is  well 
known  in  the  community,  where  its  members  have 
main  warm  friends. 

Mr.  Helms  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, belonging  to  Hancock  Lodge  No.  20,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  He  has  made  his  home  within  the 
borders  of  this  county  since  fifteen  years  of  age, 
and  has  therefore  witnessed  much  of  its  growth 
and  development.  He  has  led  a  busy  life,  and  is 
now  acceptably  and  creditably  filling  the  respon- 
sible  position  to  which  he  has  been  called  by  his 
fellow  citizens. 

3 AMES  C.  Con. SOX.  the  popular  and  suc- 
cessful editor  of  the  La  Harper,  which  is  pub- 
lished in  La  Harpe,  Hancock  County,  is  a 
well-known  resident  of  this  community.  He  is 
living  in  his  native  town,  his  birth  having  here 
occurred  on  the  24th  of  September,  [846.  Hi- 
father.  George  Coulson,  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
[800.  With  a  view  to  bettering  his  financial 
condition,  he  emigrated  westward  in  C835,  and 
cast  his  lot  among  the  early  settlers  of  La  Harpe. 
He  was  the  first  physician  of  this  place,  and  was 
widely  and  favorably  known  throughout  this  sec- 
tion of  the  State.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Nancy  A.  Cossitt.  She  was  born  in 
Hartford,  Conn..  December  27,  1802.  and  was  a 


daughter  of  Silas  Cossitt.  Thej  became  the  par- 
ent-of  nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, namely:  Sarah  I'.,  wife  of  E.  M.  Sanford,  a 
resident  of  La  Harpe;  Henry  C  who  died  in  Vic- 
toria, Tex.,  in  1864;  Mary  K..  wife  of  H.  H. 
Barnes,  of  La  Harpe;  Nancy  J.,  wife  of  J.  R.  R. 
Morford,  who  is  living  in  this  place;  Epaphroditus 
C,  who  died  in  La  Harpe  in  1867;  Caroline  A., 
wife  of  D.  D.  Smalley,  who  is  located  in  Raritan, 
111.:  Thomas,  who  died  in  1854;  George,  a  hard- 
ware merchant  of  La  Harpe;  and  our  subject. 

James  C.  Coulson,  the  youngest  member  of  the 
family,  acquired  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city,  and  started  out  for  him- 
self as  a  clerk  in  the  general  merchandise  store  of 
William  Tharp,  of  Raritan.  There  he  continued 
for  two  years,  after  which  he  accepted  a  position 
as  salesman  with  C.  H.  Stansbury,  of  Raritan, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  fourteen  years,  a 
trusted  and  faithful  employe. 

During  this  time,  Mr.  Coulson  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Anna  B..  daughter  of  C.  H. 
and  Sidney  E.  'Humes)  Stansbury.  Their  wed- 
ding was  celebrated  on  the  25th  of  June,  1868, 
and  was  blessed  with  two  children,  Effie  M.  and 
Charles  S.,  both  of  whom  are  at  home.  The 
mother  died  April  8,  1883,  and  her  loss  was 
mourned  by  many.  On  the  28th  of  October,  1885, 
Mr.  Coulson  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Mrs.  .Mice  M.  Corzatt,  of  Blandins- 
ville.  111.  Three  children  have  been  born  unto 
them,  a  son  and  two  daughters:  Margie  C, 
George  and  Edna. 

Mr.  Coulson  entered  upon  his  newspaper  ca- 
reer in  Raritan  in  [876,  as  editor  of  the  Raritan 
Bulletin,  of  which  the  firm  of  Barnes  .X:  Butler 
were  publishers.  In  [878,  he  removed  to  La 
Harpe,  and  began  the  publication  of  the  then  de- 
funct La  Harper.  He  has  since  been  at  its  head 
and  has  made  it  one  of  the  leading  papers  of  the 
county.  Although  his  office  and  its  contents 
were  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  15th  of  October. 
1893.  he  did  not  miss  an  issue  of  the  paper,  but 
with  characteristic  energy  he  made  arrangements 
to  continue  the  work  without  interruption.  The 
paper  is  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  community 
and  to  the  publication  of  local  and  general  news. 


i78 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Coulson  is  much  interested  in  civic  socie- 
ties and  holds  membership  with  various  organiza- 
tions, including  Bristol  Lodge  No.  656,  I.  O.  O.F. ; 
Hardin  Lodge  No  28,  A.  O.  U.  W.;  LaHarpe 
Camp  No.  42S,  M.  W.  A.;  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Mutual  Aid.  He  has  for  eight  terms 
served  as  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
Odd  Fellows'  fraternity,  and  three  terms  to  that 
of  the  Woodmen.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat, 
but  his  paper  is  published  independently.  He 
served  as  Postmaster  of  La  Harpe  for  four  years, 
under  President  Cleveland,  and  as  Assessor  of 
La  Harpe  Township  in  1890  and  1891.  His  life 
has  been  well  and  worthily  passed,  and  he  has  the 
high  regard  of  all. 

f~"  LIAS  M.  BRANDON,  who  since  August, 
re)  1S86,  has  occupied  the  position  of  telegraph 
I  operator  and  statioti  agent  at  Blandinsville, 
claims  Illinois  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship, Hancock  County,  March  7,  1851.  His  fa- 
ther, Richard  Brandon,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
in  1809,  and  was  a  fanner  by  occupation.  Dur- 
ing his  early  childhood  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Ohio,  and  was  reared  to  manhood  on  a 
farm  in  the  Buckeye  State.  Having  arrived  at 
years  of  maturity,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Mary  M.  Favorite,  who  was  born  in  Mc- 
Connelsburg,  Ohio,  June  3,  1814.  The  wedding 
was  celebrated  Jan uary  6,  1S36,  and  their  union 
was  blessed  with  eleven  children,  seven  sons  and 
four  daughters:  Teresine  C,  deceased,  wife  of 
David  Cratsenberg;  James  F.,  a  canvasser  resid- 
ing in  Fountain  Green;  Galbraith  L.,  a  retired 
farmer  residing  in  Bloomington.  Ind. ;  George  M. , 
an  agriculturist  of  Fountain  Green  Township. 
Hancock  County;  Elizabeth  M.,  wife  of  Robert 
Geddes,  also  a  farmer  of  Hancock  County;  Elias 
M.,  of  this  sketch;  Julia  A.,  wife  of  John  Miller, 
who  carries  on  farming  in  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship; Edward  B.,  who  is  proprietor  of  the  Phoe- 
nix Hotel,  of  Hampton,  Iowa;  Edward  A.,  who 
died  in  infancy;    Richard   B.,  who  was  a  soldier 


in  the  late  war  and  died  in  the  service  of  his 
country,  from  exposure;  and  Mary,  who  died  in 
infancy  in  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Richard  B.  Brandon  emigrated  westward  in 
1838  and  located  near  Macomb,  McDonough 
County,  where  for  ten  years  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. In  184S,  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Fountain 
Green  Township,  Hancock  County,  purchasing 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  unimproved  land 
on  section  13.  In  an  unpretentious  frame  house 
on  this  farm  our  subject  was  born.  His  father 
died  of  cholera  in  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  in  1854,  and 
thus  at  the  age  of  three  years  our  subject  was  left 
dependent  upon  his  mother  for  support.  He  was 
reared  on  the  old  homestead,  and  in  the  winter 
season  conned  his  lessons  in  the  district  schools  of 
the  neighborhood,  while  in  the  summer  months 
he  followed  the  plow  and  aided  in  the  other  labors 
of  the  farm.  His  early  educational  privileges 
were  supplemented  by  one  year's  attendance  at 
Monmouth  College,  which  he  entered  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1871.  In  1870,  he  taught  one  term  of 
school  in  his  home  township,  and  in  1872  he  was 
employed  as  teacher  of  the  Eagle  School,  and 
again  in  1873.  Until  1880  his  time  was  alternately 
passed  in  teaching  and  farming,  but  in  October  of 
that  year  he  entered  the  store  of  J.  M.  Springer, 
of  La  Crosse,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk 
for  two  years,  leaving  that  position  in  January, 
1882.  During  this  time  he  also  studied  telegra- 
phy, and  in  1882  was  made  agent  on  the  Toledo, 
Peoria  &  Warsaw  Railroad  at  La  Crosse.  There 
he  continued  until  August,  1886,  when  he  came 
to  Blandinsville. 

The  lady  who  now  bears  the  name  of  Mrs. 
Brandon  was  in  her  maidenhood  Susan  C.  Hay, 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth  (King)  Hay, 
of  La  Crosse.  The  marriage  of  our  subject  and 
his  wife  was  celebrated  October. 5,  1876,  and  their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  seven  children,  but 
Gertie,  William,  Charles  and  Freddie  died  in  in- 
fancy. Bessie, 'Bertha  and  Nellie  are  still  at 
home. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen. 
Grant  in  1872  Mr.  Brandon  has  been  a  warm  ex- 
ponent of  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  in    1881  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  La 


LIBRARY 

UMVtKSIlYOF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


William  H.  Twaddle 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


181 


Crosse,  which  position  he  afterwards  resigned. 
He  is  now  serving  as  School  Director,  and  is  an 
efficient  and  capable  member  of  the  Town  Council. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Blaudinsville  Lodge 
No.  233,  A.  I-'.  &  A.  M;  and  of  Cam])  Xo.  .596, 
M.  W.  A.  One  of  the  leading  and  prominent 
members  of  the  Christian  Church,  he  is  now  serv- 
ing as  one  of  its  Elders,  and  fur  five  years  he  has 
been  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  He 
is  an  untiring  worker  in  the  interests  of  the  same, 
and  does  all  in  his  power  for  the  promotion  and 
advancement  of  the  cause.  His  life  has  been 
well  and  worthily  passed,  and  his  honorable, 
upright  career  has  gained  him  universal  confi- 
dence and  esteem.  He  is  a  popular,  genial  gen- 
tleman, and  in  the  community  where  he  lives  he- 
has  made  many  friends. 


[ILLIAM  HOOTON  TWADDLE,  who  since 
[876  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  Macomb,  and  is  num- 
bered among  the  leading  attorneys  of  McDonough 
County,  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  nativity. 
He  was  born  in  Jefferson  County.  June  2,  1833, 
and  isa  sou  of  Capt.  William  and  Hannah  1  Hoot- 
on  )  Twaddle.  The  father  was  also  born  in  the 
Buckeye  State,  and  was  one  of  a  family  of  fifteen 
children.  He  commanded  a  company  of  Ohio 
militia,  made  farming  his  life  occupation,  and  in 
1844  came  to  McDonough  County,  where  he  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death.  A 
year  after  coming  here  he  was  elected  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  continued  to  fill  that  position  until 
called  to  the  home  beyond,  in  1  n 7 v .  He  also 
served  as  Town  Treasurer,  Supervisor,  and  School 
Treasurer.  His  life  was  an  honorable,  upright 
one,  and  made  him  a  highly  respected  citizen  of 
the  community.  His  wife  passed  away  in  Au- 
gust. 1864.  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Scott  Cemetery. 
Three  brothers  of  the  Twaddle  family  are  yet  liv- 
ing: John  W.,  a  resident  of  Tennessee  Township; 
Marceua,  who  resides  in  Bethel  Township;  and 
William  H.  A  sister,  Minerva  E..  is  the  wife  of 
William  Lawyer,  of  Tennessee    Township.     One 


brother,  George  W.,  died  September  18,  1S89, 
leaving  a  widow  and  four  children,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters.  He  was  a  prominent  fanner  and 
owned  some  valuable  land.  He  also  served  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Supervisor  of  Bethel 
Township. 

William  Twaddle  and  his  family  made  the 
journey  to  Illinois  from  Steubenville  down  the 
Ohio  River,  and  then  up  the  Mississippi  and  Illi- 
nois Rivers  to  Frederick,  where  they  landed  April 
6,  1S44.  They  at  once  came  to  McDonough 
County  and  settled  on  a  quarter-section  of  land  in 
Bethel  Township,  which  had  been  purchased  1>\ 
the  maternal  grandfather,  William  Hooton.  The 
early  history  of  the  Twaddle  family  in  America  is 
not  known,  but  the  name  is  of  Scotch  derivation, 
and  is  a  contraction  of  the  name  of  the  place  where 
their  ancestors  lived,  Tweed  Dale. 

William  H.  Twaddle  of  this  sketch  has  spent 
almost  his  entire  life  in  McDonough  County,  hav- 
ing accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emigration 
thither  when  eleven  years  old.  He  is  almost 
wholly  self-educated,  as  the  common  schools  of 
the  neighborhood  during  his  youth  afforded  but 
meagre  advantages.  In  early  life  he  became  fa- 
miliar with  the  arduous  task  of  developing  new 
land,  for  he  aided  in  opening  up  several  farms. 
He  continued  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits 
until  about  forty  years  of  age,  and  when  incapac- 
ited  by  ill  health  for  further  manual  labor,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  law.  After  considerable 
private  study,  he  entered  the  office  of  William  H. 
Neece,  of  Macomb,  and  afterwards  was  with  Jacob 
H.  Folts.  In  [876  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  ill 
Springfield,  and  has  since  devoted  the  greater 
part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the  management 
of  estates  and  to  the  interests  of  minor  heirs.  He- 
has  done  a  good  business  along  this  line,  for  the 
people  have  the  utmost  confidence  in  him.  and 
therefore  give  him  a  liberal  patronage. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Franklin  Pierce,  Mr.  Twaddle  has  been  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Democracy,  and  warmly  advocates 
its  principles.  He  is  a  generous,  benevolent  and 
kind-hearted  man,  and  as  the  result  of  his  friendly 
disposition,  he  has  done  much  work  without  com- 
pensation, especially  aiding  those  who  were  una- 


i8i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ble  to  hire  counsel.  He  now  owns  a  good  farm 
in  Bethel  Township,  besides  being  agent  for  other 
landed  interests,  which  lie  carefully  guards.  He 
has  taken  quite  an  active  interest  in  political  af- 
fairs, and  has  served  both  as  Assessor  and  Col- 
lector. A  well-spent  life  has  won  him  high  re- 
gard, and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  to 
our  readers  this  record  of  his  life. 

6  ^    ci<T  ">  G=T~  31 

[""\RESTON  HUSTON,  a  retired  farmer  resid- 
L/'  ing  in  Blandinsville,  well  deserves  mention 
Y$  among  the  honored  pioneers  of  McDonough 
County,  for  here  his  entire  life  has  been  passed. 
He  was  born  in  Blandinsville  Township  Septem- 
ber 14,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Huston,  who 
was  one  of  the  very  earliest  settlers  of  this  locality, 
and  aided  in  opening  it  up  to  civilization.  The 
father  was  born  in  White  County,  Tenn.,  May  17, 
1808,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  he  emigrat- 
ed to  Morgan  County,  111.,  in  1829.  Eighteen 
months  later  he  came  to  this  county  and  took  up 
his  residence  on  section  19,  Blandinsville  Town- 
ship. The  first  land  which  he  here  owned  was  a 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  tract,  which  he  entered 
from  the  Government.  To  this  he  added  from 
time  to  time,  until  at  his  death  he  was  one  of  the 
most  extensive  land-owners  of  the  county.  He 
made  the  journey  from  Tennessee  to  Illinois  with 
an  ox-team,  and  011  his  arrival  his  possessions 
were  fifty  cents  in  money  and  a  blind  mare.  The 
half-dollar  was  spent  for  salt  soon  after  his  arrival. 
His  uncle,  who  had  accompanied  him  onthejour- 
ney,  loaned  him  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  with  these  he 
plowed  forty  acres  of  land,  which  he  planted  in 
corn.  During  the  first  winter  he  split  the  rails  nec- 
essary to  fence  this  tract,  and  also  built  a  log  cabin, 
in  which  the  family  lived  for  eighteen  months. 
The  nearest  mill  was  at  Jacksonville,  and  it  re- 
quired eight  days  to  make  the  trip  to  and  from 
that  place.  In  1832  Mr.  Huston  removed  to  a 
larger  log  cabin,  which  he  had  built  about  a  half 
mile  from  his  first  home,  and  making  additions  to 
this  he  soon  afterwards  had  what  at  that  time  was 
considered  a  very  pretentious  log  residence. 


In  White  County,  Tenn.,  on  the  2d  of  October. 
1828,  John  Huston  married  Miss  Ann,  daughter 
of  William  and  Mary  (Duncan)  Melvin,  and  to 
them  were  born  the  following  children:  William 
M.,  a  practicing  physician  of  Blandinsville;  Wal- 
ter, Rigdon  and  Crockett,  all  deceased ;  Preston,  of 
this  sketch ;  Thomas,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of 
Columbus,  Kan.;  Mary,  wife  of  Strather  Givens, 
a  retired  farmer  of  Abingdon,  111.;  and  John,  who 
carries  on  farming  and  stock-raising  in  Blandins- 
ville Township.  The  father  of  this  family  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  July  8,  1854,  and  the 
mother,  who  long  survived  him,  passed  away 
January  22,  1892. 

Upon  his  father's  farm,  Preston  Huston  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  during 
the  winter  season  he  attended  the  subscription 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  to  which  he  walked 
a  distance  of  three  miles.  He  is  largely  a  self- 
educated  man,  for  his  advantages  in  youth  were 
rather  meagre.  He  remained  at  home  until  he 
had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  started  out  in 
life  for  himself,  beginning  the  cultivation  and  im- 
provement of  a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  farm 
on  section  23,  Blandinsville  Township,  which  he 
had  inherited  from  his  father.  As  his  financial 
resources  were  increased,  he  made  additional  pur- 
chases, and  at  one  time  was  the  owner  of  eight 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  which  yielded  to 
him  an  excellent  income,  and  made  him  one  of 
the  prosperous  citizens  of  the  community.  He 
continued  to  successfully  engage  in  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1890,  when  he  laid  aside  all  busi- 
ness cares  and  came  to  Blandinsville,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  He  has  remodeled  his 
residence  and  now  has  a  comfortable  and  tasty 
dwelling,  in  which  he  will  probably  spend  his  re- 
maining days. 

On  September  12,  1861,  Mr.  Huston  married 
Miss  Elmira  Bern-,  daughter  of  Col.  William  and 
Patsy  (Givens)  Berry.  Five  children  were  born 
of  their  union:  John,  who  died  in  infancy;  Ma- 
rion W.,  who  has  also  passed  away;  Robert,  a 
clothier  of  Havana,  111.;  George  B.,  who  went 
west  for  his  health,  and  is  now  living  in  Delta, 
Colo.;  and  Donna  Martha,  deceased.  The  mother 
of  this  family  died  December  29,  187 1,  and  on  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


15th  of  May,  1S74.  Mr.  Huston  married  Martha 
M.  Berry,  whose  maiden  name  was  Martha  M. 
Campbell,  daughter  of  Eli  and  Martha  (Wren- 
shaw)  Campbell.  By  this  marriage  was  born  a 
daughter,  who  died  in  infancy-.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Huston  are  faithful  members  of  the  Christian 
Church,  in  which  he  is  now  serving  as  Elder,  and 
take  an  active  interest  in  church  and  benevolent 
work . 

B\  his  first  Presidential  ballot,  cast  in  [864,  our 
subject  supported  George  B.  McClellan.  and  has 
since  been  an  advocate  of  the  Democracy.  Public 
office,  however,  has  had  no  attraction  for  him. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Blandinsville  Lodge 
No.  233.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  an  enterprising 
and  progressive  citizen,  who  contributes  liberally 
to  the  support  of  all  worthy  public  enterprises. 
The  history  of  McDonough  County  is  familiar  to 
him  from  its  earliest  day.  He  has  borne  all  the 
hardships  and  experiences  of  frontier  life,  and  has 
aided  in  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the 
community,  taking  a  commendable  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  itsprogress  and  advance- 
ment. 

•JTSAAC  LATHROP,  who  is  now  serving  as 
I  Police  Magistrate  of  La  Harpe,  is  one  of  the 
X  honored  citizens  of  Hancock  County,  one  of 
its  pioneers,  and  one  of  its  oldest  native  sons. 
He  was  born  in  Fountain  Green  Township,  on  the 
22(1  of  August,  1833,  and  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  first  families  in  this  locality.  His 
father,  John  Lathrop,  was  a  native  of  London, 
England,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Hav- 
ing emigrated  to  this  country,  he  lived  for  a  time 
in  Leavenworth,  Mo.,  and  thence  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Hancock  County  in  1831.  He  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Coffman.  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  four  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, namely:  Adaline,  who  was  born  and  died  111 
Missouri;  William,  who  was  born  in  1S30.  and  is 
now  living  in  Nebraska;  Julia  Ann,  deceased; 
Isaac,  whose  name  heads  this  record;  George, 
who  enlisted  as  a  soldier  during  the  late  war  and 
died  in  Jefferson  Barracks,  St.  Louis,  as  the  result 


of.  exposure;  Marian  T.,  who  died  in  Knox 
County,    111.,    in   1863;   Mary  Ellen,  who  died  in 

Blandinsville,  111.,  in  1858;  Mary,  widow  ofZall- 
den  Baldwin,  and  a  resident  of  Nevada,  Mo.;  and 
Phoebe  E.,  wife  of  Edward  Taylor,  of  Topeka, 
Kan. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  Isaac  Lathrop 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  At  an  early 
age  he  began  work  upon  his  father's  farm,  and 
became  inured  to  all  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life. 
The  district  schools  of  the  community  afforded 
him  his  educational  privileges,  but  his  training  in 
that  direction  was  much  more  meagre  than  in 
farm  labor.  During  the  late  war  he  was  found 
among  the  defenders  of  his  country,  for  in  Au- 
gust. [862,  he  entered  the  Union  service  as  a 
member  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Eigh- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry.  For  one  year  he  served, 
and  then  re-enlisted  in  the  same  company,  in 
1865.  On  the  1st  of  October  following  he  re- 
ceived his  discharge  at  Baton  Rouge,  La.  He 
was  a  loyal  soldier,  ever  found  rrt  his  post  of  duty, 
and  participated  in  a  number  of  important  en- 
gagements. During  his  first  term  he  was  con- 
fined in  the  hospital  by  sickness  for  some  time  as 
the  result  of  exposure. 

On  the  27th  of  December.  1S60,  Mr.  Lathrop 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mildred  E. 
Mesecher,  and  to  them  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely: 
Alice,  wife  of  R.  P.  Martin,  of  Birch  Tree,  Shan- 
non County,  Mo.;  Stephen  H.,  who  carries  on 
fanning  in  Henderson  County:  Viola,  who  died 
in  infancy;  Martha  J.;  and  Daniel,  who  is  still 
living  in  La  Harpe.  The  mother  of  this  family 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  6th  of  February, 
1891,  and  her  loss  was  deeply  mourned  through- 
out the  community,  for  she  had  a  large  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances  who  esteemed  her 
highly  for  her  many  excellencies  of  character. 
She  was  a  very  zealous  and  efficient  worker  in 
the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  as 
well  as  in  the  Christian  Church,  of  which  her  fa- 
ther was  a  minister. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Lathrop  is  a  Prohi- 
bitionist. He  has  held  a  number  of  local  offices, 
the  duties  of  which   he  has  ever  discharged  with 


1 84 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


promptness  and  fidelity.  While  residing  in  Hen- 
derson County  he  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  as  Constable,  and  held  several  school  offices. 
He  is  now  serving  as  Police  Magistrate  of  Da 
Harpe,  and  is  a  capable  and  efficient  officer. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Geddes  Post  No.  142, 
G.  A.  R..  and  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.  His  life  has  been  well  and  worthily 
passed,  and  in  the  community  where  he  has  so 
long  resided  he  has  won  and  retained  the  high 
regard  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
been  brought  in  contact.  He  has  witnessed  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  county,  and  has 
ever  borne  his  part  in  its  upbuilding  and  advance- 
ment. 


EEORGE  W.  SOULE,  who  is  carrying  on  a 
good  restaurant  in  La  Harpe,  was  born  in 
the  city  which  is  still  his  home,  on  the  15th 
of  February,  1S44,  and  is  a  worthy  representative 
of  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  county,  his 
father,  Isaac  Soule,  having  here  located  in  1837. 
He  wasborn  in  Warren,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio, 
September  13,  1820,  and  was  by  occupation  a 
tanner.  He  was  married  on  the  1st  of  February, 
1843,  to  Miss  Eunice  P.  Richer,  daughter  of 
Timothy  and  Mary  Ann  1  Hill )  Richer,  who 
were  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  State. 

George  W.  Sonle  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of 
eight  children.  No  event  of  special  importance 
occurred  during  his  boyhood  and  youth,  which 
were  passed  midst  play  and  work  and  in  attend- 
ance at  the  public  schools,  where  lie  acquired  a 
good  education.  He  remained  with  his  father 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  and  then 
started  out  in  life  for  himself  to  make  his  own 
wav  in  the  world.  In  [863,  he  embarked  in  the 
harness  business  in  La  Harpe,  and  for  nine  years 
was  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Claycomb.  In  1872, 
however,  he  left  his  old  employer  and  began  busi- 
ness in  his  own  interest,  in  connection  withN.  W. 
Montgomery,  who  sold  his  interest  to  Edward 
Ross.  He  in  turn  sold  to  George  Coulson,  and  he 
again  to  William  Kirkpatrick.  They  opened  a 
grocery,  and   Mr.  Soule  continued  his  connection 


therewith  for  six  years,  when,  in  KS7.S,  he  began 
farming  in  La  Harpe  Township,  about  two  miles 
southwest  of  the  city.  For  fifteen  years  he  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits  with  good  success 
on  a  well-cultivated  and  highly  improved  farm. 

Mr.  Soule  was  married  on  the  29th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1S68,  to  Miss  Harriet  C.  Painter,  who  is 
now  deceased.  They  had  one  daughter,  Hattie 
E.,  but  her  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  six 
years.  Mr.  Soule  was  again  married,  on  the  27th 
of  May,  i  s 7  7 ,  his  second  union  being  with  Laura 
E.  Sperry.  Two  children  graced  this  union: 
Clara  Bess,  at  home;  and  Minnie,  who  died  in 
infancy.  In  1880,  Mr.  Soule  was  again  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  passed 
away,  leaving  many  friands  to  mourn  her  death. 

In  his  political  views,  our  subject  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  in  1864.  He  takes  considerable  in- 
terest in  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  is  a  member 
of  La  Harpe  Lodge  No.  195,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  La 
Harpe  Chapter  No.  134,  R.  A.  M.;  and  the  Order 
of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  holds  membership  witli 
the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  of  which  he  is 
one  of  the  Trustees,  and  in  the  work  of  the  saint- 
is  deeplv  interested.  The  cause  of  education  also 
finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  for  one  term  he 
served  on  the  School  Board.  Leaving  his  farm 
111  [893,  on  the  1st  of  August  of  that  year  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  W.  H.  Strong,  and 
opened  the  Bon  Ton  Restaurant,  of  La  Harpe. 
The  members  of  the  firm  are  men  of  good  busi- 
ness and  executive  ability,  and  their  enterprise. 
industry  and  perseverance  have  brought  to  them 
a  liberal  patronage. 

(ILLIAM  E.  GRIGSBY,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 
enterprising  young  physicians  of  McDon- 
ough  County,  who  is  now  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Blandinsville, 
is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  his  birth  having  occurred 
on  the  16th  of  February,  1862,  in  Washington 
Count}  ,  where  his  father,  Redman  Grigsby,  was 
also  born.     The   paternal   grandfather,    William 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


r85 


Grigsby,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  came  of  an 
old  family  of  that  State.     The  Doctor's  father  was 

a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 
On  the  27th  of  September,  [860,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Susan  M. ,  daughter  of 
William  A.  Seay,  a  native  of  Virginia.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Grigsby  were  horn  six  children,  three 
sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  William  E. 
of  this  sketch ;  Francis  M.,  a  physician  and  sur- 
geon of  Maud,  Ky. ;  Annie  R.,  who  died  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Kentucky;  Walter  C,  a  jeweler 
and  watchmaker  of  Stronghurst,  111.;  Lena  E., 
who  died  in  infancy;  and  Martha  /..  wife  of 
William  Moore,  a  planter  of  Washington  County, 
Ky. 

Dr  Grigsby  was  reared  as  a  farmer's  lad,  and 
his  earl)  educational  advantages  were  those  af- 
forded by  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
which  he  attended  through  the  winter  season  un- 
til nineteen  years  of  age.  He  then  entered  Pleasant 
Grove  Academy,  where  he  pursued  his  studies 
for  a  year,  after  which  he  engaged  in  teaching  for 
a  year  in  his  native  county.  In  1884  hechauged 
his  work,  securing  a  position  as  salesman  with 
the  firm  of  A.  H.  McCord  &  Co..  of  Springfield, 
Ky.,  continuing  clerking  for  a  year. 

On  the  expiration  <>1  that  period.  Dr.  Grigsbj 
came  to  McDouough  County,  111.,  and  in  [885 
began  farming,  which  pursuit  he  followed  during 
the  succeeding  five  years.  He  then  took  up  the 
study  of  medicine,  in  1890,  under  Dr.  T.  J.  Crum, 
of  Blandinsville,  under  whose  direction  he  con- 
tinued his  reading  for  six  months.  During  the 
winter  of  [890-9]  he  was  a  student  in  the  Keokuk 
Medical  College,  of  Iowa,  and  in  the  winter  of 
1891-92  he  attended  the  Louisville  Medical  Col- 
lege, of  Louisville,  Ky.,  from  which  institution 
he  was  graduated  in  the  following  spring.  In 
[892-93  he  again  attended  the  Keokuk  Medical 
College,  and  was  graduated  from  that  school  in 
the  latter  year.  Immediately  afterward  he  opened 
an  office  in  Blandinsville,  where  he  has  since  sue 
cessfullx  engaged  in  practice. 

<  )n  the  2d  of  July,  1SS7,  Dr.  ( 5-rigsby  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Mary  I..  Bushuell,  daughter 
of  William  II.  and  Elizabeth  (Seybold)  Grigsby. 


They  have  a  pleasant  home  in  this  place,  and  are 
highly  esteemed  people  of  the  community.  Both 
the  Doctor  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with 
the  Baptist  Church,  and  he  is  a  member  of  Bland- 
insville Lodge  No.  233,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Chap- 
ter No.  208,  R.  A.  M.;  Blandinsville  Chapter 
No.  [08,  0.  E.  S.;  and  Hardin  Lodge  No.  25, 
A.  O.  U.  W.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Democracy.  A  close  student  of  his  profession, 
he  has  already  secured  a  good  practice,  and  will 
undoubtedly  win  success  in   his  chosen  vocation. 

(g         «.  c=i _<^±2z_ *=>    r  § 


DWARD  A.  MESECHER  carries  on  agri- 
j^  cultural  pursuits  on  section  34,  La  Harpe 
I  Township,  Hancock  County.  He  is  num- 
bered among  the  native  sons  of  this  county,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Pilot  Grove  Township 
on  the  13th  of  June,  [867.  He  is  also  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the 
community.  His  father,  Elkanah  Mesecher,  is 
likewise  a  native  of  Hancock  County,  and  he  too 
is  a  farmer  by  occupation.  A  sketch  of  his  life 
is  given  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rebecca  M. 
Butler,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Baxter  and 
Lucinda  (Younger)  Butler. 

Edward  A.  Mesecher  is  the  eldest  in  a  family 
of  four  children.  The  educational  privileges 
he  received  were  those  afforded  by  the  common 
schools.  He  early  became  familiar  with  all  the 
duties  of  farm  life,  and  to  his  father  he  gave  the 
benefit  of  his  services,  and  aided  in  tin-  labors  of 
the  firm,  until  his  marriage.  <  in  the  6th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1889,  he  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Amanda  James,  daughter  of  William  E.  and  Su- 
san (Wright)  James.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  three  daughters,  Pearl  Edna,  Lena 
Esther  and  Bertha  Emily. 

The  parents  have  many  warm  friends  in  this 
communit)  and  hold  an  enviable  position  in  so- 
cial circles.  Their  home  is  also  noted  for  its  hos- 
pitality. Mr.  Meseelui  is  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  of  Pa  Harpe,  and  his  wife  holds  mem- 
bership with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 


1 86 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Liberty,  McDonough  County.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
stalwart  advocate  of  the  Republican  party  and  its 
principles,  and  his  first  Presidential  vote  was  cast 
for  Benjamin  Harrison  in  1888.  He  has  never 
sought  or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of 
public  office,  but  has  served  as  School  Director. 
He  is  a  wide-awake  and  progressive  citizen,  and 
one  who  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  the  welfare  of  the  community  and  its  up- 
building. Throughout  his  life  he  has  followed 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  his  industry  and  good 
management  have  brought  him  success  in  his 
chosen  vocation.  He  is  a  worthy  representative 
of  an  honored  pioneer  family,  and  it  is  with  pleas- 
ure that  we  present  to  our  readers  this  record  of 
his  life. 


(ILLIAM  N.  BVLER  is  a  worthy  represen- 
tative of  the  agricultural  interests  of  Han- 
cock County,  and  now  carries  on  general 
farming  in  Durham  Township.  He  was  born  in 
this  county  on  the  4th  of  August,  1862,  and  has 
known  no  other  home.  From  an  early  age  he 
has  been  familiar  with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life, 
for  as  soon  as  old  enough  to  handle  the  plow  he 
began  work  in  the  fields,  and  soon  became  fa- 
miliar with  everything  connected  with  his  chosen 
vocation.  His  early  educational  advantages, 
which  were  those  afforded  by  the  common  schools, 
were  supplemented  by  study  in  Gittings  Semi- 
nary. In  1880,  he  entered  the  seminary,  and  af- 
ter pursuing  a  three-year  course  was  given  a  de- 
gree by  that  institution. 

On  leaving  school,  Mr.  Byler  embarked  in 
farming  in  his  own  interest,  renting  land  from 
his  father,  which  he  operated  for  seven  years. 
With  the  capital  he  had  acquired  during  this 
period  as  the  result  of  his  enterprise  and  industry, 
he  purchased  in  the  autumn  of  1889  seven  t>  six 
acres  of  land  in  Durham  Township.  Here  he  has 
since  made  his  home,  and  now  has  a  well-devel- 
oped farm,  which  in  its  thrifty  appearance  indi- 
cates to  the  passer-by  the  enterprise  which  is 
among  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  owner. 


On  the  nth  of  February,  1886,  in  Hancock 
County,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  William 
N.  Byler  and  Miss  Clara  B.  Layton,  daughter 
of  James  B.  and  Margaret  (Rose)  Layton,  who 
were  natives  of  Delaware  and  Maryland,  respec- 
tively. The  union  of  the  young  couple  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children,  a  son  and  daughter: 
Bessie  L.  and  Charles  L. 

Mr.  Byler  is  an  honored  and  respected  citizen 
of  his  native  county.  In  1891,  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  so  well 
did  he  discharge  the  duties  of  the  position,  that 
in  1893  he  was  re-elected  for  a  term  of  four 
years,  and  is  now  filling  that  office  with  credit  to 
himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  He 
is  connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
been  made  a  Mason  on  the  24th  of  June,  1886,  in 
Dallas  City  Lodge  No.  235,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  In 
1887,  he  was  elected  Junior  Warden  of  the  lodge, 
and  in  the  succeeding  year  was  chosen  Senior 
Warden.  In  1889.  he  was  elected  Master,  and 
four  years  later  was  re-elected  to  that  office.  He 
has  been  kept  continually  in  office  since  joining 
the  lodge,  and  it  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  is  one 
of  its  valued  and  leading  members.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Democrat,  and  his  first  Presidential  vote 
was  cast  for  Grover  Cleveland  in  1884.  Mr.  By- 
ler is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

3  <■■  t  ">  Set*        ~~5 

(ILLIAM  A.  TOWLER  is  one  of  the  enter- 
prising and  successful  business  men  of  La 
Harpe.  He  now  deals  in  groceries,  queens- 
ware  and  agricultural  implements,  and  is  enjoying 
a  fine  trade,  which  is  due  to  his  fair  and  honest 
dealing,  his  courteous  treatment  of  his  customers, 
ami  his  earnest  desire  to  please  his  patrons.  His 
well  directed  efforts  bring  to  him  a  success  of 
which  he  is  entirely  worthy. 

On  the  [.6th  of  August,  1S44.  Mr.  Towler  was 
born  in  Greenup  County,  Ky.  His  father,  Will- 
iam Towler.  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
was  a  fanner  by  occupation.  In  an  early  day  he 
removed  to  Kentucky,  and  in  [855  came  with  his 
familv  to  Hancock  County.     The  mother  of  our 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


187 


subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Frances  Barker. 
By  the  union  of  this  worthy  couple  were  born 
eight  children,  two  sons  and  six  daughters,  as 
follows:  Susan,  who  died  in  infancy;  Frances,  de- 
ceased, wife  of  John  Nelson;  Amanda,  wife  of 
Samuel  Fortney,  of  Kirksville,  Mo.;  Aremathy, 
wife  of  Roswell  Cooley,  of  Nemaha  County,  Kan. ; 
William  A.;  Adelaide,  wife  of  Aaron  Fogel,  a 
fanner  of  La  Harpe  Township;  Joseph,  who  died 
in  infancy;  and  a  daughter  who  also  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Mr.  Towler  of  this  sketch  when  a  lad  of  eleven 
summers  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emi- 
gration to  Illinois.  His  father  died  during  the 
year  of  their  arrival,  and  he  was  thus  thrown  upon 
his  own  resources.  He  not  only  provided  for  his 
own  maintenance,  but  also  aided  in  the  support  of 
the  family.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  county,  but  his  privileges 
in  that  direction  were  limited,  as  he  had  to  spend 
his  time  in  farm  work. 

A.fter  arriving  at  years  of  maturity,  Mr.  Towler 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  Sautter. 
Her  adopted  father,  William  Alton,  gave  them  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  six  acres  in  I. a  Harpe 
Township.  Two  years  later  they  removed  to  that 
farm,  which  was  mostly  unimproved;  but  with 
characteristic  energj  Mr.  Towler  began  its  devel- 
opment, and  in  course  of  time  the  once  wild  land 
was  made  to  yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  re- 
turn for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestowed  upon  it. 
He  made  it  one  of  the  best  farms  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indica- 
ted to  the  passer- b)  the  careful  supervision  of  the 
owner.  Nine  children  came  to  bless  the  home: 
William  B.,  who  is  now  in  partnership  with  his 
father:  Sarah  Frances,  wife  of  Charles  White,  of 
I, a  Harpe  Township;  Elmer,  who  is  living  in  La 
Harpe:  Lillian  and  Edward,  both  at  home;  Eva, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Mary  and  Henry,  at  home; 
and  one  son  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Towler  continued  agricultural  pursuits  until 
(  (ctober,  [890,  when  he  removed  to  La  Harpe,  and 
with  his  son  purchased  the  store  of  Gill,  Giuna- 
ven  &  Co.  With  the  superior  judgment  and  ex- 
perience of  the  elder  partner  are  combined  the  en- 
terprise and  progressive  spirit  of  the  younger,  and 


the  firm  therefore  possesses  the  requisites  of  suc- 
cess. In  politics,  Mr.  Towler  has  always  voted 
with  the  Republican  party  since  casting  his  first 
1 'residential  ballot  for  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant.  During 
the  war,  a  man  who  had  been  drafted  having  run 
away,  Mr.  Towler  was  chosen  in  his  place,  but 
ere  he  was  sent  to  the  front,  the  escaped  man  re- 
turned. Our  subject,  his  wife  and  three  children 
are  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  The  fam- 
ily is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community,  and 
its  members  hold  an  enviable  position  in  social 
circles. 


f3  FORGE  W.  BRADSHAW,  who  carries  on 
I—  general  farming  and  stock-raising  on  section 
V_>|  25,  Durham  Township,  has  the  honor  of  be- 
ing a  native  of  Hancock  County,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  La  Harpe  Township  on  the  1st  of 
January,  1841.  He  is  a  worthy  representative  of 
an  honored  pioneer  family,  his  parents  being  Joel 
and  Catherine  (Dixon  )  Bradshaw,  natives  of  Tenn- 
essee. They  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  18  19,  and  a 
sketch  of  their  lives  is  given  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  The  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
afforded  our  subject  his  educational  privileges  in 
early  life,  but  later  his  studies  were  supplemented 
by  one  term's  attendance  at  the  La  Harpe  Acad 
emy. 

Mr.  Bradshaw  early  became  familiar  with  all 
the  duties  of  farm  life,  for  as  soon  as  old  enough 
he  began  to  handle  the  plow,  and  to  agricultural 
pursuits  he  has  devoted  his  energies  throughout 
his  business  career.  At  length  he  took  charge  of 
the  old  home  farm,  which  he  continued  looperate 
until  thirty-nine  years  of  age.  Under  his  super 
vision  it  was  always  highly  cultivated  and  im- 
proved, and  the  rich  and  fertile  fields  were  made 
to  yield  him  a  g 1  income. 

On  the  ist  ofjanuarj ,  [880,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  which  united  the  destinies  of  Mr.  Brad- 
shaw and  Miss  Mary  I).  Manifold,  daughter  ol 
Jasper  and  Pennelia  (Huttou)  Manifold,  of  Dur- 
ham Township.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  three  children,    a    sou    and    two    daughters, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Man."  Ellen,  Cornelia  Catherine  aud  George 
Cleveland,  all  of  whom  are  still  with  their  parents. 
The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  communi- 
ty .  its  members  being  widely  and  favorably 
known. 

The  farm  of  Mr.  Bradshaw  comprises  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  with 
the  exception  of  thirty  acres  the  entire  amount  is 
in  Durham  Township.  It  is  neat  and  thrifty  in 
appearance,  and  the  well-tilled  fields  and  mam- 
improvements  upon  the  place  tell  that  the  owner 
is  a  man  of  progressive  and  enterprising  views. 
He  also  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  and  feeding 
fine  cattle,  aud  ships  quite  extensively  to  Chicago. 
In  politics,  he  has  been  a  Democrat  since  casting 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen.  George  B.  Mc- 
Clellan.  and  has  serve.!  as  School  Director  for 
about  twelve  years.  He  has  always  lived  within 
a  mile  of  his  present  home,  and  therefore  has  a 
wide  acquaintance  throughout  the  county.  That 
lii^  stanchest  friends  are  those  who  have  known 
him  from  boyhood  is  a  tact  that  bespeaks  a  well- 
spent  life. 


(ILLIAM  M.  HUSTON.  M.  D..wh 
most  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  been  E 1  ;  g 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Blandinsville, 
was  born  in  Jacksonville.  Morgan  County,  111., 
on  the  6th  of  August.  1829,  and  is  one  of  a  family 
of  eight  children,  whose  parents  were  John  and 
Annie  (Melvin)  Huston.  The  father  aud  mother 
were  both,  natives  of  White  County,  Tenn..  and 
their  marriage  was  there  celebrated.  The  lady 
was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Duncan' 
Melvin.  In  1830  John  Huston  removed  with  his 
family  to  McDonough  County,  III.,  and,  locating 
upon  a  farm,  was  for  many  years  here  eng;  . 
agricultural  pursuits.  Of  the  children.  William 
M.  of  this  sketch  is  the  eldest:  Walter  L.  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two  years;  Rigdou,  a  farmer 
and  stock-raiser  of  McDonough   Count) 

1;  Preston  is  a  retired  tanner  living  in 
Blandinsville;  Thomas  B.  is  living  a  retired  life 
in   Columbus.  Kan.:    Mary    E.  is   the    wife   of  S. 


Given s.  who  formerly  followed  agricultural  pur- 
now  living  retired  in  Abingdon.  111.: 
John  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising 
in  Blandinsville  Township:  and  Crockett,  de- 
cea^ed.  was  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  McDon- 
ough County. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Dr 
Huston  whose  name  heads  this  record.  He  was 
reared  to  manhood  under  the  parental  roof,  spend- 
ing his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm  in  this 
county,  whither  the  family  came  when  he  was 
in  a  year  old.  His  father  entered  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment in  Blandinsville  Township,  aud  added  to 
that  from  time  to  time  until  he  had  an  extensive 
farm.  Dr.  Huston  began  his  literary  education 
in  the  subscription  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
which  he  attended  through  the  winter  season,  a 
time  when  the  work  upon  the  farm  was  not  press- 
ing. During  the  summer  months  he  aided  in  the 
f  the  fields,  plowing,  planting  aud  har- 
To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his 
scn'ices  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he 
left  home  to  begin  life  for  himself.  During  the 
years  1848  and  1S49  he  attended  Knox  College, 
of  Galesburg.  111.,  and  on  leaving  that  institution 
S  tn  reading  medicine  with  Drs.  McMurphy 
iN;  Parkins,  of  Rushville,  111.,  under  whose  direc- 
tion he  continued  his  studies  for  eighteen  months. 
In  1852  lie  entered  the  Cincinnati  Eclectic  Medi- 
cal College,  which  he  attended  for  two  terms,  and 
in  December,  [853,  he  opened  an  office  and  began 
practice  in  Monmouth,  111.,  where  he  remained 
for  three  years. 

During  that  time  Dr.  Huston  was  married.  On 
th  of  June.  1855,  he  wedded  Sarah  Cole- 
man, daughter  of  James  and  Lucy  O.  1  Hawkins  1 
Coleman,  of  Hopkinsville.  Ky.  Three  children 
were  bom  of  their  union:  Lucy  A.,  wife  of  Elder 
M.  Stevenson,  of  Canton.  111.;  Annan  Lee,  wife 
of  Lyman  I.  Henry,  an  attorney-at-law  of  Ouray, 
Colo.:  and  Hardin  C,  of  Blandinsville,  who  died 
,1.   Ma\    4, 

On  leaving  Monmouth,  111.,  Dr.  Huston  re- 
moved to  Mexico,  Mo.,  where  he  spent  two  years. 
aud  then  returned  to  Rushville.  where  lie  engaged 
in  practice  until  L862.     In  that  year  he  took  up 


Of  ILLINOIS 
UR6AM 


I'ii 1 1. 1 r  E.  Elting 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


i9i 


his  residence  upon  a  farm  in  Henderson  County, 
but  still  continued  in  practice,  and  in  187 J  he 
came  to  Blandiusville,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  The  liberal  patronage  he  receives  at- 
tests his  skill  and  ability  and  the  confid  n 
posed  in  him.  He  has  steadily  worked  his  way 
upward,  and  now  occupies  a  prominent  place 
among  his  professional  brethren  of  the  county. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  socially  is  a 
member  of  Blandinsville  Lodge  No.  233,  A.  F. 
X    A.    M. 


r^IIII.Il'  ]•.  HI. TING,  arising  young  attorney 
W  of  Macomb.  111.,  has  the  honor  of  being  a 
\H  native  of  McDonough  County,  having  been 
bom  on  January  23,  [862,  in  Emmet  Township. 
His  grandfather,  John  Kiting,  was  a  native  of 
Holland,  the  Kiting  famil)  having  emigrated  to 
America  about  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  in 
which  war  the  elder  brothers  took  part.  When 
John  grew  to  manhood  he  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  in  the  city  of  Xew  York,  the  old 
homestead  being  in  Dutchess  County,   X.  V. 

In  [840  he  emigrated  westward,  locating"  in 
Quincy,  HI.,  and  afterwards  removed  to  Peoria. 
111.,  where  he  engaged  extensively  in  the  real 
estate  business.  By  diligence  and  industry  he 
became  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the  West. 
His  death  occurred  March  21.  [86l.  His  wife, 
who  was  a  native  of  France,  died  while  on  a  visit 
to  Xew  York. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Philip 
II.  Elting,  was  born  in  the  Empire  State,  Febru- 
ary 1. 1.  [814.  After  acquiring  a  collegiate  educa- 
tion, he  took  a  position  as  book  keeper  in  his 
father's  store.  His  father,  appreciating  his  pecu- 
liar fitness  for  positions  of  trust  and  con. 
sent  him  West  in  [834,  to  look  after  his  extensive 
landed  interests  in  McDonough  and  surrounding 
counties. 

Philip  H.  Elting  was  a  farmer,  and  was  fairly 
successful  in  the  avocation  of  his  choice.  He  was 
married  January  24.  18^4,  to  Margaret,  daughter 
of   Francis    McSperitt,  who  came  to  McDonough 

9 


County  in  1837.     They  were  the  parents  of  twelve 

children,  of  whom  eight  are  now    living,  all  being 
residents   of  this    county.      Mr.    Elting  died  July 
jj,   [876.      His  widow,  who  is  a  native  of  Ireland, 
still  survives  him,  and   resides  on    the   old  home 
stead  on  section   12,  in  Emmet  Township. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Philip 
E.  lilting,  who  iswidelyand  favorabl}  known  in 
his  native  county.  He  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools,  and  by  careful  appli- 
cation laid  a  good  foundation  for  the  superstruc- 
ture of  a  useful  life. 

Later,  he  was  graduated  from  the  Macomb  Nor 
mal  and  Commercial  College,  in  the  Class  of  '84. 
Returning  to  the  farm,  he  gave  careful  attention 
to  farming  until  1889,  when,  wishing  to  follow 
some  other  profession,  he  began  reading  law  in 
the  office  of  Sherman  &  Tunnicliff",  attorneys  of 
Macomb,  with  whom  he  studied  one  year.  He 
then  entered  the  law  department  of  the  North- 
western University  at  Chicago.  After  pursuing 
a  thorough  course  of  study,  he  was  graduated  with 
the  Class  of '02,  as  Bachelor  of  Laws.  After  leaving 
school  he  relumed  to  Macomb,  where  he  opened 
an  office  and  has  since  been  successful!;,  engaged 
in  practice.  He  possesses  a  worthy  ambition,  is 
enterprising  and  progressive,  and  strictly  profes 
sional  in  his  practice,  and  has  a  blight  future  be- 
fore him. 

In  early  life  Mr.  lilting  became  identified  with 
the  p  ilitical  into  1  :sts  ^<i  his  nath  e  township.  1  Ie 
is  an  uncompromising  Republican  and  has  the 
courage  of  his  convictions.  For  years  the  pre- 
cinct had  been  strongly  Democratic,  when, in  [884, 
he  accepted  the  nomination  for  Township  Clerk 
on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  he  was  theonlj  one 
elected  on  that  ticket,  receiving  a  majority  of  two 
votes.  The  part\  of  his  choice  appreciated  his 
efforts  to  mak<  a  faithful  officer,  and  gave  him  a 
unanimous  call  for  a  second  race.  After  an  un- 
usually spirited  fight,  he  was  again  successful, 
though  the  majority  of  the  previous  \  ear  was  re- 
duced fiftj  per  cent.,  and  now  numbered  one. 
His  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  oi  his  duties,  and 
the  vigorous  campaigns  that  he  made,  brought 
about  a  change  in  the  political  sentiment  of  the 
township,  and  he  was  twice  again  elected  his  own 


192 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


successor,  with  a  majority  of  twenty-three  votes  in 
each  instance,  and  the  Democratic  supremacy  of 
the  precinct  has  never  been  regained. 

Mr.  Kiting  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  Lodge  at  Macomb,  and  in  religious  belief 
is  a  Methodist.  At  the  Bar  he  has  already  won  a 
reputation  which  might  well  be  envied  by  many 
an  older  attorney. 


(TAMES  H.  GRIGSBY  is  a  prominent  repre- 
I  sentative  of  the  business  interests  of  Blandins- 
Q)  ville,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  banking. 
He  embarked  in  this  enterprise  in  1882,  and  has 
since  continued  it  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Grigsby  Brothers  &  Co.  Theirs  is  one  of  the  solid 
financial  institutions  of  the  county,  and  the  safe 
and  conservative  policy  of  the  bank  has  won  the 
confidence  of  the  people  throughout  the  commun- 
ity. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record  is 
a  native  of  Blandinsville,  his  birth  having  here 
occurred  on  the  5th  of  January,  1851,  and  he  is  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  the  county.  His  parents,  William  H.  and 
Elizabeth  (Seybold)  Grigsby,  were  both  natives 
of  Kentucky,  and  on  leaving  that  State  in  1830 
they  emigrated  northward  to  Illinois,  and  cast  in 
their  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  McDonough 
County.  This  locality  then  was  an  almost  un- 
broken wilderness,  the  county  seat  contained  but 
few  inhabitants,  and  many  of  the  now  thriving 
towns  and  villages  had  not  then  sprung  into  exist- 
ence. The  Grigsby  family  numbered  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  are  yet  living,  namely:  Nancy 
J.,  wife  of  Newton  Gordon,  a  resident  of  Bland- 
insville; John  E.,  who  also  makes  his  home  in 
this  place:  James  II.,  of  this  sketch:  and  Mary  L., 
wife  of  Dr.  W.  E.  Grigsby.  Those  deceased  are 
Charles  and  Alice. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native  town,  and 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools, 
but  he  afterward  continued  his  studies  for  five 
vears  under  the  instruction  of  a  private  tutor, 
William  Forest.     He  remained  under  the  parental 


roof  until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  for  four- 
teen years  he  was  employed  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent  in  his  father's  mill,  becoming  familiar  with 
all  the  details  of  the  business.  In  1882,  he  em- 
barked in  the  banking  business,  as  before  stated , 
and  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to 
the  same. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1875,  Mr.  Grigsby  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Lillian  C.  Mason,  daugh- 
ter of  Horatio  N.  and  Louisa  (Gruber)  Mason. 
Three  children  have  been  born  of  their  union: 
William  Ehnnan,  Harry  M.  and  Roy,  all  of  whom 
are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  The  parents 
and  the  eldest  son  hold  membership  with  the  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Blandinsville. 

Mr.  Grigsby  takes  an  active  interest  in  civic 
societies  and  is  an  honored  member  of  various  or- 
ganizations. He  belongs  to  Blandinsville  Lodge 
No.  233,  A.  F.  <N:  A.  M.;  Blandinsville  Chapter 
No.  108,  0.  E.  S.;  New  Hope  Lodge  No.  263, 
I.  O.  O.  F.;  Hardin  Lodge  No.  25,  A.  ().  U.  W.; 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  cast 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Horace  Greeley,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  a  supporter  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party.  He  has  been  elected  to  a  number 
of  local  offices,  including  that  of  Alderman,  Town- 
ship Treasurer  and  Village  Treasurer.  He  dis- 
charges his  public  duties  with  a  promptness  and 
fidelity  that  have  won  him  the  commendation  of 
all  concerned.  He  is  true  to  every  public  and 
private  trust,  and  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity,  who  is  held  in  high  regard  by  all 
who  know  him. 


SEORGE  M.  OAKMAN  is  one  of  the  wick- 
awake  and  enterprising  citizens  of  Blandins- 
ville, who  is  now  editing  the  Blandinsville 
Gazette.  Almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  Mel  tonough  County  and  he  is  numbered  among 
its  native  sons.  He  was  born  in  Hire  Township, 
on  the  17th  of  April,  1S62,  and  is  a  sou  of  Isaac 
A.  and  Elizabeth  M.  Oakman.  His  father,  a  na- 
tive of  Huntingdon  County,  Pa.,  came  to  Mc- 
Donough County  in  1852.      For  many    years    he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


i93 


followed  farming,  but  at  length  retired  from  that 
pursuit  and  removed  to  Macomb.  At  this  writing 
he  is  serving  as  Treasurer  of  the  county.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Elizabeth  M.  Campbell,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Eliza  1  MeCollough  )  Campbell,  who 
were  natives  of  Franklin  County,  Pa. 

The  Oakman  family  numbered  nine  children, 
six  sons  and  three  daughters:  James  F.,  a  farmer 
and  stock-raiser  residing  in  Bardolph,  111.:  Man 
E.,  wife  of  X.  Swigart,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
residing  in  Macomb;  John  Orr,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business  in  Blandinsville;  Robert  \\\, 
a  furniture  dealer  of  Macomb:  George  M..  whose 
name  heads  this  record;  Isaac  N..  who  is  living 
in  Fountain  Green,  Hancock  County,  where  he 
follows  fanning  and  stock-raising;  Margaret  B., 
at  home:  Bert,  who  is  local  editor  of  the  Macomb 
Eagle;  and  a  daughter  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.    Oakman    whose    name  heads  this  record 

spent  the  days  of  his  boyh 1  and  youth  on   his 

father's  farm,  aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  fields 
through  the  summer  months,  while  in  the  winter 
season  he  attended  the  district  schools  of  the  home 
township.  Thus  his  time  was  passed  until  sixteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  entered  the  public  schools 
of  I, a  Harpe,  there  pursuing  his  studies  for  two 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  began 
teaching  in  Durham  Township,  Hancock  County, 
and  followed  that  profession  for  ten  years,  being 
employed  in  Henderson,  Hancock,  McDonough 
and  Morgan  Counties.  During  this  time  he  was 
principal  of  the  schools  in  Terre  Haute,  Colches- 
ter and  Meredosia,  remaining  in  the  last-named 
place  for  four  years.  He  was  successful  as  a 
teacher,  his  work  along  that  line  always  proving 
very  satisfactory. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1883,  Mr.  Oakman  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Adelia  St.  Clair,  of  Dur- 
ham Township,  Hancock  County,  daughter  of 
Joel  and  Nancy  P.  'Barn  St.  Clair.  One  child 
graces  their  union,  Edna  Pearl,  born  January  31 , 
1888.  Socially,  Mr.  Oakman  is  connected  with 
Good  Will  Lodge  No.  91,  K.  P.,  of  Colchester; 
Blandinsvile  Lodge  No.  233,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.; 
Blandinsville  Chapter  No.  108,  O.  E.  S. ;  Mere- 
dosia Chapter    No.    11,  R.  A.  M.;  Hardin    Lodge 


No.  25,  A.  O.  U.  W.;  Aten  Lodge  No.  22,  D. 
H.;  Meredosia  Camp  No,  705,  M.  W.  A.;  and 
the  N.  B.  of  J. 

Mr.  Oakman  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Grover  Cleveland,  and  is  an  advocate  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  and  its  principles.  Its  men  and 
measures  he  supports  throughout  the  columns  ol 
his  paper.  On  the  17th  of  January,  1890,  he 
purchased  the  Blandinsville  Gazette,  which  he  has 
since  continued  to  publish.  He  did  not  remove 
to  this  place,  however,  until  May  of  that  year. 
The  Gazette  has  a  good  circulation,  and  is  well 
worthy  of  a  liberal  patronage. 

3OSEPH  FRY,  Jr..  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
of  LaHarpe  Township,  Hancock  County, 
residing  on  section  19,  was  born  on  the  6th 
of  August,  i860,  in  Missouri,  and  is  the  second 
son  of  Joseph  Fry.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Bourbon  County,  Ky..  bom  on  the  16th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1806.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
district  schools  of  his  native  State,  and  when  a 
young  man  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  bricklayer 
and  stone-mason,  which  pursuits  he  followed  for 
a  number  of  years.  In  1865  he  emigrated  with 
his  family  to  Illinois,  and  located  in  Hancock 
County. 

Our  subject  was  at  that  time  a  child  of  only  five 
years.  The  district  schools  of  LaHarpe  Town- 
ship provided  him  his  earlier  educational  privi- 
leges, but  later  he  attended  the  public  schools  of 
La  Harpe.  Throughout  his  life  he  has  followed 
fanning.  As  soon  as  old  enough  to  handle  the 
plough,  he  began  work  in  the  fields,  and  has  since 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  the  tilling  of 
the  soil.  His  farm  is  well  stocked  with  a  good 
grade  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs.  Here  he  has 
lived  since  1S90.  Previous  to  this  time  he  spent 
two  years  in  Blandinsville  Township,  McDonough 
County,  where  he  worked  in  a  brickyard. 

Mr.  Fry  has  been  twice  married.  On  the  18th 
of  January,  1883,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Mary  M.  Harris,  of  La  Harpe  Township, 
Hancock   County,  and  a   daughter   of  Isaac  and 


194 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mary  (Atwater)  Harris.  One  child  was  born  to 
them,  Leomie.  The  mother  was  called  to  the  home 
beyond  on  the  ist  of  June,  1892,  and  Mr.  Fry  was 
again  married,  on  the  ist  of  February,  1893,  Miss 
Freddie  P>.  Duncan,  daughter  of  John  and  Marga- 
ret A.  1  Chapiri )  Duncan,  becoming  his  wife.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fry  hold  membership  with  the 
Christian  Church  of  East  Durham,  and  take  an 
active  part  in  its  upbuilding.  In  politics,  he  has 
been  a  Democrat  since  attaining  his  majority. 
His  first  Presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Grover 
Cleveland  in  i.S.Xa.  He  is  a  public-spirited  and 
progressive  citizen,  and  the  best  interests  of  the 
community  find  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  may 
truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for  hissuccess  in 
life  is  all  clue  to  his  own  efforts,  as  he  started  out 
in  life  empty-handed,  and  by  his  own  industry  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward. 


IIIJJAM  B.  TOWLER,  dealer  in  groceries, 
glassware,  queensware,  farm  implements 
and  general  farmers'  supplies,  is  a  well- 
known  resident  of  La  Harpe,  who  is  recognized 
as  one  of  its  leading  and  influential  citizens.  He 
was  born  in  Hire  Township,  McDonough  County, 
111.,  on  the  27th  of  September,  1865,  and  mention 
of  his  family  is  made  in  the  sketch  of  W.  A.  Tow- 
ler  on  another  page  of  this  work.  During  his 
first  year,  our  subject  removed  with  his  parents 
to  a  farm  in  Pa  Harpe  Township,  Hancock  County, 
two  and  a-quarter  miles  from  this  place,  and  there- 
he  was  reared  to  manhood,  spending  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  lads.  His  educational  privileges  were 
those  afforded  by  the  district  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. He  conned  his  lessons  through  the 
winter  season,  and  in  the  summer  months  aided 
in  the  labors  of  the  farm.  However,  he  entered 
Gittings  Seminary  in  1885,  and  there  pursued 
his  studies  for  two  years. 

On  leaving  school,  Mr.  'fowler  returned  to  the 
farm,  where  he  continued  for  one  summer,  and  in 
the  autumn  of  1888  he  removed  to  La  Harpe, 
where  lie  embarked  iii   the  grocery   business  in 


connection  with  R.  B.  Hetrick.  This  partnership 
existed  only  about  one  year  and  nine  months, 
after  which  Mr.  Towler  bought  out  his  partner's 
interest  and  conducted  the  business  alone  until  the 
10th  of  October,  1890,  when  his  store  and  con- 
tents were  destroyed  by  fire.  Immediately  after 
this  disaster,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  A. 
Towler  and  bought  out  the  store  of  Gill,  Ginna- 
van  &  Co.  They  carried  on  this  business  success- 
fully for  about  three  years  and  a-half,  but  are  now 
rapidly  disposing  of  their  goods,  preparatory  to 
closing  out  their  trade. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1892,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Towler  and  Miss  Fannie  J. 
Brizendine,  daughter  of  John  Brizendine,  a  well- 
known  citizen  of  La  Harpe.  Their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  one  child,  William  C.  The 
parents  are  widely  known  in  this  community, 
where  they  have  many  warm  friends  and  agree- 
able acquaintances,  who  esteem  them  highly. 
Their  home  is  a  hospitable  one,  and  a  warm  greet- 
ing  is  always  extended  to  their  guests. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Towler  are  members  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  take  an  active  interest  in 
its  work  and  upbuilding.  He  is  now  serving  as 
Deacon  of  the  church,  which  position  he  has  held 
for  about  six  years.  In  politics,  he  advocates 
Republican  principles,  and  his  first  Presidential 
vote  was  cast  for  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison.  He 
has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  office,  but 
in  the  spring  of  1S92  he  was  elected  Township 
Clerk  for  a  term  of  two  years.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  good  business  ability,  and  his  enterprise 
and  industry  have  won  for  him  success  thus  far  in 
his  undertakings. 


(TAMES  M.  BRADSHAW,  one  of  the  enter- 
I  prising,  progressive  and  representative  citi- 
(~)  zens  of  La  Harpe,  was  born  in  the  township 
of  the  same  name  on  the  20th  of  December,  1855, 
and  is  a  son  of  Joel  Bradshaw,  a  native  of  White 
Count),  Tenn.,  born  September  15,  1S12.  The 
family  numbered  ten  children,  four  sons  and  six 
daughters,  but  three  of  the  latter  died  in  infancy. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


195 


William  Dixon  is  now  a  fanner  011  section  30,  I. a 
Harpe  Township;  Mary  Jane  became  the  wife  of 
Frank  Hine,  of  Jacksonville,  111.,  and  died  in 
February,  188 1 ;  George  W.  is  living  on  section 
25,  Durham  Township,  Hancock  County;  Sarah 
Louisa,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  William  C. 
Bainter;  Emma  K.  is  the  widow  of  James  W,  P. 
Davis;  and  Joel  D.  is  deceased. 

( »ur  subject  is  the  youngest  child  of  the  family, 
lie  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  La  Harpe  Township,  but  afterwards 
supplemented  it  by  study  in  the  Jacksonville  Bus- 
iness College,  which  he  entered  in  the  fall  of  1875. 
( )n  completing  his  course  he  was  graduated  there- 
from in  March,  1N76.  He  entered  a  class  in  arith- 
metic of  seventy-five  pupils,  which  was  reduced 
in  number  to  fifteen  on  account  of  their  deficiency. 
Mr.  Bradshaw,  however,  remained  with  the  class. 
After  leaving  college,  he  became  a  stock-dealer, 
and  in  connection  with  that  business,  which  he- 
has  carried  on  extensively,  he  has  also  been  largely 
engagedin  farming.  He  now  owns  a  farm  offour 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  of  which  two  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  are  located  cm  section  30,  La  Harpe 
Township,  while  the  remainder  is  across  the  line 
in  Durham  Township.  His  farm  is  one  of  the 
best  ill  the  neighborhood,  and  its  well-tilled  fields 
and  excellent  improvements  indicate  the  careful 
supervision  of  the  owner  and  his  thrifty  and  pro- 
gressive spirit. 

On  the  13th  of  February,  1S7S,  Mr.  Bradshaw 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Tillie  E.  Mani- 
fold, daughter  of  Benjamin  J.  and  Cornelia  (Hut- 
ton)  Manifold.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  but 
Lillian  K.  died  at  the  age  of  four  weeks.  The 
others.  James  F.  and  Quinton  M..  are  still  with 
their  parents. 

Mr.  Bradshaw  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Democracy,  and  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  was  cast  for  W.  S.  Hancock  in  1876. 
1  le  has  served  as  School  Director  for  several  years, 
and  was  also  Road  Overseer  for  several  terms,  but 
has  never  sought  or  desired  public  office,  prefer 
ring  to  give  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his 
business  interests.  He  has  been  a  Director  of  the 
La  Harpe  District  Fair  since  its  organization,  and 


was  Auditor  for  the  first  three  years.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  Superintendent  of  Booths, 
and  during  the  fifth  year  was  elected  Director, 
and  Superintendent  of  the  Beef  Cattle  Department, 
which  position  he  has  held  for  four  years.  He 
was  also  one  of  the  Building  Committee.  He  takes 
an  active  interest  in  worthy  public  enterprises, 
and  is  recognized  throughout  the  community  as 
one  of  its  leading  citizens. 

REV.  CONRAD  KLHL,  pastor  of  Zion's 
Lutheran  Church,  of  Carthage,  is  one  of  the 
able  ministers  of  the  denomination.  He  was 
born  in  Bindsachsen,  in  the  grand  duchy  of  Darm- 
stadt, Germany,  October  21,  [821.  His  father. 
Christian  Kuhl,  was  an  innkeeper  and  baker 
of  that  country,  and  married  Elizabeth  Gantz. 
In  1R34  became  with  his  family  to  the  United 
States,  locating  in  Zanesville,  Ohio.  In  the  spring 
of  1836  he  removed  to  Beardstown,  111.,  making 
thejourney  in  the  old-style  moving  wagon,  known 
as  a  "prairie  schooner."  In  Beardstown  the  par- 
ents spent  their  remaining  days,  both  passing  the 
eightieth  milestone  on  life's  journey.  In  this 
country  the  father  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming.  Their  family  numbered  six  children, 
who  reached  mature  years  and  reared  families  of 
their  own,  but  all  are  now  deceased  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Conrad.  The  eldest  brother,  George, 
died  recently  at  his  home  in  Beardstown,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-six.  One  brother,  Philip,  was  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  preacher,  and  died  in  Bur- 
lington, Iowa;  and  other  members  of  the  family 
were  merchants  and  teachers. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  at  a  very  earl}  age  began  to  earn 
his  own  livelihood  by  working  as  an  errand  boy. 
He  was  thus  employed  in  Zanesville,  and  in 
Beardstown.  Later  for  three  years  he  entered  the 
drug  store  of  Dr.  Hoffman,  wdio  was  the  origi- 
nator of  the  method  of  making  glucose.  There 
he  became  acquainted  with  the  science  of  chemis- 
trj  ,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  left  the  mercan- 
tile business,  having  decided  to  enter  the  ministry. 


196 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


lit-  studied  two  and  a-half  years  at  a  private 
school  at  Springfield,  and  afterwards  entered 
Pennsylvania  College,  of  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  and 
was  graduated  from  its  theological  seminary  in 
1848.  He  was  now  fitted  for  his  chosen  profes- 
sion, and  was  soon  placed  in  charge  of  a  church 
in  Quincy,  111.  His  ordination  as  a  minister  oc- 
curred in  1850,  in  Oregon,  Ogle  County,  111.,  by 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  of  Illinois.  In 
the  fall  of  1850  he  entered  the  western  missionary 
work,  and  was  employed  in  western  Illinois  and 
eastern  Iowa  for  a  year,  supplying  pulpits  and 
establishing  new  churches.  In  1851  and  1852  he 
was  pastor  of  a  church  in  Springfield,  111. 

On  the  12th  of  September,  1849,  our  subject 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Evaline  M. 
Sell,  of  Gettysburg,  Pa.  To  them  have  been 
born  three  children,  who  are  yet  living:  Clemen- 
tine E.,  wife  of  C.  M.  Banks,  of  Boardman, 
Fla.;  Martha  S.,  wife  of  J.  W.  Hunter,  of  Cali- 
fornia, Mo.,  who  is  a  member  of  the  Legislature 
of  that  State;  and  Abby  A.,  a  college  graduate, 
who  is  now  teaching  in  the  public  schools. 

On  leaving  Springfield,  111.,  Rev.  Mr  Kuhl 
went  to  Mt.  Carmel,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years.  He  then  spent  a  year  and  a-half  as  agent 
in  Pennsylvania  for  the  Illinois  University  at 
Springfield,  after  which  he  returned  to  Quincy  to 
take  charge  of  a  new  church,  of  which  he  was 
pastor  three  years.  The  three  succeeding  years 
were  spent  in  Liberty,  111.,  and  later  he  was  in 
Perry,  Pike  County,  and  in  Pittsfield  for  six  years. 
It  was  in  1868  that  he  came  to  Carthage  to  take 
charge  of  a  small  church,  then  paying  a  salary  of 
only  about  $250.  The  condition  of  his  coming 
was  that  the  church  should  build  a  parsonage. 
He  has  since  remained  as  a  Lutheran  minister  in 
Carthage,  and  has  done  a  good  work  in  this  place. 

During  the  latter  part  of  1869,  at  a  synod  held 
in  Hillsboro,  a  visiting  member  urged  that  steps 
be  taken  to  found  a  Lutheran  college  somewhere 
in  Illinois.  Mr.  Kuhl,  who  was  President  of  the 
synod,  was  favorably  impressed  with  the  idea,  and 
was  made  Chairman  of  the  committee  to  consider 
the  same,  and  take  steps  toward  its  fulfillment. 
Later  a  convention  met  in  Dixon,  in  1869,  to  con- 
sider this  subject.      It  advised  the  appointment  of 


a  Board  of  Commissioners  of  twelve,  representing 
the  four  synods.  These  convened  at  Carthage, 
deliberated  upon  several  overtures,  and  accepted 
one  made  by  Carthage,  which  amounted  to  a  fine 
building  site  and  $20,000  toward  the  erection  of 
the  present  building.  In  prosecuting  this  work, 
Mr.  H.  Draper  acted  as  financial  agent  and  attor- 
ney for  the  citizens.  Carthage  College  was  char- 
tered and  organized  by  the  citizens,  and  a  Board 
of  Trustees  was  chosen  to  conduct  affairs.  From 
the  beginning,  Mr.  Kuhl  has  taken  a  prominent 
part  in  this  enterprise,  and  has  always  served  on 
the  Board  of  Trustees  until  lately.  He  has  also 
been  prominent  and  active  in  Sunday-school  work, 
and  was  an  agent  of  the  American  Bible  Society. 
For  several  years  he  served  as  President  of  the 
synod,  and  has  frequently  been  a  delegate  to  the 
General  Synod.  The  greater  part  of  his  time  and 
attention  has  been  devoted  to  church  work,  and 
his  efforts  have  not  been  unavailing,  but  have  re- 
sulted in  much  good. 

%  *   c=J<"T'">[=~a  Til 

ROBERT  TARMAN,  who  died  January  17, 
1894,  was  a  well-known  agriculturist  of 
Hancock  County,  residing  on  section  28, 
La  Harpe  Township.  He  was  a  native  of  Rappa- 
hannock County,  Va.,  born  May  19,  1827.  His  fa- 
ther, George  Tarman,  was  born  in  Maryland,  but 
in  early  life  removed  to  Virginia,  from  whence  he 
enlisted  in  the  War  of  1812.  While  residing  in 
the  Old  Dominion,  he  served  as  overseer  or  slave- 
driver  for  Samuel  Chancellor,  but  he  did  not  like 
this  occupation,  and  in  consequence  removed  to 
Ohio,  in  1836,  accompanied  by  his  family.  All 
the  produce  raised  on  the  one  thousand  acre  plan- 
tation was  hauled  to  Falmouth,  and  Mr.  Tarman 
handled  all  the  money  for  the  same.  He  was 
married  in  February,  18 17,  to  Mary  Spieer, 
daughter  of  William  Spieer,  of  Rappahannock 
County,  Va.,  and  unto  them  were  born  nine  chil- 
dren in  all.  He  took  his  wife  and  eight  children 
in  a  one-horse  cart  to  their  new  home  in  Ohio. 
Their  journey,  which  lasted  four  weeks,  was 
made   in    December,    1836,    the    weather    being 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


19/ 


bitterly  cold.  When  they  reached  Muskingum 
County  they  put  what  household  effects  they  had 
into  a  rented  cabin,  and  the  father  worked  at 
whatever  he  could  find  to  do.  The  mother  spun 
and  wove  all  the  wearing  apparel  for  the  family, 
and  in  those  early  days  the}-  suffered  many  trials 
and  hardships.  Their  children  were  as  follows: 
Martha  Ann,  deceased,  wife  of  Philip  Karnes,  a 
fanner  of  Muskingum  County,  Ohio;  Mary  Eliz- 
abeth, widow  of  Philip  Parker,  a  farmer  of  Fay- 
ette County,  111.:  William,  who  was  a  farmer  of 
Muskingum  County,  but  is  now  deceased;  Al- 
fred, who  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Mus- 
kingum County;  Robert,  of  this  sketch;  Mahala 
Jane,  deceased,  wife  of  Michael  Dolau,  who  was 
captain  of  a  boat  on  the  Ohio  Canal  and  subse- 
quently became  a  physician  in  Allen  County, 
Ind. ,  where  he  died:  Sarah,  deceased,  wife  of  Ma- 
lliias  barman,  of  Hancock  County;  .Samuel,  who 
died  in  this  county;  and  Archibald,  of  La  Crosse, 
111. 

Robert  Tarman  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Ohio,  and  received  the  rudiments  of  an  education 
in  the  district  schools  of  Muskingum  County,  but 
his  privileges  were  very  meagre.  He  worked  on 
various  farms  for  his  father  until  he  had  attained 
his  majority,  when  he  began  working  in  his  own 
interest  as  a  farm  hand.  His  first  independent 
effort  in  life  brought  him  the  munificent  sum  of 
twenty -five  cents  per  day.  He  had  many  obsta 
cles  to  overcome,  but  by  industry  and  persever- 
ance he  worked  his  way  upward  to  success. 

On  the  ist  of  May,  1 8 5 1 ,  Mr.  Tarman  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Phcebe  Cassingham, 
daughter  of  Richard  and  Margaret  (Morrison) 
Cassingham.  Six  children  were  born  unto  them, 
a  son  and  five  daughters,  namely:  Minerva,  wife 
of  Peter  Feck,  a  farmer  of  Page  County,  Iowa; 
Mattie,  at  home;  Laura,  wife  of  Judson  Farman, 
an  agriculturist  of  McLean  County,  111.;  Celia, 
deceased;  Ollie.  at  home:  and  Luther,  who  has 
also  passed  away. 

Mr.  Tarman  came  from  Ohio  to  Hancock 
County  in  1853,  and  purchased  fifty  acres  of  land 
in  La  Harpe  Township,  upon  which  he  at  once 
located.  To  this  he  added,  however,  from  time- 
to  time,  until  at  his  death  his  farm  comprised  one 


hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good  land,  which 
yielded  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the 
care  and  labor  he  bestowed  upon  it.  He  was  a 
man  of  good  business  ability,  and  his  well-directed 
efforts  brought  him  a  comfortable  competence, 
which  his  family  now  possesses. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Tarman  was  a  Republican.  In 
early  life  he  supported  the  Whig  party,  but  on 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he 
joined  its  ranks,  and  afterward  fought  under  its 
banner.  He  served  as  School  Director  for  about 
sixteen  years,  and  during  his  term  the  cause  of 
education  found  in  him  a  stalwart  supporter,  ever 
ready  to  promote  its  interests.  He  held  member- 
ship with  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church  of  La 
Harpe.  During  the  past  four  years  he  had  been 
in  poor  health,  and  in  1892  he  made  a  trip  to  the 
West,  hoping  to  be  benefited  thereby.  For 
twenty-eight  years,  Mr. Tarman  cared  for  his  par- 
ents and  made  their  declining  days  happy.  His 
mother  passed  away  April  9,  1S92,  at  the  very 
advanced  age  of  ninety-five  years.  Mr.  Tarman 
was  a  man  of  upright  principles,  and  one  always 
honorable  and  straightforward  in  his  dealings,  and 
his  well-spent  life  gained  him  the  confidence  and 
high  regard  of  his  fellow-townsmen. 

Mr.  Tarman  died  January  17.  1S94,  on  ms 
farm,  and  shortly  afterwards  the  family  removed 
to  La  Harpe,  where  they  now  reside.  Of  him 
the  I. a  Harper  said  upon  the  occasion  of  his 
death : 

"For  a  long  time  he  was  seriously  afflicted, 
but  during  all  his  afflictions  he  was  patient  and 
hopeful.  His  expressed  desire  to  live  was  from 
intense  love  for  his  family.  But  though  desirous 
to  live,  he  became  fulls-  reconciled  to  the  Divine 
Providence  that  called  him  away.  His  faith  and 
hope  rested  upon  the  Rock  of  Ages.  It  is  blessed 
to  die  the  death  of  the  righteous.  Though  con- 
scious that  he  had  not  lived  up  to  the  privileges 
afforded  him — conscious  of  failure  to  live  a  perfect 
Christian  life — yet  such  was  his  faith  in  the  mercy 
and  love  of  God,  so  clearly  manifested  in  the  gift 
of  His  Son  to  redeem  a  lost  world,  that  he  calmly 
rested  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross,  and  for  many  days 
before  his  death,  as  he  thought  of  that  hymn  en- 
titled, 'Take  Me    as    I  Am.'  requested  that  it  be 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


sun-  at  his  funeral.  It  was  a  great  comfort  to 
the  bereaved  that  Mr.  Tarman  was  conscious  and 
able  to  converse  with  them  to  within  a  few  min- 
utes of  his  death.  In  the  death  of  Mr.  Tarman 
the  community  has  lost  an  excellent  citizen,  the 
church  a  devoted  member,  and  the  family  a  loving 
husband  and  father. 

0SCAR  W.  HUSTON  is  one  of  the  prominent 
and  highly  respected  citizens  of  Blandins- 
ville.  He  was  formerly  connected  with  the 
business  interests  of  this  place,  but  is  now  living 
a  retired  life.  He  has  the  honor  of  being  a  na- 
tive of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Hen- 
derson County  on  the  iSth  of  May,  1858.  His 
parents  were  Walter  and  Mary  Ann  (Johnson) 
Huston.  His  father  was  born  in  White  Count}', 
Tenn.,  in  1823,  and  in  1830  became  a  resident  of 
Illinois,  locating  in  Henderson  County.  His 
wife  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  In  their  family  were 
seven  children:  Nancy  J.,  wife  of  Hugh  Hodgins, 
a  contractor  and  builder  residing  in  Omaha,  Neb. ; 
Matthew,  who  carries  on  farming  in  Henderson 
Count)-;  Margaret,  who  is  also  living  in  Omaha, 
Neb.:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Daniel  Leinbach,  an  ag- 
riculturist of  Henderson  County;  Joel  B.,  fore- 
man of  an  importing  firm  of  Georgetown,  Tex.; 
and  Mary  K.,  who  is  now  deceased. 

Oscar  W.  Huston  whose  name  heads  this  record 
is  the  youngest  child  of  the  family.  No  event  of 
special  importance  occurred  during  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  which  were  quietly  passed  upon  his 
mother's  farm.  Through  the  winter  season  he 
attended  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
and  thus  acquired  a  good  English  education.  In 
the  summer  mouths  he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the 
field,  and  early  in  life  became  familiar  with  all 
kinds  of  farm  work.  Remaining  upon  the  home 
farm,  he  gave  his  mother  the  benefit  of  his  services 
until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  thirty  years.  In 
February,  1892,  he  came  to  Blandiusville  and 
opened  a  shoe-store,  which  he  successfully  con- 
ducted tor  a  year  and  a-half,  doing  a  good  busi- 
ness in  that  line,  but  on   the    [6th   of  November, 


1893,  he  sold  out,  and  is  now  awaiting  develop- 
ments in  some  business  line. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1880,  Mr.  Huston  was 
united  in  marriage  witli  Miss  Eliza  J.  Green, 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Eliza  J.  (Howard) 
Green,  and  a  native  of  Iowa.  Three  children 
have  come  to  bless  their  union:  Elsie  L.,  who  was 
bom  November  16,  1880;  Ola  E.,  June  22,  1883; 
and  Edna  B.,  March  20,    1S88. 

Mr.  Huston  is  a  supporter  of  the  Prohibition 
party.  He  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  on  ac- 
count of  his  strong  temperance  principles  hejoined 
the  political  party  which  embodied  his  views  on 
that  subject.  He  has  never  sought  or  desired 
public  office,  but  served  as  School  Director,  and 
the  cause  of  education  has  found  in  him  a  warm 
and  faithful  friend.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
Blandiusville  Lodge  No.  233,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.: 
Blandiusville  Chapter  No.  208,  R.  A.  M.;  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  and  his 
wife  are  both  members  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern 
Star,  and  both  are  leading  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  They  are  prominent  people  of  this 
community,  who  occupy  an  enviable  position  in 
social  circles  and  have  many  warm  friends,  who 
esteem  them  highly. 

§=        '        ^-a<T>ta    ^  a) 


W|RS.  MARY  B.  URBAN  is  the  youngest 
y  daughter  of. David  and  Elizabeth  (Thomp- 
(g  son )  Byler,  wdio  are  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneer  settlers  of  Hancock  Count)'.  Lo- 
cating here  in  an  early  day,  they  not  only  wit- 
nessed the  growth  and  development  of  this  locality, 
but  were  prominently  identified  with  its  upbuild- 
ing, and  were  actively  interested  in  its  progress. 
Further  mention  of  the  parents  is  made  on  another 
page  of  this  work. 

Mrs.  Urban  was  born  in  Hancock  County  on 
the  3d  of  October,  1S69.  and  acquired  her  early 
education  in  the  district  schools  near  her  home. 
She  thus  became  familiar  with  all  the  rudimentary 
branches.  In  the  winter  of  1891-92  she  pursued 
a  more  advanced  course  in  the  Gittings  Seminary 
of  LaHarpe.      Her  maidenhood  days  were  quietly 


LIRR'RV 
UNIVERSITY 

UKbANA 


Roland  M.  Parker 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


passed  in  the  usual  manner  of  girls  of  this  period, 
and  May  24,  1893,  she  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Albert  Urban,  an  enterprising  and  wide- 
awake young  farmer,  who  is  now  operating  the  old 
Byler  homestead  on  section  9,  Durham  Township. 
He  too  is  a  native  of  Hancock  County,  born  Feb- 
ruary 7.  [872,  and  the  district  schools  afforded 
him  his  educational  privileges.  In  his  political 
views,  he  is  a  Republican.  Although  a  young 
man,  he  displays  in  the  management  of  the  farm 
good  business  and  executive  ability,  and  will  un- 
doubtedly win  success  in  life.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Urban  are  well-known  people  of  Hancock  County, 
where  their  entire  lives  have  been  passed,  and 
throughout  this  community  they  have  many  warm 
friends. 


ROLAND  M.  PARKER,  M.  D.,  is  a  medical 
practitioner  of  recognized  ability  in  Warsaw, 
and  receives  from  the  public  a  liberal  patron- 
age, which  is  well  merited.  He  was  born  in  Madi- 
son County,  X.  V..  March  21,  1818,  and  is  a  son 
of  Leonard  C.  and  Betsy  T.  (  Bennett )  Parker, 
the  former  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  lat- 
ter df  Connecticut.  Tradition  says  that  the  Par- 
kers are  descendants  of  Sir  Peter  Parker.  The 
father  of  our  subject  carried  on  merchandising  and 
farming  for  many  years.  Removing  to  the  Em- 
pire State  in  an  early  day,  he  there  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  reaching  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eighty-two  years. 

In  taking  up  the  history  of  the  Doctor,  we  learn 
that  he  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  county.  His  fust  venture  in  business 
life  was  as  a  hotel  clerk  in  the  employ  of  his  uncle. 
Subsequently  he  became  superintendent  of  the 
hotel,  and  in  [843  he  embarked  in  the  lumber 
business,  which  he  carried  on  for  a  time.  Hewas 
also  engaged  in  the  study  of  medicine,  and  after 
having  acquired  a  certain  proficiency  he  engaged 
in  its  practice  as  a  member  of  the  allopathic  school. 
Later,  he  took  up  the  study  of  homeopathy  and 
embarked  in  the  exclusive  practice  of  medicine  in 
Cincinnati,    Ohio,    in  the  spring  of  1846.     There 


he  was  employed  until  1863,  when  he  went  to  St. 
Louis,  spending  four  years  in  that  city.  In  1867 
he  came  to  Hancock  County,  and  purchased  a 
very  fine  farm  in  Nauvoo.  Subsequently  he  be- 
came the  possessor  of  the  old  Brigham  Young 
property,  and  continued  its  improvement  and  the 
cultivation  of  his  land  until  his  removal  to  War- 
saw in  1888.  Since  that  time  he  has/esided  in 
this  city. 

Dr.  Parker  was  married  in  1863,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Jennie  Swan.  She  died  in 
[878,  leaving  two  children,  a  sou  and  daughter. 
James  W.  graduated  both  from  the  scientific  and 
medical  departments  of  the  State  University  of 
Iowa,  and  is  now  engaged  in  medical  practice 
with  his  father.  On  the  nth  of  July,  [888,  la- 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Donna  M.  T. 
Bennett,  who  is  also  a  graduate  of  the  Iowa  l"ni 
versity,  and  is  engaged  in  practice  with  her 
husband.  Bessie  G.,  the  daughter  of  the  Parker 
family,  is  a  highly  educated  young  lady,  who  was 
also  graduated  from  the  State  University  of  Iowa. 

Dr.  R.  M.  Parker  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  in  politics  is  an  inflexible  adherent 
of  the  principles  of  Republicanism.  He  does  all 
in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure 
the  success  of  his  party,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the 
National  Convention  in  1884.  His  residence  of 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  Hancock 
County  has  brought  him  a  wide  acquaintance, 
and  by  all  who  know  him  he  is  held  in  high  re- 
gard. The  firm  of  Parker  &  Son  is  a  well  known 
one.  and  deserves  mention  on  the  pages  of  this 
history. 


1— *=m"H^w=*=-=4 

3AC<  >P>  RKISKI.T.  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  23,  Durham  Township,  is 
a  native  of  German),  born  March  1,  [829. 
In  that  country  he  spent  the  first  fourteen  years 
of  his  life,  and  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the 
land  attended  the  public  schools.  In  1843,  how- 
ever, he  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  country,  and 
sailed  for  America  in  company  with  his  parents, 
Jacob   and   Vienna    (Spoon)    Reiselt.      His  father 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


owned  a  farm  in  Germany,  but  in  the  year  above 
mentioned  lie  disposed  of  his  property  and  crossed 
the  briny  deep  to  the  New  World.  Making  his 
way  to  Ohio,  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Franklin 
County,  and  there  spent  his  remaining  days.  He 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-four 
\  cars.         a 

Not  long  after  coming  to  the  United  States,  Mr. 
Reiselt  started  out  in  life  to  make  his  own  way  in 
the  world.  In  1845-46  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand 
for  Jeremiah  Clark,  of  Franklin  County,  Ohio, 
receiving  only  $1 1  per  month  for  his  services. 
After  two  years,  however,  his  wages  were  in- 
creased to  $15  per  month.  He  has  driven  cattle 
to  Philadelphia  and  New  York  at  a  time  when  it 
required  three  months  to  make  the  trip,  and  has 
also  borne  other  hardships  of  frontier  life. 

It  was  in  1S66  that  Mr.  Reiselt  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  located  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  his 
home.  He  first  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
23,  Durham  Township,  and  later  he  added  to 
this  an  additional  tract  of  forty  acres.  He  has 
made  substantial  improvements  upon  the  place, 
and  has  good  buildings  and  fences  and  all  the 
other  accessories  of  a  model  farm.  The  fields  are 
well  tilled  and  the  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  ap- 
pearance. To  some  extent  he  deals  in  stock,  sell- 
ing generally  to  local  buyers. 

On  the  1 8th  of  December,  1851,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Reiselt  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
Weatherington,  a  native  of  Franklin  County, 
Ohio.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  five 
children,  namely:  Henry,  who  is  now  living  in 
Nebraska;  William,  a  resident  of  this  county; 
Effie,  at  home:  Mrs.  Mary  Kradfield,  of  Han- 
cock County;  and  Rettie,  who  is  still  at  home. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Franklin  Pierce  in  1852,  Mr.  Reiselt  has  been  a 
supporter  of  the  Democracy.  He  has  held  some 
local  offices,  having  served  as  Township  Trustee 
for  fourteen  years  and  as  Commissioner  for  six 
\  ears.  His  frequent  re-election  to  these  offices 
well  indicates  his  fidelity  to  duty.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  years  he  joined  the  Lutheran  Church, 
and  has  since  been  one  of  its  active  and   faithful 


members,  working  earnestly  for  its  upbuilding 
and  advancement.  His  business  career  has  been 
a  prosperous  one.  He  carries  forward  to  a  suc- 
cessful completion  whatever  he  undertakes,  un- 
deterred by  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his 
path.  Enterprise  and  industry  are  numbered 
among  his  chief  characteristics,  and  as  the  result 
he  has  become  the  possessor  of  a  neat  home  and 
comfortable  property. 


(JOSEPH  T.  PAINTER,  deceased,  was  born 
I  on  the  25th  of  March,  1800,  in  Philadelphia, 
(2/  Pa.,  and  came  of  a  family  of  German  origin. 
His  father,  William  Painter,  was  also  a  native  of 
the  Keystone  State,  and  was  one  of  the  heroes  of 
the  Revolution.  He  married  Martha  Torton,  in 
1785,  and  the  lady  was  also  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  became  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren: Charles;  Sarah,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Henry  Reynolds,  and  emigrated  to  Hancock 
County  in  1836;  William,  who  came  to  this  county 
two  years  later;  Philip,  who  became  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Missouri,  of  1816;  John;  Mary 
Ann,  wife  of  John  Bryan,  who  came  to  Hancock 
County  in  1839;  Joseph;  Martha,  wife  of  John 
Reynolds;  and  Lydia,  wife  of  Isaac  Pierson,  who 
came  to  this  county  in  1850.  None  of  the  family 
are  now  living. 

Joseph  T.  Painter,  an  honored  pioneer  of  this 
locality,  acquired  his  education  in  New  Castle, 
Mercer  County,  Pa.  His  school  privileges,  how- 
ever, were  limited  to  ninety  days'  attendance  at 
the  subscription  schools.  When  a  young  man  of 
nineteen  years  he  left  home,  with  the  intention  of 
trying  his  fortune  in  the  West,  and  went  on  a  flat- 
boat  to  Missouri,  taking  with  him  a  carcling-ma- 
chine.  He  made  the  return  trip  on  horseback  in 
1823,  reaching  his  destination  after  twenty -eight 
days  of  travel.  He  then  purchased  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  acres  in  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  and.  turn- 
ing his  attention  to  its  cultivation,  continued  to 
engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  about  thirteen 
years,  when,  in  1836,  he  again  left  the  East.  It 
was  in  that  year  that  he  cast  his  lot  among  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


203 


pioneer  settlers  of  Illinois.  On  the  4th  of  June 
he  reached  what  was  then  called  Spillmaii's  Land- 
ing, now  Pontoosuc,  and  made  his  way  hither. 
Here  he  purchased  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 9,  La  Harpe  Township,  and  began  the  de- 
\  elopment  of  a  farm. 

Ere  his  removal  West.  Mr.  Fainter  was  mar- 
ried. On  the  3d  of  January.  1828,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Jane  Graham,  and  to  them  were 
born  three  children,  Angeline,  Charles  and 
Thompson,  bnt  all  are  now  deceased.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died  August  [3,  [833,  and 
Mr.  Painter  was  married  October  18,  1834,  to 
Phoebe  Rea,  daughter  of  John  and  Ann  (White) 
Rea.  They  also  became  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren: Plemon,  deceased;  Delina,  wife  ol  S.  F. 
Bryan,  of  La  Harpe:  and  Arion.  who  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  while  aiding 
in  the  defense  of  the  Union  during  the  late  war. 
He  was  a  member  of  Company  1),  Twenty-eighth 
Illinois  Infantry.  Charles  was  also  in  the  service, 
being  one  of  the  boys  in  bine  of  Company  G,  One 
Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  He 
served  for  three  years,  and  was  mustered  out  in 
the  fall  of  1865.  He  was  First  Lieutenant  of  his 
company. 

In  183S  Mr.  Painter  went  to  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  purchased  material  for  a  gristmill,  which 
was  put  up  by  Henry  Reynolds  ou  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  9,  La  Harpe,  also  for  a  saw- 
mill, which  he  erected  himself  on  section  10,  La 
Harpe,  and  which  he  operated  about  two  years, 
although  he  owned  it  ten  or  twelve  years,  when 
it  parsed  out  of  his  hands.  These  were  among 
the  pioneer  mills  of  this  section  of  country. 

Mr.  Fainter  continued  to  engage  in  agricultural 
pursuits  until  i860,  when  he  retired  from  active 
life,  and  went  to  live  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  S. 
F.  Bryan,  with  whom  he  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  9th  of  September,  [875. 
In  politics,  he  was  originally  a  Whig,  and  on  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  joined  its 
ranks.  He  served  as  Constable  for  several  yeai  S, 
and  was  Assessor  and  Collector  for  fourteen  years. 
For  the  long  period  of  thirty  years  he  served  as 
School  Director,  and  the  cause  of  education  ever 
found  in  him  a  warm  friend.      He  was  a   faithful 


member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
was  a  charitable  and  benevolent  man,  who  aided 
in  the  upbuilding  of  all  enterprises  calculated  to 
promote  the  best  interests  of  the  community.  He 
was  a  valued  and  prominent  citizen  of  Hancock 
County  for  almost  fortj  years,  and  this  history 
would  be  incomplete  without  the  record  of  his 
life. 

("JACOB  BRYAN,  deceased,  was  one  of  the 
I  early  settlers  of  Hancock  County,  and  one 
Q)  who  was  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this 
locality.  A  native  of  Hunterdon,  X.  J.,  he  was 
born  on  the  15th  of  August,  1794,  and  was  a  sou 
of  William  and  Mary  iSuphen)  Bryan.  His 
father  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  February  12, 
1 761.  Of  their  children,  Mary  became  the  wife 
of  Samuel  Hutton,  of  La  Harpe  Township,  and 
both  she  and  her  husband  are  deceased.  Rachel 
married  Robert  Simonton,  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
they  are  now  deceased:  Eleanor  became  the  wife  of 
James  Burns,  and  both  died  in  Pennsylvania; 
Hannah  married  Thomas  Fainter,  and  both  passed 
away  in  the  Keystone  State;  Jane,  Eliza,  John,  Ja- 
cob, Isaac  and  William  are  also  deceased. 

Jacob  Bryan  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  his 
father's  farm  in  New  Jersey,  and  during  his  youth 
attended  the  subscription  schools  of  his  native 
State.  In  1819,  he  removed  to  Mercer  County, 
Fa.,  and,  purchasing  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres, 
there  began  life  as  a  fanner.  He  followed  agri- 
cultural pursuits  throughout  his  remaining  days, 
and  met  with  good  success  in  his  undertakings. 
As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey- 
he  chose  Mary  Bagley,  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Elizabeth  1  Showerman  )  Bagley.  Their  marriage 
was  celebrated  in  Crawford  County,  Pa.,  on  the 
14th  of  May,  1824,  and  unto  them  were  born 
seven  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 

The  year  1840  witnessed  the  removal  of  Mr. 
Bryan  and  his  family  to  Hancock  Count}'.  He 
took  up  his  residence  in  La  Harpe  Township,  and 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on 
section  3,  La  Harpe  Township,  where  he  began 
the  development  of  a  farm.      By  additional  pur- 


204 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


chase  he  added  to  this  from  time  to  time  until  he 
became  the  owner  of  six  hundred  acres  of  valuable 
land,  which  yielded  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  re- 
turn for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestowed  upon  it. 
He  successful!}  carried  on  farming  until  the  2dof 
November,  1857,  when  he  retired  from  active  life 
and  removed  with  his  wife  and  two  children  to 
La  Harpe.  He  died  on  the  28th  of  March,  1S80. 
His  wife,  who  still  survives  him,  is  now  in  her 
eighty-ninth  year. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Bryan  was  originally 
a  Whig,  but  when  the  Republican  party  was 
formed  he  joined  its  ranks,  and  was  ever  afterward 
one  of  its  stalwart  supporters.  He  never  aspired 
to  public  office,  nor  would  he  accept  political  pre- 
ferment. He  was  originally  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  but  afterward,  when  the  Meth- 
odist Protestant  Church  was  organized,  he  joined 
the  same  and  was  one  of  its  consistent  and  faithful 
members  until  his  death.  He  was  always  found 
on  the  side  of  right,  a  supporter  of  all  that  would 
benefit  and  elevate  humanity.  His  career  was 
ever  honorable,  and  his  example  is  one  well  worthy 
of  emulation. 


*#$+£#-= 


*YSAAC  SOULE,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of 
I  Hancock  County,  who  through  a  long  period 
X  has  witnessed  the  growth  and  development  of 
this  region,  and  has  aided  in  its  progress  and  ad- 
vancement, was  born  in  Warren,  Trumbull  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  September  [3,  1820,  ami  is  the  second 
son  of  Josiah  and  Sarah  Soule.  The  Soule  fam- 
ily trace  back  their  ancestry  to  the  time  the  ' '  May- 
flower "  made  its  way  across  the  Atlantic,  in  1620. 
Among  the  passengers  on  that  vessel  was  George 
Soule.  He  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  Pilgrim  Fa- 
thers, and  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  dying  in 
[679.  To  him  was  born  John  Soule,  who  lived 
in  Duxbury,  Mass.  His  wife's  given  name  was 
Mary.  The  settlement  of  his  estate  was  dated 
March  1,  1707  or  1708,  so  that  it  is  probable  he 
died  in  1707.  Benjamin  Soule,  his  son,  married 
Sarah  Standish,  daughter  of  Alexander  Standish, 
a  son  of  Capt.    Miles  Standish.      Benjamin  died 


December  1,  1729,  aged  sixty-three  years;  his 
wife  died  March  14,  1740,  aged  seventy-three 
years.  Zachariah,  son  of  Benjamin,  born  March 
21,  1694,  was  married  June  9,  1720,  to  Mary 
Eaton.  Zachariah  died  May  3,  1 7 5 1 ,  aged  fifty- 
seven  years.  Ephraim,  his  son,  born  May  11, 
1729,  was  married  February  10,  1757,  to  Rebecca 
Whitmarsh,  daughter  of  Richard  Whitmarsh,  and 
died  January  24,  1817,  aged  eighty-seven  years; 
his  wife  died  September  5,  1805,  aged  seventy  - 
five  years.  Daniel  Soule,  his  son,  born  Novem- 
ber 16,  1757,  was  married  May  1,  17S3,  to  Sarah 
Cushman,  seventh  daughter  of  Josiah  Cushman. 
of'  Plymouth,  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  fourth 
generation  from  Elder  Thomas  Cushman,  one  of 
the  "  Mayflower  "  Pilgrims.  Daniel  died  in  1836, 
aged  eighty-one  years. 

Josiah,  the  father  of  our  subject,  born  January 
13,  1794,  married  Sally  Young,  ofWareham, 
Mass.,  and  died  March  9,  1S72.  The  sous  of 
Josiah  Soule  were  Josiah,  Isaac,  George,  Plymp- 
ton,  James,  Harrison  and  Warren.  The  daugh- 
ters were  Julia,  Clarissa,  Emily  and  Clara.  All 
are  dead  but  Isaac  and  Julia.  Julia,  who  lives  at 
Warren,  Ohio,  attended  the  golden  wedding  of 
her  brother  in  1893. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  Isaac  Soule  left 
his  bovhood  home  to  find  one  in  the  then  far 
West,  and  in  1837  came  to  La  Harpe.  Here  he 
secured  employment  with  a  Mr.  McFarlaud,  a 
tanner,  to  whom  he  engaged  for  a  seven-year 
apprenticeship. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1843,  Mr.  Soule  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eunice  Ricker,  the 
ceremony  being  performed  by  John  Hicok,  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  lady  was  born  near 
Portland,  Me.,  January  19,  1826,  and  was  the 
eldest  child  of  Timothy  and  Mary  A.  Ricker. 
About  1838  her  parents  left  the  rock-ribbed,  laud 
of  Maine  and  started  westward.  They  traveled 
In-  rail  from  Dover  to  Boston;  by  water  from  Bos- 
ton to  New  York;  again  by  rail  from  New  York 
to  Pittsburgh,  and  then  on  a  boat  went  down  the 
Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  River  to  Spillman's 
Landing,  now  called  Poutoosuc.  There  they 
hired  a  team,  and  after  three  weeks'  travel  reached 
La  Harpe  on  the  2d  of  June,    1838.     Mr.    Ricker 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


205 


at  once  began  the  erection  of  a  home,  which  is 
still  known  as  the  Ricker  house,  but  his  death 
occurred  before  its  completion.  His  family  was 
thus  left  in  a  new  country,  with  few  acquaintances, 
to  battle  with  the  world,  and  overcome  as  best 
they  could  the  difficulties  by  which  they  were 
surrounded. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Soule  began  their  domestic  life  in 
a  small  frame  house  on  the  north  end  of  the  lot 
on  which  their  residence  now  stands.  It  contin- 
ued to  be  their  home  for  two  years,  during 
which  time  their  first  son,  George  W.,  was  born, 
February  is,  1 S44.  In  [845  the  family  located 
011  a  farm  two  miles  east  of  I. a  Harpe.  The  other 
children  are  Charles  \\\ .  who  was  born  May  5, 
[846,  and  died  August  7,  1  s 4 7 ;  Charles W.,  born 
March  ;,  1 ,  1S4S  ;  James  J. ,  born  October^,  [850; 
Eugene  X.,  born  January  8,  1861;  Ernest  C, 
who  was  born  July  25,  t866,  and  died  September 
25,  1868;  Elbert  I.,  who  was  born  September  3, 
[868;  .ind  Mary  E.,  who  was  born  November  1. 
1870,  and  died  on  the  14th  of  April  following. 

After  two  years  spent  upon  the  farm,  Mr.  Soule 
returned  to  La  Harpe,  and  in  [850  he  purchased 
his  present  home.  In  company  with  John  and 
Luther  Warren,  he  crossed  the  plains  in  1S52 
with  ox-teams,  bound  for  the  gold  fields  of  Cali- 
fornia. Thej'  were  four  months  upon  the  way, 
and  during  a  part  of  the  time  they  passed  in  Cali- 
fornia they  suffered  greatly  for  the  necessaries  of 
lift.-,  especiallj  for  bread.  At  one  time  a  great  snow- 
storm prevailed,  snow  being  fifteen  feet  deep  oil 
the  mountains.  They  were  thirty-four  days  with- 
out bread.  The  first  flour  to  get  into  the  settle- 
ment brought  Si. 25  a  pound.  Two  years  were 
passed  by  Mr.  Soule  on  the  Pacific  .Slope,  after 
which  he  returned  home  by  way  of  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama  and  New  York.  He  was  rich  in  ex- 
perience if  not  in  gold,  and  has  main  interesting 
stories  to  relate  of  that  trip.  for  a  number  of 
years  thereafter  he  was  employed  in  the  store  of 
J.  ,\;   I'..   Warren. 

On   the    1-4  of  February,    1893,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Soule  celebrated   their  fiftieth   wedding   anniver- 
sary.     During  the  fifty  years  in  which  they  have 
traveled   life's  journey  together  they   have   wit 
uessed  many  important  changes,  both  in  the  com 


munity  in  which  they  live  and  the  lives  of  those 
around  them.  Sorrow  has  come  into  their  own 
home,  but  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  has  been 
blessed  with  happiness,  which  we  trust  may  be 
theirs  for  many  years  to  come. 

§ "-cj^r^isi  J     — ® 


(ToilX  N.   HURDLE,  deceased,  was  born  Feb- 
I    ruary  15,  1831,  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio. 

\~)  His  education  was  confined  to  the  district 
schools  of  his  native  county,  and  was  obtained 
during  his  attendance  through  the  winter  season 
for  a  few  years.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began 
business  for  himself  by  planting  crops  on  rented 
tracts  of  land,  when  his  services  were  not  required 
on  his  father's  farm.  He  did  this  work  on 
shares,  and  in  this  way  accumulated  about  $600 
at  the  time  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  [853,  Mr.  Hurdle 
wedded  Miss  Mary  Wolf,  and  immediately  there- 
after removed  to  Illinois,  making  the  journey  with 
a  two-horse  team.  After  twenty-six  days  of  travel 
he  reached  Henderson  County,  and  purchased  a 
quarter-section  of  land  for  $1,900.  He  had  to  go 
in  debt  $1,500  for  the  same,  but  he  paid  off  his 
indebtedness  in  three  years,  on  selling  the  farm 
for  S4.600.  In  February,  1857,  m  connection 
with  his  father,  he  bought  a  half-section  of  land 
in  LaHarpe  Township,  Hancock  County,  for 
$7,875.  In  [861  he  purchased  his  father's  inter- 
est, giving  a  mortgage  on  the  same  for  nearly 
$4,000.  Hard  times  came  011  as  the  result  of  the 
financial  crash  in  1 S 5 7 .  and  he  offered  to  sell  six 
thousand  bushels  of  corn  for  leu  cents  a  bushel,  in 
order  to  pay  the  interest  on  the  mortgage,  but 
this  was  not  accepted.  The  mortgagee  sued  for 
his  interest,  but  finally  compromised,  and  Mr. 
Hurdle  was  to  pay  the  following  June.  In  the 
mean  time  the  price  of  corn  was  raised  to  seventy 
cents  per  bushel,  and  lie  easily  paid  off  his  in- 
debtedness. 

In  [860  our  subject  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  9th  of  April, 
leaving  two  children:  Edgar  F.,  a  farmer  of  Eaton, 
Colo.;  and  Emma  F.,  wife  of  John  A.  Goodau,  a 


206 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


lumber  dealer  of  the  same  place.  They  also  lost 
one  child,  Laura  J.,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Hurdle  was  again  married.  May  28,  1861,  his 
second  union  being-  with  Klmira  A.  Barr,  a  na- 
tive of  Breckeuridge  County,  Ky.,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Elias  and  Sallie  A.  (Beauchamp)  Barr, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  that  State.  Her 
grandfather,  Adam  Barr,  who  was  a  native  of 
Maryland,  served  in  the  Revolution  under  Wash 
ington,  and  died  in   Kentucky. 

After  coming  to  Hancock  County,  Mr.  Hurdle 
added  to  his  possessions,  until  at  his  death  he 
owned  nine  hundred  and  five  acres  of  valuable 
land  in  the  home  farm.  His  large  residence,  one 
of  the  finest  country  dwellings  in  the  county,  was 
erected  in  1872.  The  barns  and  outbuildings  on 
the  place  are  models  of  convenience,  and  there  is 
an  air  of  thrift  and  prosperity  about  the  whole 
place.  Eight  children  came  to  bless  the  home, 
born  of  the  second  marriage,  namely:  Lula  B., 
wife  of  Dr.  T.  W.  Bath,  of  Ohio,  111. ;  Sarah  Olive, 
wife  of  L.  S.  James,  a  farmer  of  La  Harpe  Town- 
ship; Maggie  C,  wife  of  C.  D.  Rice,  a  farmer  of 
Durham  Township;  Carrie  A.,  deceased;  William 
I v . ,  Dora  K..  Henry  A.  and  John  F. 

In  [873  and  1874.  Mr.  Hurdle  lost  about  $40,- 
000  by  indorsing  notes  for  others.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  substantial  and  enterprising  citizens 
of  the  county,  and  with  time  and  means  aided  in 
every  work  calculated  for  the  upbuilding  and  the 
permanent  good  of  the  community.  He  was  a 
conscientious  Christian  gentleman,  and  was  identi- 
fied with  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church  from 
the  age  of  eighteen.  At  the  age  of  seven  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Washingtonian  Temper- 
ance Society  and  ever  adhered  to  the  strictest 
temperance  principles.  His  honesty  was  above 
question,  and  his  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond. 
In  early  life  he  was  a  Whig,  but  on  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  joined  its  ranks. 

Mr.  Hurdle's  ancestors  were  of  Scotch  lineage. 
The  first  of  whom  we  have  any  authentic  account  is 
John  Hurdle,  who  was  horn  near  Baltimore,  Md., 
and  there  lived  many  years.  He  afterward  re- 
moved to  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
died  in  1842.  He  was  an  Abolitionist,  and  voted 
that   ticket  when    there  were  onh   three  others  of 


the  same  political  views  in  his  precinct.  His  son. 
William  V.  Hurdle,  was  born  in  Virginia,  and 
was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  but  on  attaining 
manhood  he  studied  medicine,  and  engaged  in 
practice  for  twenty  years  in  Ohio.  About  [826 
he  wedded  Mary  Kinney,  daughter  of  William 
and  Margaret  iMahan)  Kinney,  of  Huntingdon 
County,  Pa.  In  1853  William  Y.  Hurdle  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  where,  in  company  with  his  son 
John,  he  purchased  a  farm,  to  which  we  have 
previously  referred. 

Mr.  Hurdle  of  this  sketch  died  October  28, 
1887,  and  the  county  thereby  lost  one  of  its  best 
citizens,  his  family  a  loving  husband  and  father, 
and  the  community  a  wise  counsellor,  whose  ex- 
ample may  be  copied  by  coming  generations  with 
profit. 


|~RANCIS  L.  FULLMER,  dealer  in  hard  and 
f^  soft  coal,  lime  and  cement,  is  one  of  the 
I  wide-awake  and  progressive  business  men  of 
Hamilton.  He  is  a  Canadian  by  birth,  a  native 
of  Lincoln  County,  in  the  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  born  September  16,  1840.  The  family, 
however,  is  of  German  origin,  and  his  parents, 
Jacob  and  Jane  (Merrill)  Fullmer,  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania  and  New  York,  respectively. 
Their  family  numbered  eight  children,  as  follows; 
Merrill,  now  an  attorney-at-law  and  preacher  of 
Wisconsin;  Leander,  a  traveling  salesman  of  Cal- 
ifornia; Francis  L.,  of  this  sketch;  Mary. deceased, 
wife  of  Rev.  George  Reynolds;  Reuben,  a  lawyer 
of  South  Dakota:  Alvira,  wife  of  Joseph  Sawyer, 
who  resides  in  Beaver  Dam,  Wis.;  Almira,  de- 
ceased, twin  sister  of  Alvira;  and  one  child  who 
died  in  infancy.  The  father  of  this  family  in  an 
early  day  removed  to  Canada  and  located  on  a 
lann  in  the  province  of  Ontario.  In  1845,  he 
took  his  family  to  Dodge  County,  Wis.,  where  he 
secured  land  and  made  a  homestead. 

Mr.  Fullmer  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
only  five  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  removal. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  the  district  schools 
of  Dodge  County,  and  he  also  attended  a  sub- 
scription  school  for  three   terms.      When   attend- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ing  school  at  that  early  period,  it  was  a  frequent 
occurrence  for  him  to  pass  three  or  four  Indian 
wigwains,  when  going  to  and  fro  from  school. 
The  red  men  were  very  numerous,  and  white  set- 
tlers rather  scarce.  On  one  occasion,  when  his 
mother  was  at  home  with  her  children,  a  squaw 
made  an  attempt  to  steal  one  of  her  twins,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  the  child  rolled  up  in  her 
blanket,  and  on  her  hack.  When  Mrs.  Fullmer 
saw  what  she  was  doing,  a  lively  skirmish  en- 
sued between  the  two  women,  and  the  mother 
succeeded  in  recovering  her  child.  During  his 
boyhood  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm  and  early 
became  inured  to  the  hard  labors  of  the  field,  but 
at  length  he  determined  to  give  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  other  pursuits,  and  on  attaining  his  ma- 
jority, in  i  Soi,  he  was  engaged  as  an  employe  of 
the  insane  asylum  at  Jacksonville,  111.,  where  he 
remained  for  two  years.  In  1863,  he  returned  to 
Dodge  County,  and  continued  farming  for  a  few 
years,  lor  his  health  had  failed  and  he  believed 
that  outdoor  exercise  would  greatly  restore  him. 

1  inrine,  this  time,  Mr.  Fullmer  was  married. 
On  the  24th  of  November,  1  .S64.  he  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Man-  Bayless,  of  Jackson- 
ville. Into  them  have  been  born  two  children: 
Lee,  an  employe  of  the  Wabash  Railroad,  resid- 
ing in  Springfield,  111.;  and  Maud,  at  home.  In 
1  siio.  Mr.  Fullmer  came  with  his  family  to  Han- 
cock County,  locating  at  West  Point,  and  engaged 
in  farming  for  about  eight  years.  On  the  expi- 
ration of  that  period  he  removed  to  Keokuk,  Iowa, 
where  he  secured  a  position  as  a  toll-collector  0:1 
a  bridge.  In  1S76,  he  was  elected  Superinten- 
dent of  the  Hancock  County  Poor  Farm,  at 
Carthage,  and  held  that  position  for  a  year.  In 
[877,  he  returned  to  the  farm  in  St.  Albans 
Township,  and  for  seven  years  devoted  his  time 
and  attention  to  the  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment of  his  land,  making  the  well-tilled  fields 
yield  to  him  a  good  income.  In  [886,  he  came 
to  Hamilton,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the 
business  which  now  occupies  his  attention.  He- 
has  a  good  trade  and  is  meeting  with  well  -de- 
served success. 

Mr.  Fullmer  holds  membership  with  the  Meth- 
odist  Episcopal    Church,  and   exercises   his   right 


of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  has  served  as  School  Director,  but  has  never 
aspired  to  public  office.  He  also  belongs  to  Rapid 
City  Lodge  No.  286,  K.  P.,  and  to  Montebello 
Lodge  No.  697,  I.  0.  0.  F.-.  and  also  to  the  Mod 
ern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  led  a  busy 
and  useful  life,  and  his  success  is  due  to  his  own 
efforts. 


["PATRICK JOSEPH  HESSION.M.  D.,oneof 

Lf  the  leading  young  physicians  of  Hancock 
\S  County,  now  successfully  engaged  in  prac- 
tice in  Hamilton,  is  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
born  May  26,  [863.  His  father,  Thomas  Hession, 
was  born  in  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  and  traced 
his  ancestry  to  Usham  the  Great.  Crossing  the 
Atlantic  to  America  in  the  steamer  -Constella- 
tion," in  1N49,  he  landed  at  Castle  Garden,  and 
thence  went  to  Greene  County,  Pa.  He  became 
a  contractor  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad, 
and  worked  along  that  line  to  Memphis,  Teun. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fiftj 
fourth  Regiment  of  State  Militia,  and  was  con 
nected  with  the  United  States  standing  army 
which  aided  in  the  protection  of  the  city  of  Mem 
phis.  In  [862  he  removed  to  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
where  he  wedded  Miss  Mary  B.  Laffey.  The) 
were  the  parents  of  six  children:  Man-,  HOW 
deceased;  the  Doctor;  John  P.,  of  Hamilton; 
Catherine,  at  home;  Thomas  S.,  also  a  practicing 
physician  of  Hamilton;  and  Man  B.,  who  died  111 
infancy. 

When  our  subject  was  an  infant  his  parents  hit 
St.  L,ouis  and  removed  to  Keokuk.  Iowa,  and  in 
that  city  and  in  Hamilton  he  was  reared.  His 
education  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of 
Hamilton,  and  his  first  independent  effort  in  life 
was  as  a  bridge  carpenter.  He  then  worked  at 
bridge  building  and  railroading  for  two  years, 
and  in  [884  began  the  study  of  medicine  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Hughes,  of  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  with  whom  he  continued  his  studies  for 
three  years.  On  the  [St  of  March,  1887,  he  was 
graduated    from    the    College-   of    Physicians    and 


208 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


.Surgeons  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  seven  months  spent  in  Hickory  Ridge,  has 
since  been  engaged  in  practice  in  Hamilton.  In 
1893  he  took  a  position  with  his  alma  main  as 
demonstrator  of  anatomy.  The  fact  that  this  po- 
sition was  offered  him  by  the  school  of  which  he 
was  once  a  pupil,  is  a  high  testimonial  to  his  skill. 
He  at  present  fills  the  position  of  Company  Sur- 
geon for  the  Toledo,  Peoria  &  Warsaw  Railroad 
Company. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1890,  Dr.  Hession 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rosa  A.  Young, 
daughter  of  Absalom  and  Emily  (  Palmer.)  Young. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  one  son, 
Thomas  Joseph.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  hold 
an  enviable  position  in  social  circles,  and  have  the 
warm  regard  of  many  friends  in  the  community. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America;  of  Moutebello  Lodge  No.  697,  I.  O.  (). 
F. ;  and  of  Puckechetuck  Encampment  No.  7,  of 
Keokuk,  Iowa.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Catho- 
lic, and  in  political  sentiment  he  is  a  Democrat. 
In  November,  1892,  he  was  elected  Coroner  of 
Hancock  County,  and  is  now  filling  that  position. 
For  four  years  he  was  also  Health  Officer  of 
Hamilton.  He  is  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the 
Palace  Drug  Store,  and  that  branch  of  his  business 
also  yields  him  a  good  income. 

Dr.  Thomas  .Stephen  Hession,  who  is  also  en- 
gaged in  practice  in  Hamilton,  has  the  honor  of 
being  a  native  of  this  city,  his  birth  having  here 
occurred  on  the  26th  of  April,  1870.  (  For  sketch  of 
parentssee  biography  of  P.  J.  Hession  on  another 
page.  1  In  its  common  and  high  schools  he  ac-- 
quired  his  education.  His  boyhood  da_\-s  were 
quietly  passed.  He  worked  on  his  lather's  farm 
until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  began 
railroading,  being -employed  with  the  construction 
crew  on  the  Santa  Fe  Road.  Six  months  later,  in 
the  fall  of  1SS7,  he  began  clerking  for  his  brother 
in  the  drug  store,  and  also  took  up  the  study  of 
medicine.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Keokuk 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  on  the  10th  of 
March,  1891,  and  then,  returning  to  Hamilton, 
joined  his  brother  in  practice  and  in  the  drug  bus- 
iness. He  was  registered  as  a  pharmacist  on  the 
4th  of  March,  1894.      In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter 


of  the  Democratic  party  and  its  principles,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church.  The  firm  of 
Hession  Brothers  has  a  finely  appointed  and  well- 
kept  drug  store,  complete  in  everything  found  in 
that  line  of  trade,  and  by  courteous  treatment  and 
straightforward  dealing  they  have  secured  a  lib- 
eral patronage.  They  are  also  doing  well  in  the 
practice  of  medicine. 

■■<&  i==J  ■<t">  !=)  si) 

(TOEL  BRADSHAW,  deceased,  was  one  of 
I  Hancock  County's  honored  pioneers,  and  this 
G/  history  would  be  incomplete  without  the 
record  of  his  life.  He  was  born  near  Sparta,  in 
White  County,  Tenn..  on  the  15th  of  September, 
1812,  and  when  a  lad  of  seven  summers  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  Illinois, 
the  family  settling  in  Madison  County,  where 
they  resided  for  a  year.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  Tennessee;  his  mother  of  Kentucky.  To  them 
were  born  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. In  1820,  Mr.  Bradshaw  went  with  his  par- 
ents to  Morgan  County,  where  his  father  entered 
seven  hundred  acres  of  land  from  the  Government. 
The  unsettled  condition  of  the  county  at  that  time 
may  be  imagined  from  the  fact  that  what  was 
once  wild  land  comprised  within  the  Bradshaw 
homestead  is  now  the  site  of  the  city  of  Jackson- 
ville. 

Joel  Bradshaw  attended  the  district  schools  of 
Morgan  County,  and  acquired  an  excellent  edu- 
cation, lie  then  embarked  in  farming,  which  he 
followed  in  that  county  until  1837,  which  year 
witnessed  his  removal  to  Hancock  County.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  he  purchased  one  thousand  acres 
of  laud  in  LaHarpe  Township,  and  for  many  years 
extensively  engaged  in  fanning.  He  bore  all  the 
hardships  and  trials  of  pioneer  life,  and  took  part 
in  the  Mormon  War,  which  occurred  near  Camp 
Point  and  Nauvoo,  and  which  resulted  in  driving 
the  Mormons  from  the  State.  When  he  came 
here  much  of  the  land  was  in  possession  of  the 
Government,  and  the  settlements  were  widely 
scattered,  lor  the  work  of  civilization  and  progress 
seemed  scarcely  begun. 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  li-LI 
URBANA 


John  H.  Catlin 


LIBRARY 

UMVERSI1Y  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


Joel  Catlin 


Mrs. Joel    Catlin 


LIBRAE 
URBANft 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


213 


On  the  20th  of  March,  1834,  Mr.  Bradshawwas 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine  Dickson, 
daughter  of  Hugh  and  Margaret  (Libe)  Dickson. 
The)  became  the  parents  of  a  family  often  chil- 
dren: Jane,  who  was  born  on  the  14th  of  March, 
[835,  and  is  now  deceased;  William  I).,  who  was 
bom  March  30,  [837;  Man-  J.,  who  was  born 
January  3,  1839,  and  has  now  passed  away; 
George  W.,  born  January  1,  [841;  Sarah  L.,  who 
was  born  January  14,  1845,  and  is  now  deceased; 
Susanna  S.,  who  was  born  December  18,  1842, 
and  has  been  called  to  the  home  beyond;  Emma 
E..  who  was  born  February  8,  1847,  and  is  the 
widow  of  James  \V.  P.  Davis;  AlvinaC,  who  was 
born  May  20,  1849,  and  is  now  deceased;  J.  I)., 
who  was  born  October  2,  1852,  and  has  departed 
this  life;  and  James  M.,  who  was  born  December 
20,  [855,  and  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this 
work. 

Mr.  Bradshaw  was  an  advocate  of  Democratic 
principles,  but  never  was  an  office-seeker.  The 
history  of  Hancock  County  was  familiar  to  him 
for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  he  could  relate 
many  interesting  incidents  of  frontier  life.  He 
always  bore  his  part  in  the  work  of  upbuilding 
and  development,  and  was  much  respected  by  his 
friends  and  neighbors,  who  deeply  mourned  bis 
death.  He  passed  away  in  La  Harpe  Township, 
November  5,  E890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years. 


3OHN  HAWLEV  CATLIN,  a  fanner  now 
residing  in  Augusta,  is  one  of  the  honored 
pioneers  of  Hancock  County,  and  this  work 
would  be  incomplete  without  the  record  of  his 
life.  He  was  born' in  Augusta,  Ga.,  on  the  23d 
of  May,  1821,  and  is  a  son  of  Joel  and  Calista 
1  Hawlej  1  Catlin,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Connecticut.  Authentic  records  have  been  se- 
cured of  the  ancestry  of  both  families,  and  as  the 
data  will  prove  of  interest  to  all  members  of  the 
family  and  their  descendants,  we  gladly  give  it  a 
place  in  this  volume. 

The   first   of  the  Catlin  family  in  America  was 
Thomas,  of  Hartford,  Conn.     A  deposition  of  his 


is  on  record  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State 
of  Connecticut,  dated  October  19,  1687,  in  which 
he  is  said  to  have  been  seventy -five  years  of  age. 
Consequently,  he  must  have  been  born  about  161 2, 
and  may  have  come  from  England  as  early  as 
1632,  but  perhaps  earlier.  Tradition  says  he- 
came  over  as  a  cabin-boy  on  a  ship,  and  then  left 
his  employment,  running  away.  A  record  of  his 
in  1646  says  he  was  appointed  "viewer  of  lad- 
ders and  chimneys. ' '  He  was  a  Constable  in 
1660,  and  he  and  his  sou  John  were  made  free- 
men in  1669.  The  same  record  speaks  of  Mary 
Catlin,  then  forty-six  years  old,  who  was  prob- 
ably- his  wife.  He  had  a  daughter  Mary  bap- 
tised May  6,  1649.  The  Catlin  name  seems  to 
have  been  of  Norman  origin,  as  appears  from  its 
form  in  old  records;  thus  "  Rymeis  Federa " 
mentions  Bevenge  de  Cateloiger,  authorized  to 
levy  certain  moneys  for  King  Edward  III., 
A.  D.  1335-  John  de  Catelaine  also  appears 
on  record.  Sir  Robert  Catlyn  is  named  Lorel 
Chief  Justice  of  England  in  the  time  of  Edward 
VI.,  in  a  case  of  law  recorded  in  "  Decatur  Lan- 
castriae,  Pais  Inseta,"  Calendar  of  Pleadings  from 
the  fourteenth  year  to  the  end  of  the  reign  of 
Queen  Elizabeth.  .Sir  Nevil  Catlyn  and  Sir 
Robert  Catlyn  were  baronets  of  England.  A 
work  published  by  Hon.  James  Savage,  of  Bos- 
ton, given  our  subject  in  1851,  mentions  the  Cat- 
lin family  in  America.  It  tells  of  Thomas  Cat- 
lin, who  was  the  first  ancestor  of  the  family  in 
America,  and  had  John  and  Mary  baptised  May  6, 
1649.  He  died  in  1690,  leaving  only  John.  The 
latter  was  a  writing  master  of  Barbadoes.  He 
died  in  Cape  Cod  Harbor  in  December,  1685, 
leaving  a  cargo  of  a  vessel  to  his  only  son,  Charles. 
John  Catlin  went  to  Deerfield,  Mass.,  before  1684, 
with  his  mother  Isabel,  a  widow.  They  had  re- 
moved from  Connecticut  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  and 
thence  to  Massachusetts.  She  was  afterward 
twice  married.  Her  sou  John,  with  his  sons, 
Joseph  and  Jonathan,  and  his  daughter,  Eliza- 
beth, were  killed  in  the  Deerfield  massacre,  Feb- 
ruary 29,  1704.  He  left  a  son  John,  and  one  of 
Joseph's  children,  who  also  bore  the  name  of  John. 
Philip  Catlin  was  at  Hadley,  Mass.,  April  7,  1676, 
and   served   in    King    Philip's   War.      These  four 


214 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


names  appear  on  the  old  Colonial  records,  and  in- 
dicate that  John  Catlin  of  Hartford  was  a  con- 
temporary of  John  of  Barbadoes  and  John  of  Deer- 
field,  while  Philip  lived  at  the  same  time  as 
Thomas  of  Hartfoid. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Isaac 
Catlin,  was  born  in  Harwintou,  Conn.,  in  1757, 
ami  was  there  reared.  He  followed  farming,  and 
married  Ruth  Carter,  by  whom  he  had  nine  chil- 
dren. His  death  occurred  in  1833,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  1761, 
passed  away  in  1831.  Joel  Catlin,  the  father  of 
John  H.,  was  a  watchmaker  in  early  life.  He 
removed  from  Connecticut  to  Georgia  in  18 18, 
and  subsequently,  after  visiting  the  old  home, 
made  the  journey  to  Georgia  with  a  team  and 
carriage.  He  drove  one  of  the  same  horses  from 
Georgia  to  Illinois  in  1831,  and  made  a  location 
in  Jacksonville  the  next  year.  In  1835  he  came 
to  Hancock  County,  again  driving  the  same  horse, 
and  located  on  the  present  site  of  Augusta,  which 
town  was  named  for  his  previous  home  in  Georgia, 
Here  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1849,  when  he 
returned  to  Jacksonville,  and  was  Station  Agent 
for  the  Jacksonville  &  Naples  Railroad  for  many 
years.  He  died  in  that  city  in  1879,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years  and  seven  mouths.  His  wife 
passed  away  several  years  previously,  in  March, 
1S74.  In  early  life  they  were  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  but  were  afterward  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Catlin 
served  as  Elder,  both  in  Augusta  and  in  Jackson- 
ville. In  the  family  were  seven  children,  four 
sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  three  are  now 
living:  John  H.;  William  E.,  of  White  Sulphur 
Springs,  Mont. ;  and  Charles  Augustus,  of  Jack- 
sonville, 111. 

Mis.  Catlin  was  a  daughter  of  Rufus  E.  Haw- 
ley,  a  native  of  Northington,  Conn.  He  drove 
across  the  country  three  times  from  Connecticut 
to  Illinois  before  locating  here  in  1837.  From 
that  year  until  1847  he  made  his  home  in  Au- 
gusta. He  was  then  called  to  his  final  rest.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Betsy  Rich- 
ards, was  also  a  native  of  Connecticut.  In  direct 
descent,  the  Hawley  family  comes  from   Samuel 


Hawley,  the  first  known  ancestor  in  America. 
The  name  of  the  second  is  unknown,'  and  Joseph 
Hawley  is  the  third.  He  was  followed  by  Tim- 
othy Hawley,  who  married  Rachel  Forward;  Rev. 
Rufus  Hawley,  who  wedded  Deborah  Kent;  and 
Rufus  Forward  Hawley,  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject. This  account  was  obtained  by  Rev.  Will- 
iam E.  Catlin  from  his  uncle,  Rev.  James  A. 
Hawley.  Maj.  Joseph  Hawley,  of  Northampton, 
Mass.,  was  a  cousin  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  Presi- 
dent of  one  of  the  leading  colleges  of  this  country. 
The  Richards  family  is  descended  from  Thomas 
Richards,  who  emigrated  to  America  between 
1600  and  1605.  John  Richards  was  born  in  1631, 
and  married  Lydia  Stocking.  Thomas  Richards 
was  born  in  1666,  and  wedded  Mary  Parsons. 
Thomas  Richards,  born  in  1694,  married  Abigail 
Turner.  Samuel  Richards,  born  in  1726,  mar- 
ried Eydia  Buck;  and  Betsy  Richards  became  the 
wife  of  Rufus  F.  Hawley,  of  Farmington,  Conn. 
They  removed  to  Augusta,  111.,  in  1837,  ar>d  her 
death  occurred  at  Payson,  in  1853. 

John  Hawley  Catlin  was  a  youth  of  eleven  years 
when  his  parents  removed  from  Georgia  to  Illi- 
nois. He  acquired  his  education  in  Augusta, 
and  in  the  winter  of  1840-41  taught  the  first 
school  ever  held  in  Newton,  Adams  County.  He 
was  reared  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and 
where  he  has  made  his  home  since  1835.  The 
town  of  Augusta  has  grownup  around  him,  but  he 
has  never  left  his  old  home. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Catlin  married 
Miss  Lydia  R.  Hawley,  daughter  of  Chauncey 
and  Sophia  (Austin)  Hawley.  Three  children 
were  born  to  them,  namely:  Ella  Sophia,  who 
became  the  wife  of  James  W.  Stark,  by  whom 
she  had  four  children,  three  yet  living,  Cornelia, 
Clifford  and  Edna;  Cornelia  Hawley,  wife  of  N. 
N.  Tyuer;  and  Nettie  Augusta,  wife  of  Benjamin 
B.  Crane.  They  also  have  three  children,  Jen- 
nie, Charlotte  and  Alice.  Mrs.  Catlin  died  in 
January,  i860,  and  Mr.  Catlin  was  again  mar- 
ried, December  25,  i860,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Alice  E.  Adams,  daughter  of  Chaun- 
cey and  Mary  (Benedict)  Adams,  of  Galesburg, 
111.      Her  death  occurred  June  7,  1892.     She  was 


POkTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


215 


a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church  of  Gales- 
burg,  but  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Augusta. 

Mr.  Catlin  has  long  been  an  honored  and  faith- 
ful member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  since 
[854  has  served  as  one  of  its  Elders.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Republican.  Throughout  his  life  he  has 
followed  the  occupation  of  fanning  with  excellent 
success,  and  now  owns  seven  hundred  and  ninety 
acres  of  valuable  land,  a  part  of  which  lies  within 
the  city  limits  of  Augusta.  The  house  in  which 
he  lives  was  the  first  frame  dwelling  erected  in 
Hancock  County,  and  is  still  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation.  The  old  Mormon  trail,  which  was 
made  in  1832,  when  that  sect  was  going  from 
Ohio  to  the  promised  land  in  Missouri,  ran  through 
his  father's  farm.  Lincoln  and  Douglas  spoke  in 
the  grove  upon  his  land  in  the  campaign  of  1858, 
and  many  incidents  of  interest  are  connected  with 
his  home.  In  September,  1840,  when  the  first 
census  of  Chicago  was  taken,  he  made  a  trip  to 
Chicago  with  John  Baldwin,  a  Mr.  Perry  and  O. 
K.  Hawley,  who  were  on  their  way  back  to  Con- 
necticut, where  they  were  going  for  their  sweet- 
hearts, whom  they  had  left  behind.  They  started 
in  a  two-horse  Yankee  wagon  on  Monday  morn- 
ing, reached  Chicago  on  Saturday  afternoon,  and 
the  following  Friday  arrived  at  home.  For  this 
trip  Mr.  Catlin  received  $25.  The  history  of 
pioneer  life  in  Hancock  County  is  familiar  to  him, 
for  few  have  longer  resided  within  its  borders  than 
he.  He  has  always  been  actively  interested  in  its 
welfare,  and  his  name  is  inseparably  connected 
with  much  of  its  upbuilding  and  development. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  valued  citizens,  and  has  the 
high  regard  of  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor. 

§ "~^i<^r^'^=s i 


E.  MANIFOLD,  who  is  interested  in  the 
banking  business  in  La  Haqie  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Manifold  &  Kirkpatrick, 
was  born  in  La  Harpe  Township,  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, on  the  6th  of  February,  1856.  He  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  an  honored  pioneer  family, 
which  located  here  in  the  earlv  davs  in  the  his- 


tory of  the  community.  His  father,  John  Mani- 
fold, was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  born  on  the  8th 
of  April,  1829.  When  a  lad  of  seven  years  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Illinois,  the  family  set- 
tling in  La  Harpe  Township,  Hancock  County, 
where  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  entered  land 
from  the  Government  and  opened  up  a  farm.  John 
Manifold  was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits  and 
has  made  farming  his  life  work.  Since  1836,  he  has 
lived  upon  the  old  homestead,  and  the  place  is 
dear  to  him  from  the  associations  of  his  boyhood 
and  from  those  of  his  mature  years.  In  1854,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza  A.  Miller, 
daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  (Dixon)  Mil- 
ler. She  has  been  to  her  husband  a  faithful  com- 
panion and  helpmate  and  is  a  most  estimable 
lady. 

W.  E.  Manifold,  their  only  child,  began  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  district  schools  of  La  Harpe  Town- 
ship, and  in  order  to  further  complete  his  educa- 
tion he  entered  Abingdon  College,  where  he  pur- 
sued a  three-year  course,  finishing  the  same  in 
1873.  In  the  succeeding  winter  he  attended  the 
Gem  City  Business  College  of  Quincy,  111.,  tak- 
ing a  special  course  in  penmanship.  Returning 
to  the  farm,  he  then  devoted  his  time  and  ener- 
gies to  stock-raising  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
met  with  good  success  in  this  undertaking,  but  at 
length  he  determined  to  engage  in  commercial 
pursuits.  Carrying  out  this  resolution,  he  rented 
his  farm  in  February,  1890,  and  established  the 
Bank  of  La  Harpe,  in  connection  with  R.  B.  Kirk- 
patrick. Their  partnership  still  continues,  and 
has  proven  mutually  pleasant  and  profitable. 
During  the  past  four  years,  Mr.  Manifold  has 
also  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of 
fine  horses. 

On  the  27th  of  October,  1874,  our  subject  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Eleanor  Ray,  who 
died  in  February,  1890.  He  was  again  married, 
on  the  22d  of  October  following,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Louella  Franks,  daughter  of  Job 
Franks.  He  and  his  wife  have  many  friends 
throughout  the  community  and  hold  an  enviable 
position  in  social  circles. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Manifold  is  a  supporter  of 
Democratic  principles.     In   1881,    he  was  elected 


2l6 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Commissioner  of  Highways  for  La  Harpe  Town- 
ship, and  held  that  position  for  six  years,  or  un- 
til 1887.  His  prompt  and  faithful  discharge  of 
the  duties  of  the  office  won  him  re-election  and 
gained  him  the  high  commendation  of  all  con- 
cerned. In  1888,  he  was  elected  Township  Su- 
pervisor, and  has  held  that  office  continuously 
since.  He  is  a  leading  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  belongs  to  La  Harpe  Lodge  No. 
195,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Royal  Arch  Chapter  No. 
184,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  Macomb  Commandery  No. 
61,  K.  T. 

<a         '       "~S  <"T  "> iru    '"  "     a 

3OHN  \V.  McCORD,  who  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  La  Harpe.  is  numbered  among 
the  honored  pioneers  of  Hancock  County, 
having  since  an  early  day  not  only  been  an  eye- 
witness of  the  growth  and  development  of  this 
community,  but  having  also  aided  in  its  progress 
and  development.  As  he  is  so  widely  and  favorably 
known  throughout  the  county,  we  feel  assured 
that  this  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to 
many  of  our  readers.  His  father,  John  McCord, 
was  a  farmer  of  Overton  County,  Tenn.,  whither 
he  removed  from  South  Carolina,  his  native 
vState.  His  father  in  turn  was  a  Colonial  soldier, 
and  was  killed  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  John 
McCord  acquired  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  Overton  County,  and  was  married  in 
Tennessee  to  Mary  Willard.  They  became  the 
parents  of  nine  children.  Nancy,  the  eldest,  be- 
came the  wife  of  John  Ledgerwood,  of  McDon- 
ough  County,  but  both  are  now  deceased;  Will- 
iam, who  lived  in  McDouough  County,  is  also 
deceased;  Jane  became  the  wife  of  Henry  Hardin, 
of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  both  have  passed  away; 
Mary,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Moses  Foster, 
of  McDonough  Count)-;  John  \V.  is  the  next 
vounger:  Thomas  is  a  retired  farmer  of  McDon- 
ough County;  Margaret  is  the  widow  of  James 
Welsh,  of  Kansas;  Elizabeth  is  deceased;  and 
Alexander  V.  is  a  farmer  of  McDonough  County. 
The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  bom    in    Overton    County,    Tenn.,  July    1, 


1815,  and  when  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  Morgan 
County,  111.,  in  1830.  After  one  year  spent  in 
that  place  he  removed  to  McDonough  County,  in 
1 83 1.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the  district 
schools  of  Tennessee  and  Illinois,  but  his  privi- 
leges in  that  direction  were  very  meagre.  In  the 
school  of  experience,  however,  he  was  an  apt  pu- 
pil, and  acquired  a  knowledge  sufficient  to  enable 
him  to  successfully  conduct  his  business  interests. 
He  was  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  McDon- 
ough County,  and  remembers  the  time  when 
within  its  borders  there  were  innumerable  wolves 
and  deer.  He  remembers  many  incidents  of  life 
on  the  frontier,  and  while  talking  to  the  historian 
recalled  to  mind  the  loss  of  a  four-year-old  boy, 
who  one  Sunday  evening  in  1832  wandered  away 
from  his  home,  about  six  miles  north  of  Macomb. 
He  remained  in  the  woods  for  four  days  and  four 
nights.  A  thunder-storm  came  on  the  night  be- 
fore he  was  rescued,  and  he  went  into  a  hollow 
tree  for  safety.  He  subsisted  on  blackberries, 
which  at  that  time  were  ripe.  As  soon  as  his  ab- 
sence was  discovered  parties  started  out  in  search 
of  him  in  all  directions,  and  when  he  was  once 
more  restored  in  safety  to  the  arms  of  his  parents, 
their  joy  can  better  be  imagined  than  described. 

Mr.  McCord  continued  to  work  on  his  father's 
farm  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  chose  as  a 
companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  Miss 
Nancy,  daughter  of  George  and  Man-  (Persley) 
Manifold,  and  a  native  of  Tennessee.  Their  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  March  15,  1838,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children:  William, 
who  died  in  La  Harpe  Township;  Mary  Louisa, 
who  died  in  McDonough  County;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  Israel  Moore,  of  Osborne,  Kan.;  George,  a  farm- 
er of  I, a  Harpe  Township;  Sarah,  deceased,  wife 
of  William  Reed,  now  at  Oklahoma;  John,  a 
farmer  of  Fountain  Green  Township,  Hancock 
County;  Noah,  who  carries  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  La  Harpe  Township;  and  Ida,  deceased, 
wife  of  Charles  While,  of  the  same  township. 

In  1840,  John  W.  McCord  came  to  La  Harpe 
Township,  Hancock  County,  and  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land,      lie  afterwards  purchased  a  seven- 


LIBR"RY 
UNIVERSIiY  Of  ILI 
URBANA 


Gen.   R.   F.  Smith 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


219 


ty-acre  tract  from  a  Mormon,  and  later  bought  a 
tract  of  eighty  acres,  and  another  of  ninety-four 
acres  in  Fountain  Green  Township.  He  was  a 
successful  fanner,  and  in  course  of  time  the  once 
wild  land  was  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile 
fields.  Mr.  McCord  took  part  in  the  Mormon 
War  in  1N44.  With  about  one  hundred  men  he 
went  to  Golden' s  Point  and  thence  to  Nauvoo, 
where  a  skirmish  occurred.  The  effect  of  this 
was  to  drive  the  Mormons  out  of  the  State.  This 
section  of  Illinois  at  that  time  was  one  vast 
prairie  and  forest,  almost  undotted  by  settlers' 
cabins.  Game  of  all  kinds  was  to  be  had  in 
abundance,  and  the  work  of  civilization  and 
progress  seemed  scarcely  begun.  He  has  ever 
taken  a  commendable  interest  in  the  county  and 
the  rapid  progress  it  has  made.  Since  casting 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Martin  Van  Buren 
in  1836,  he  has  been  a  stalwart  Democrat,  but 
has  never  aspired  to  public  office.  He  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  both  members  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church,  and  this  worthy  couple 
well  deserve  representation  in  the  history  of  the 
community  in  which  they  have  so  long  made 
their  home,  and  where  they  have  so  many  warm 
friends. 


i^H^I 


|c)EN.  ROBERT  F.  SMITH    was   a   native  of 

|_  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  born  on  the  2d  of  August, 
\Ji  1806.  His  death  occurred  in  Hamilton,  Han- 
cock County,  April  25,  1892,  and  his  loss  was 
deeply  mourned  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  first 
came  to  this  county  in  1833,  and  was  one  of  the 
most  notable  pioneers  of  this  part  of  the  State. 
He  was  ever  prominent  in  public  affairs  that 
tended  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity, and,  public-spirited  and  progressive,  was 
recognized  as  a  valued  citizen.  In  1834  lle  re- 
turned to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  married  on 
the  19th  of  June  to  Miss  Amanda  Benton.  He 
then  brought  his  bride  to  the  new  home  which  he 
had  prepared  in  the  West,  and  they  began  their 
domestic  life  in  Hancock  County.      Fourteen  chil- 


dren were  born  to  them,  all  of  whom  are  yet 
living. 

Throughout  his  life  Gen.  Smith  was  connected 
with  military  affairs.  He  was  a  born  soldier,  and 
his  record  during  the  Civil  War  was  an  honorable 
one,  of  which  his  family  may  feel  justly  proud. 
Ere  leaving  Philadelphia,  he  belonged  to  a  local 
military  organization,  known  as  the  Cumberland 
Guards,  and  after  his  removal  hither  he  became 
Captain  of  the  Carthage  Greys,  being  in  charge 
of  that  company  at  the  time  of  the  killing  of  Joseph 
and  Hyrum  Smith  by  the  mob  at  the  Carthage  jail, 
June  27,  1844.  He  took  a  leading  part  in  the  Mor- 
mon War,  and  was  in  command  of  the  troops  at  the 
battle  of  Nauvoo,  in  September,  1846.  There  he 
received  a  severe  wound,  a  ball  passing  through 
his  throat  and  just  missing  a  vital  part.  He  was 
taken  to  the  home  of  Mrs.  Susan  Stevenson,  and 
by  her  careful  nursing  and  kind  attention,  his 
long  hours  of  suffering  were  made  more  endurable. 

When  the  dissolution  of  the  Union  was  threat- 
ened in  1 86 1,  and  the  flag  he  loved  so  well  seemed 
destined  to  be  trampled  in  the  dust  by  a  rebellious 
.South,  he  raised  and  was  elected  Captain  of  what 
became  Company  D,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 
Afterward  going  to  Quincy,  he  was  then  made 
Colonel  of  the  regiment,  and  later  was  promoted 
for  gallantry  on  the  field  of  battle  to  the  rank  of 
Brigadier-General,  and  the  following  letter  was 
written  recommending  his  promotion: 

Jacksonville,  III. ,  July  is,  1S65. 
Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War. 

Dear  Sir: — I  recommend  that  Col.  R.  F. 
Smith,  of  the  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  be  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  Brigadier- General.  He  has 
been  on  duty  in  the  field  since  1861,  and  during 
almost  the  whole  of  the  time  has  been  in  command 
of  a  brigade.  He  has  been  in  nearly  all  the  bat- 
tles of  the  West  and  Southwest,  and  is  a  most 
gallant,  deserving  and  competent  officer,  and  I 
sincerely  hope  he  may  receive  the  promotion  to 
which  he  is  so  justly  entitled. 

Very  respectfully, 

Richard  Yates. 

Gen.  Smith's  regiment  was  composed  of  com- 
panies from  the  counties  of  Adams,  Pike,  Schuy- 
ler, Henderson,  Hancock  and  McDonough,  and 
was  organized  and  equipped  at  Quincy,  and  sent 
from  that  place  into  active  service  in    Missouri  on 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  12th  of  June,  1S61.  The  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  Hannibal,  Mo.,  and  on  its  arrival  the 
following  notice  was  published  in  the  Hannibal 
Daily  Evening  News.  Its  editor,  A.  C.  Apler, 
suddenly  left  for  the  South  the  next  morning. 
The  article  was  headed,  "Arrival  of  Re-enforce- 
ments for  the  Abolition  Railroad  Battalion,"  and 
read:  "The  cowards  who  compose  the  most  in- 
famous body  of  men,  and  particularly  the  scoun- 
drels who  command  them,  sent  this  morning  to 
Quincy  for  re-enforcements.  In  response,  the 
military  commander  at  Quincy  dispatched  on  the 
'Blackhawk'  four  hundred  or  more  of  the  Abolition 
army  of  Illinois.  They  were  landed  at  noon  to- 
day, and  after  parading  ostentatiously  on  the 
levee  at  the  foot  of  Hill  Street,  marched  with 
drums  beating  and  colors  flying  to  South  Hanni- 
bal. Two  or  three  companies  were  well  uni- 
formed and  officered;  the  balance  were  a  set  of 
dirty,  filthy,  cowardly -looking  fellows,  without 
uniforms  or  competent  officers.  This  evening  or 
to-morrow  morning  we  are  promised  six  hundred 
more.  What  does  Missouri  want?  How  long, 
O  God  of  justice  and  right!  how  long  are  these 
things  to  continue  ?' ' 

Notwithstanding  the  assault  of  this  paper,  the 
brave  boys  of  Col.  Smith's  regiment,  undaunted, 
went  to  the  front.  They  were  at  length  ordered 
to  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  thence  to  Reed's  Point,  and 
on  to  New  Madrid,  where  they  were  attached  to 
the  Army  of  the  Mississippi.  Going  to  Tennessee, 
they  participated  in  the  siege  of  Corinth,  marched 
on  into  Alabama,  took  part  in  the  battle  of  An- 
derson's Gap,  and  were  then  transferred  to  the 
Fourteenth  Army  Corps.  They  went  with  Sher- 
man on  the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea,  and  on 
to  Richmond  and  Washington,  participating  in 
the  Grand  Review  in  the  Capitol  City.  Going 
then  to  Louisville,  Ky. ,  they  were  mustered  out, 
July  8,  1865. 

After  returning  home  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
Gen.  Smith  was  tendered  a  commission  as  Major 
in  the  regular  army  by  Secretary  Stanton,  but  did 
not  accept,  preferring  a  peaceful,  quiet  home 
life  to  a  military  career,  unless  his  country's 
safety  called  him.  In  1892,  accompanied  by  his 
daughter,  Miss  Clara,  he  attended  a  brigade  re- 


union in  Quincy,  where  he  met  one  hundred  and 
seven  of  his  old  regiment,  some  of  whom  he  had 
not  seen  since  the  close  of  the  war.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1892,  accompanied  by  his  daughter,  Miss 
Nettie,  he  attended  the  reunion  of  the  Tenth 
and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Regiments  at  Jacksonville. 
While  there  he  was  taken  seriously  ill,  but  after 
a  few  clays  recovered  sufficiently  to  return  home. 
He  told  his  comrades,  however,  that  this  would 
be  the  last  time  he  would  meet  with  them,  and 
his  prediction  proved  true,  as  his  death  occurred 
April  25,  1893,  his  wife  having  passed  away  Jan- 
uary 9,  1892.  At  the  reunion  in  Bushnell  in 
September,  1887,  "the  boys"  of  his  regiment  pre- 
sented him  with  a  beautiful  gold-headed  cane  as  a 
slight  token  of  their  regard  and  esteem.  In  an 
account  of  the  presentation,  the  Bushnell  Record 
said:  "Maj.  McClaughry  presented  the  cane  with 
a  neat  speech,  and  Rev.  Richard  Haney,  who  was 
Chaplain  of  the  regiment,  responded  in  behalf  of 
the  recipient,  while  the  latter  wiped  the  salt  tears 
from  his  venerable  cheeks. ' ' 

After  serving  throughout  the  war,  Gen.  Smith 
took  up  his  residence  at  his  country  home,  "Maple 
Avenue,"  near  Hamilton,  where  he  continued 
until  1888,  when  he  removed  to  the  city.  In  1861 
the  family  of  father,  mother  and  fourteen  chil- 
dren were  first  separated,  and  since  that  time 
they  have  never  all  been  assembled  together.  On 
the  19th  of  June,  1884,  Gen.  Smith  and  his  most 
estimable  wife  celebrated  their  golden  wedding. 
For  fifty  years  had  they  faithfully  kept  their  mar- 
riage vows,  striving  to  make  smooth,  each  for  the 
other,  the  rough  and  rugged  spots  along  life's 
pathway.  Gen.  Smith  was  a  personal  friend  of 
Gens.  Sherman,  Rosecrans,  Logan,  Howard,  and 
many  others  of  the  leading  commanders  of  the 
Civil  War.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1875,  he  enter- 
tained Gen.  Sherman  and  his  staff  officers  at  his 
country  home.  Socially,  Gen.  Smith  was  a  char- 
ter member  of  Black  Hawk  Lodge  No.  238,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  was  also  an  honored  member  of 
Russell  Post  No.  86,  G.  A.  R.  In  politics,  he 
was  a  most  stalwart  Republican,  and  in  religious 
belief  was  a  Presbyterian.  He  enjoyed  the  ut- 
most love  and  respect  of  his  soldiers  and  superior 
officers.     His  character  and  integrity  were  unim- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


peachable.  In  his  even-day  life  he  fulfilled  the 
scriptural  injunction,  "Be  humble,  that  you  may 
be  exalted."  In  social  and  business  circles  he 
was  an  honorable  gentleman,  on  the  field  of  bat- 
tle a  valiant  hero,  but  through  all  and  above  all, 
he  was  a  Christian,  who  hath  "fought  the  good 
fight." 

We  append  the  following,  which  gives  a  fuller 
account  than  is  given  previously  of  Gen.  Smith's 
connection  with  the  Civil  War: 

THE    FIRST    FEDERAL    TROOPS. 

When  it  was  certain  that  Missouri  would  be 
one  of  the  States  wherein  the  battles  of  the  Civil 
War  would  be  fought,  the  immense  importance 
of  preserving  and  holding  the  Hannibal  &  St. 
Joseph  Railroad  was  early  realized  by  the  au- 
thorities of  the  Federal  Government.  If  it  were 
kept  intact,  troops  could  be  moved  from  one  side 
of  the  State  to  the  other,  supplies  and  munitions 
of  war  sent,  and  all  of  north  Missouri  kept  under 
Federal  or  Union  dominion.  The  great  thorough- 
fare would  also  be  of  incalculable  service  in  keep- 
ing open  communication  with  the  first  line  of  of- 
fense adopted  by  the  Union  commanders — the 
Missouri  River.  It  was  of  the  utmost  importance, 
therefore,  that  the  road  should  be  well  guarded 
from  the  actual  and  threatening  assaults  of  the 
Secessionists,  and  kept  in  running  order  contin- 
ually. 

The  authorities  of  the  railroad  were  all  loyal, 
and  the  Secessionists  regarded  it  as  the  great 
enemy  to  the  Southern  cause,  to  be  assailed  when- 
ever practicable,  and,  when  troops  were  passing 
upon  it,  to  be  attacked  vigorously  and  with  deadly 
intent.  Time  and  again  threats  had  been  made  by 
the  zealous  Secessionists  of  destroying  the  South 
River  bridge  on  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph,  and 
the  1  nidges  over  the  Fabius  and  North  Rivers,  on 
the  Quincy  &  Palmyra,  to  prevent  Federal  troops 
from  being  sent  into  the  State  "to  subjugate  the 
people;"  and  President  John  W.  Brooks,  of  Bos- 
ton, and  President  Joshua  Gentry,  of  Hannibal 
( the  latter  the  first  Sheriff  of  this  county  I ,  ap- 
pealed to  the  military  authorities  for  protection. 
It  came  in  due  time. 

On  the  18th  of  June  the  Sixteenth   Illinois  In- 


fantry, Col.  R.  F.  Smith  commanding,  lauded  at 
Hannibal,  being  the  first  Federal  troops  to  tread 
the  soil  of  Marion  County.  In  the  command 
were  eighteen  men  who  had  been  warned  out  of 
Hannibal  by  the  Secessiotiists,  and  had  gone  to 
Quincy  and  enlisted.  One  piece  of  artillery  was 
with  the  regiment.  A  large  crowd  met  the  sol- 
diers on  the  levee,  but  there  was  no  hostile 
demonstration  made  against  them,  and  the  greater 
portion  of  them  soon  encamped  on  "Lover's  Leap. ' ' 
A  few  days  later  the  Second  and  Third  Iowa  In- 
fantry came  to  Hannibal  and  went  West  over  the 
Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph. 

On  the  20th  of  June  two  companies  of  the  Six- 
teenth Illinois  came  from  Hannibal  to  Palmyra, 
disembarked  from  the  cars,  and  went  into  camp 
near  and  just  west  of  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph 
depot,  where  was  then  a  piece  of  commons.  The 
two  companies  numbered  about  seventy-five  men. 
On  the  22d  they  marched  into  town,  raised  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  over  the  court  house,  and  sang 
"The  Star  Spangled  Banner." 

A  few  days  later — say  about  July  i — the  Col- 
onel of  the  Sixteenth  Illinois,  Robert  F.  Smith, 
came  to  Palmyra  in  person  with  two  more  com- 
panies of  his  regiment,  the  Hancock  Guards, 
Capt.  Cahill,  and  the  Union  Rifles  (Adams 
County),  Capt.  Petrie.  The  four  companies  went 
into  camp  in  Sloan's  Addition,  west  of  the  Quincy 
&  Palmyra  Railroad.  Pickets  were  put  out  on 
the  principal  roads,  and  one  company  was  sent 
down  to  the  South  River  bridge. 

In  a  short  time  Col.  Smith  had  arrested  a  num- 
ber of  active  Secessionists  about  Palmyra.  In 
Hannibal,  also,  some  persons  were  arrested. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  Col.  Smith  issued  the  follow- 
ing proclamation: 

col.  smith's  proclamation. 

Headquarters  Camp  Smith,        i 
Palmyra,  July  3,  1861.     1 

To  the  Citizens  of  Palmyra  and  Marion  County: 
The  headquarters  of  the  Sixteenth   Regiment 
of  Illinois  Volunteers  is  in  your  city. 

We  came  into  your  midst  with  no  hostile  intent 
toward  Union-loving  and  peaceful  citizens.  To 
all  such  the  appearance  of  United  States  soldiers 
on  such  a  mission  as  ours  should  rather  be  hailed 
with  gladness  than  viewed  with  suspicion  and 
mistrust. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  so  large  a  body  of  men  as  constitutes  a  regi- 
ment, there  must  of  necessity  be  some  less  refined 
than  we  could  wish;  but  it  shall  be  the  earnest 
endeavor  of  the  officers  of  this  regiment  to  curb 
the  passions  and  to  punish  with  the  utmost  se- 
verity the  excesses  of  any  such. 

Your  hearthstones  shall  be  held  inviolate,  your 
families  protected  from  insult  and  injury,  and 
your  ladies  treated  with  civility  and  politeness. 
No  one  shall  be  molested  unless  known  to  enter- 
tain treasonable  sentiments  toward  the  Govern- 
ment, and  to  be  aiding  and  abetting  its  enemies. 

It  is  earnestly  desired  by  the  Colonel  command- 
ing that  the  most  friendly  relations  should  exist 
between  those  who  love  the  institutions  and  Gov- 
ernment of  our  country  and  the  soldiers  who  have 
volunteered  to  protect  them. 

He  would,  therefore,  respectfully  invite  every- 
one who  may  have  misconstrued  our  motives  to 
return  to  the  peaceful  occupation  of  their  houses 
and  the  resumption  of  their  daily  business,  confi- 
dently believing  that  a  better  acquaintance  and  a 
freer  interchange  of  sentiment  will  conduce  to  the 
welfare  of  both  citizen  and  soldier. 
R.  F.  Smith, 

Colonel  Commanding  Sixteenth 

Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers. 

The  proclamation  was  well  received,  and,  in- 
deed, fairly  observed  by  the  soldiers,  who  con- 
ducted themselves  with  as  seemly  behavior  as 
could  have  been  expected. 

On  the  4th  of  July  Col.  Smith's  command, 
nearly  four  hundred  strong,  marched  into  Pal- 
myra with  muskets  and  bayonets  glistening  in 
the  sun,  and  drums  beating,  fifes  and  bugles 
blowing,  and  banners  waving  in  the  air.  There 
was  a  celebration  after  a  fashion .  The  troops  had 
just  been  paid  off  in  gold,  and  were  feeling  jolly. 
They  paraded  the  principal  streets,  cheered  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  President  Lincoln,  Col.  Smith, 
and  the  Union  men  of  Missouri.  Then  they  re- 
turned to  camp.  There  was  no  disturbance.  All 
the  saloons  and  many  of  the  business  houses  were 
closed. 

The  previous  clay  the  soldiers  had  hoisted  a 
fine  flag  over  the  court  house  in  the  room  of  the 
one  raised  by  Capt.  Fritz,  which  had  been  dam- 
aged by  a  wind  storm. 

THE    FIGHT    AT    MONROE  CITY. 

The  war  clouds  hovering  over  northeast   Mis- 


souri grew  blacker  and  blacker,  and  the  rum- 
blings' of  the  battle-thunder  louder  and  louder,  and 
at  last  the  storm  broke. 

The  State  Guard  companies  flocked  to  Gen. 
Harris  in  such  numbers  that  by  the  5th  of  July 
he  had  probably  five  hundred  men  in  his  camp, 
near  Florida.  By  their  scouts  and  spies  the  Fed- 
eral military  commanders  were  informed  of  his 
doings,  and  Col.  Chester  Harding,  at  St.  Louis, 
under  authority  from  Gen.  Lyon,  ordered  Col. 
Smith,  of  the  Sixteenth  Illinois,  to  march  upon 
him  and  his  fellow-Secessionists  and  break  up  his 
camp.  Col.  Smith  had  himself  re-enforced  at  Pal- 
myra by  four  companies  of  the  Third  Iowa,  one 
company  of  the  Hannibal  Home  Guards,  and  a 
piece  of  artillery  (a  six-pounder),  and  got  ready 
for  the  work. 

On  Monday  evening,  July  8,  Col.  Smith 
marched  from  Palmyra  against  Tom  Harris.  His 
force  consisted  of  Companies  A,  F,  H  and  K,  of 
the  Third  Iowa  Infantry;  Companies  F  and  H,  of 
the  Sixteenth  Illinois;  Capt.  Loomis'  company  of 
the  Hannibal  Home  Guards,  and  the  six-pounder 
cannon — in  all  about  five  hundred  men,  or  not 
more  than  six  hundred.  The  expedition  went  by 
rail  to  Monroe  City,  where  it  arrived  in  an  hour 
and  disembarked.  It  was  intended  to  make  a  night 
march  on  Florida,  about  twelve  miles  a  little 
west  of  south  of  Monroe,  and  attack  Harris'  camp 
at  daylight,  but  a  severe  storm  coming  up  pre- 
vented this  plan. 

Tuesday  morning  Col.  Smith  with  his  entire 
command  set  out  towards  Florida  to  encounter 
Gen.  Harris.  Passing  out  of  the  prairie,  through 
the  '  'Swinkey  Hills, ' '  the  Federal  troops  reached 
the  farm  of  Robert  Hagar,  three  or  four  miles 
north  of  Florida.  Here,  in  the  thick  timber  and 
brush,  and  on  the  top  of  an  eminence  known 
as  Hagar' s  Hill,  they  encountered  perhaps  fifty 
mounted  Secessionists  under  Capt.  Clay  Price, 
who  had  been  sent  out  by  Gen.  Harris  to  recon- 
noitre. These  at  once,  and  without  warning, 
opened  fire  from  their  ambush  at  close  range,  se- 
verely wounding  four  persons.  The  fire  was  re- 
turned, and  the  Missourians  retreated,  leaving 
one  man  mortally  wounded,  and  perhaps  half  a 
dozen  horses.      This  affair  took  place  at   about   4 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


223 


o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Not  caring  to  go  on, 
and  not  daring  to  retreat  through  certain  bodies 
of  timber  in  the  night  on  his  way  back  to  Monroe, 
Col.  Smith  went  into  camp  on  Hagar's  farm, 
near  the  scene  of  the  fight. 

During  the  afternoon  and  night  of  the  yth  Col 
Smith  learned  that  he  had  stirred  up  a  hornets' 
nest,  and  that  the  Secessionists  were  swarming 
all  about  him;  that  the)  had  gotten  in  his  rear, 
and  were  playing  havoc  at  Monroe  City,  and  that 
their  numbers  were  constantly  increasing.  Early 
mi  Wednesday  morning,  the  10th,  he  began  his 
retreat  to  Monroe  City.  On  the  "Swinkey  Hills" 
his  advance  guard  was  attacked,  but  no  serious 
damage  done.  Emerging  from  the  timber  north 
of  Swinkey,  or  Elizabethtown,  and  coming  in 
sight  of  Monroe  City,  the  Federal  discovered  the 
station  house,  outbuildings,  six  passenger  coaches 
and  ten  or  twelve  freight  cars  in  flames.  The 
Missourians,  Capt.  Owen's  company,  could  be 
seen  a  mile  or  two  away  to  the  left,  or  west, 
watching  the  fire  and  the  Federals.  Col.  Smith 
opened  on  them  with  his  cannon,  and  fired  half  a 
dozen  or  more  round  shot  at  them,  which  killed 
several  horses. 

The  station  house  and  train  had  been  fired  by 
about  one  hundred  mounted  Secessionists,  under 
command  of  Capt.  John  L.  Owen,  of  Warren 
Township,  this  county.  The  same  morning  the 
train  from  Hannibal  was  fired  on  a  few  miles  east 
of  Monroe  City,  it  is  said  by  some  of  Capt.  Owen's 
men,  and  by  his  orders.  The  engineer  was  slightly 
wounded  by  a  rifle-ball  in  the  arm. 

Reaching  the  town,  and  finding  himself  sur- 
rounded, Col.  Smith  marched  his  men  into  a  fine, 
large,  two  story  brick  academy  building  in  the 
place,  known  as  the  Seminary,  and  took  full  pos- 
session of  it  and  the  grounds  adjoining,  around 
which  he  began  throwing  up  breastworks,  having 
dispatched  a  messenger  to  the  nearest  telegraph 
office  to  ask  for  re  enforcements. 

Meantime  the  greatest  excitement  had  arisen  in 
the  surrounding  country.  The  news  that  five 
or  six  hundred  were  "holed  up"  or  "treed"  at 
Monroe  City  spread  like  wildfire.  Hundreds  of 
persons  living  within  ten  or  twelve  miles  of  the 
scene,  roused  by  the  messengers  that  went  gal- 


loping over  tile  country  by  order  of  Gen.  Harris. 
mounted  horses  and  rode  to  the  battle,  some 
actuated  by  mere  curiosity,  others  determined  to 
participate  in  tin-  fight.  By  noon  of  Wednesday 
Gen.  Harris  had  collected  around  him  probabl) 
one  thousand  effective  men.  who  were  reasonably 
well  armed,  and  eager  to  take  a  pop  at  the 
"cooped-up"  Federals.  His  skirmishers  crawled 
up  as  close  to  the  academy  building  as  they  dared, 
and  fired  away  at  the  windows  and  breastworks 
very  briskly,  with  but  little  effect,  however.  The 
Union  troops  returned  the  fire  at  every  good  op- 
portunity. The  main  portion  of  Harris'  forces 
were  at  a  safe  distance,  watching  their  enemies, 
and  taking  pains  that  they  should  not  escape. 

The  night  of  the  10th  Gen  Harris  sent  off  for  a 
cannon,  the  nine-pounder  which  had  been  cast 
by  Cleaver  &  Mitchell,  of  Hannibal,  for  Drescher's 
artillery  company,  and  which  was  then  hidden 
under  a  haystack  on  a  farm  a  few  miles  north  of 
Palmyra.  The  nine-pounder  was  serviceable. 
and  with  this  Gen.  Harris  hoped  to  compel  the 
Federals  to  surrender,  or  else  batter  down  the 
building  and  tumble  the  walls  about  their  ears. 
That  night  a  close  watch  was  kept  on  the  be- 
sieged that  they  might  not  make  either  a  bold  s,  ,rtie 
or  a  stealthy  attempt  to  escape.  Thursday,  the 
14th.  the  cannon  came,  to  the  great  delight  of 
the  Secessionists,  and  the  bombardment  began 
about  1  o'clock.  There  were  only  a  few  nine- 
pound  balls,  however,  and  these  were  soon  shot 
away.  Nothing  was  then  left  for  use  but  the 
smaller  balls,  and  artillery  practice  with  six-pound 
balls  from  a  nine-pound  gun  is  not  certain  to  be 
accurate.  Some  amusing  instances  were  narrated 
of  the  cannonading  by  Capt.  Kneisley's  gun.  It 
was  said  the  only  safe  place  within  its  range  when 
it  was  discharged  was  immediately  in  front  of  it. 
One  shot,  it  is  stated,  struck  in  the  road  thirty 
feet  from  the  muzzle  of  the  gun,  and  ricocheted 
over  to  the  left  a-quarter  of  a  mile,  struck  a  black 
smith  shop,  and  dispersed  a  crowd  of  Secessionists, 
who  fled  in  dismay,  declaring  that  they  could  not 
stand  it  to  be  fired  on  by  their  own  men  and  the 
Federals  too!  The  Academy  was  struck  but  a 
few  times,  and  no  damage  done. 

Meanwhile,  the  number  of  Missourians   gath- 


2  24 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ered  around  had  increased  to  twelve  or  fifteen 
hundred,  many  of  whom  were  not  warriors  pro 
tern.,  but  mere  spectators,  who  had  come  to  see 
"the  fun."  Even  ladies  and  children  had  ridden 
up  in  carriages  and  wagons,  and,  seated  in  their 
conveyances,  under  the  shade  of  parasols  and  um- 
brellas, watched  the  battle,  the  first,  perhaps, 
ever  graced  by  the  presence,  as  spectators,  of  the 
fair  sex,  out  of  deference  to  whose  sensibilities,  it 
is  to  be  presumed,  the  occasion  was  made  as 
bloodless  as  possible.  Not  a  man  was  killed  or 
badly  wounded  on  either  side  by  an  enemy's  ball. 
Gen.  Harris  was  a  "great  speech-maker."  He 
could  not  let  this  occasion  pass  without  making 
one  of  his  noblest  efforts.  At  noon  on  Thursday, 
he  assembled  some  of  his  troops,  and  addressed 
them.  His  cannon  had  not  yet  arrived,  and 
without  it,  he  told  his  men,  he  could  not  take  the 
Academy,  unless  at  a  sacrifice  of  many  noble 
lives.  He  further  said,  that  a  large  re-enforce- 
ment for  Col.  Smith  was  hourly  expected,  and  he 
thought  the  best  thing  that  could  be  clone  under 
the  circumstances  was  to  retreat.  He  then  di- 
rected his  troops  to  disperse.  This,  however, 
they  refused  to  do.  Then  the  cannon  came  up 
amid  great  cheering,  and  the  fight  was  resumed, 
without  a  leader,  really,  on  the  part  of  the  Seces- 
sionists— every  man  fighting  "on  his  own  hook." 

Meantime  Col.  R.  F.  Smith  was  not  a  little  dis- 
turbed at  the  situation.  He  had  unwisely  allowed 
a  greater  part  of  his  ammunition  to  be  captured 
or  destroyed,  and  he  had  but  few  cannon  balls  or 
shells,  or  other  artillery  ammunition,  and  so  his 
six-pounder  was  not  of  much  service.  He  saved 
his  ammunition,  in  expectation  of  an  assault,  by 
firing  boltings,  gathered  from  the  ashes  of  the 
burnt  railroad  cars  True,  his  enemies  were  do- 
ing him  no  damage.  Out  of  twenty-five  or  more 
of  their  cannon  shots,  only  three  had  hit  the 
building,  and  the  shot-guns  and  squirrel  rifles 
could  avail  but  little  against  strong  breastworks 
and  brick  walls.  Yet  he  feared  that  another  and 
more  efficient  piece  of  artillery  might  be  brought 
up,  and  Gen.  Harris'  already  large  force  would 
be  made  larger  before  his  own  re-enforcements 
could  come  up. 

Gen.  Harris  failed  to  tear  up  the  railroad  track 


east  and  west  of  the  town  as  thoroughly  as  he 
could  have  done,  and  as  he  had  no  force  in  either 
direction,  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the  ar- 
rival of  re-enforcements  for  Col.  Smith  from  either 
Ouincy,  Hannibal  or  Hudson,  at  all  of  which 
points  it  was  known  that  Federal  troops  were 
stationed.  True,  Salt  River  bridge,  to  the  west 
ten  miles,  had  been  burned,  but  a  transfer  could 
easily  be  made  and  the  distance  soon  compassed. 

At  last  they  came. 

At  about  half-past  four  a  train  was  seen  slowly 
approaching  from  the  East,  and  as  it  came  well 
into  view,  it  was  discovered  to  be  crowded  with 
Federal  soldiers,  and  upon  a  flatcar  a  brass  can- 
non gleamed  ominously  in  the  slanting  rays  of 
the  declining  sun.  The  beleaguered  Federals  set 
up  a  loud  cheer,  the  cannon  on  the  car  opened 
with  grape,  and  Gen.  Harris  and  his  troops,  to 
use  an  expression  common  in  the  Civil  War, 
"skedaddled"  in  short  order,  or  rather  in  no  or- 
der at  all.  Eye-witnesses  describe  the  scene  as 
highly  ludicrous.  Many  of  the- would-be  soldiers 
hid  their  guns  and  sought  safety  in  the  carriages 
of  the  ladies  and  children.  Others  galloped  wildly 
away.  The  prairie  was  covered  with  buggies, 
carriages,  wagons,  horsemen  and  footmen,  all  flee- 
ing for  dear  life,  and  becoming  more  terror- 
stricken  everj-  rod  the}-  traversed.  The  picnic 
was  over,  and  it  had  ended  in  a  stampede. 

The  Federal  re-enforcement  proved  to  be  Com- 
panies A,  B  and  D,  of  the  Sixteenth  Illinois,  un- 
der Maj.  Hays  of  that  regiment,  accompanied  by 
a  nine-pounder  field  piece,  manned  by  volunteer 
artillerymen.  The  whole  force  numbered  about 
two  hundred  and  seventy-five  men,  and  had  come 
from  Palmyra  and  Hannibal  to  relieve  their  com- 
mander and  comrades  from  their  predicament. 

While  these  events  were  progressing,  the  most 
painful  and  exaggerated  rumors  were  flying 
through  the  country,  reaching  not  only  Palmyra 
and  Hannibal,  but  Quiney,  Springfield,  Chicago, 
and  even  New  York  and  Washington.  One  re- 
port was  that  a  desperate  battle  was  taking  place 
at  Monroe  City,  and  that  Col.  Smith's  regiment 
was  surrounded,  and  had  been  cut  to  pieces.  The 
Fourteenth  Illinois,  Col.  John  M.  Palmer,  and  the 
Twenty-first  Illinois,  Col.  U.  S.  Grant,  and  other 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


•-•--, 


Illinois  troops  in  camp  at  Springfield  and  Quincy, 
were  ordered  to  the  rescue.  Palmer  reached 
Monroe  City  on  the  morning  of  the  12th,  and  re- 
mained two  days,  returning  to  Quincy.  Grant 
came  up  a  day  later  and  went  on  to  Mexico.  By 
Friday  morning  two  thousand  troops,  infantry, 
cavalry  and  artillery,  had  reached  Palmyra,  the 
seat  of  war. 

One  body  of  re-enforcements  for  Col.  Smith, 
under  ex-Gov.  Wood,  of  Illinois,  came  from 
Quincy  down  the  river,  and  landed  at  Marion 
City,  and  from  thence  marched  to  Palmyra,  and 
then  on  to  Monroe  City. 

About  twelve  hundred  troops  started  down  from 
St.  Joseph  on  the  nth,  and  were  joined  at  Macon 
City  by  seven  hundred  more.  These  were  de- 
tained, however,  by  the  burning  of  Salt  River 
bridge,  which  locality  they  reached  on  the  12th. 
The  evening  of  the  nth,  the  greater  portion  of 
Smith's  command,  including  some  of  those  who 
had  been  in  the  Seminary,  returned  to  Palmyra. 

The  Federal  troops  soon  scattered  out.  Grant 
and  Palmer  went  down  on  the  North  Missouri.  The 
Iowa  troops  from  St.  Joseph  returned,  and  Col. 
Smith  remained  in  this  quarter.  Gen.  Tom  Har- 
ris, with  a  portion  of  his  command,  went  south- 
ward, in  the  direction  of  Jefferson  City. 

The  following  was  Col.  Smith's  official  report 
to  Gen.  Lyon: 

Headquarters  Sixteenth  i 

Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers, 

Monroe  Station,  Mo.,  July  14,  1861.     j 

Sir: — In  accordance  with  your  order  on  the 
8th  of  this  month,  I  left  my  headquarters  at  Pal- 
myra, Mo.,  with  Companies  F  and  H  of  the  Six- 
teenth Illinois  Regiment,  and  Companies  A,  F, 
II  and  K  of  the  Third  Iowa  Regiment,  Company 
A  of  the  Hannibal  Home  Guards,  and  one  six- 
pounder,  and  proceeded  to  this  place.  A  heavy 
rain-storm  coming  on  retarded  our  further  prog- 
ress. Early  on  the  morning  of  the  9th,  I  started 
south  in  search  of  the  rebel  force  under  Harris. 
At  4  o'clock,  p.  M.,  when  about  twelve  miles 
south  of  Monroe,  our  advance  guard  was  fired 
into  by  the  enemy,  concealed  in  a  clump  of  timber 
and  brush,  the  first  volley  severely  wounding 
Capt.  McAllister,  of  Company  G,  Sixteenth  Illi- 
nois Regiment;  also  Private  Prentiss,  of  Company 
A,  same  regiment,  and  slightly  wounding  a  pri- 
vate of  the  Iowa  Regiment.  I  immediately  or- 
dered a  charge,  and  drove  the  enemy  from  their 


cover.  As  they  were  all  mounted,  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  follow  them  further  to  advantage.  We 
found  one  of  their  men  mortally  wounded,  and 
have  reason  to  believe  that  several  more  were  shot 
and  carried  off  by  their  friends,  and  captured  sev- 
eral horses  saddled  and  bridled.  We  made  camp 
near  this  place  for  the  night. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ioth,  having  heard  ru- 
mors of  trouble  at  Monroe  Station,  moved  my 
command  back.  On  coming  in  sight  of  Monroe, 
found  the  station,  outhouses,  seventeen  passen- 
ger and  freight  cars,  and  other  railroad  property, 
in  flames,  and  found  the  enemy  collected  to  the 
number  of  three  or  four  hundred  to  our  left.  On 
Hearing  them,  thej<-  began  to  move  off,  when  I 
brought  forward  the  field-piece  and  sent  a  few 
round-shot  into  their  ranks,  scattering  them  in 
all  directions.  The  only  damage  done  here,  that 
I  know  of,  was  one  horse  killed. 

After  coming  into  Monroe,  I  took  possession  of 
a  brick  building  known  as  "The  Seminary,"  and 
enclosed  grounds  adjoining,  its  position  answering 
my  purpose  for  defense,  if  necessary,  and  the 
apartments  good  quarters  for  the  men,  who  were 
without  tents.  During  the  day  we  made  several 
advances  on  the  enemy  without  being  able  to  get 
near  enough  to  do  much  damage. 

On  the  morning  of  the  nth  the  enemy  began 
to  collect  from  all  quarters,  and  by  noon  we  were 
surrounded  by  from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thou- 
sand men.  At  i  o'clock,  P.  m.,  they  opened  fire 
upon  us  from  one  nine-pounder  and  one  six- 
pounder  at  a  distance  of  about  a  mile.  Their  fir- 
ing was  very  inaccurate,  only  three  shots  out  of 
the  first  twenty-seven  striking  the  building,  and 
they  did  very  little  damage,  my  men  being  well 
covered  by  a  breastwork  they  had  thrown  up.  Af- 
ter throwing  their  first  six  shots,  they  moved  their 
cannon  some  four  hundred  yards  nearer  and 
opened  fire.  I  immediately  answered  with  the  six- 
pounder,  dismounting  their  smaller  gun,  which 
made  a  general  scattering,  and  caused  them  to 
carry  their  nine-pounder  to  a  safer  distance. 
Their  firing  from  this  time  had  little  or  no  effect. 

Much  credit  is  due  Capt.  Fritz,  of  Company  F, 
Sixteenth  Regiment,  for  the  able  manner  in  which 
he  led  his  men  throughout  our  expedition.  Also 
to  Gunner  Fishbourn,  who  planted  his  shot  among 
them  every  time,  but  who  had  to  deal  sparingly, 
as  he  was  almost  out  of  shot  when  we  were  re- 
lieved. I  was  also  much  pleased  with  the  officers 
and  men  generally  for  their  coolness  and  obedi- 
ence to  orders  throughout. 

At  4:30  o'clock,  p.  m.,  of  the  nth,  a  train  was 
seen  coming  from  the  East  with  re-enforcements. 
It  proved  to  be  Maj.  Hays,  of  my  regiment,  with 


226 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Companies  D,  B  and  A,  of  the  Sixteenth  Illinois, 
and  one  nine-pounder  field-piece.  The  enemy  now 
began  to  move  off,  and  by  dark  had  left  the  field 
entirely,  since  which  time  they  had  been  skulking 
about  the  country  in  squads,  burning  woodpiles, 
small  bridges  and  culverts  when  opportunity  of- 
fered of  doing  so  without  danger. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th,  we  were  again 
re-enforced  by  Col.  Palmer's  Fourteenth  Regi- 
ment, who  returned  to  Ouincy  to-day,  leaving  us 
in  a  worse  position  than  ever,  with  the  exception 
that  we  have  more  ammunition. 

Col.  Palmer  brought  two  brass  field-pieces  with 
him,  which  he  has  again  taken  away.  Some- 
thing of  the  kind  would  be  very  acceptable  here 
just  now,  as  there  is  a  slight  probability  of  their 
being  useful. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 
Robert  F.  Smith. 

To  Brig. -Gen.  Lyon. 


£+^ 


EHARLES  W.  BALDWIN,  who  for  many 
years  successfully  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock-raising  in  Hancock  County,  but  is 
now  living  a  retired  life  at  Hamilton,  is  a  native 
of  Orleans  County,  N.  Y.,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred on  the  19th  of  April,  1827,  The  family 
is  of  German  lineage,  and  the  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject, Abram  and  Bridget  (Van  Waggouner (Bald- 
win, were  both  natives  of  New  Jersey.  The  fa- 
ther was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  was  also  a 
hatter  by  trade,  but  during  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  he  devoted  his  time  and  attention  exclusively 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  the  Baldwin  family 
were  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters: Mary  A.,  who  married  Otis  Malcolm,  a 
farmer  of  Warren  County,  111.,  both  being  de- 
ceased; John  M.,  who  was  a  ranchman  of  Bitter 
Water,  San  Bernardino  County,  Cal.,  and  died  on 
the  1st  of  May,  1893:  Abram  W.,  deceased,  who 
was  a  farmer  of  Warren  County,  111.;  Emeranda, 
who  was  married  and  died  in  Kansas;  Charles 
\V..  of  this  sketch;  Sarah  M.,  wife  of  Charles  W. 
Mather,  a  farmer  of  Le  Roy,  Kan.;  and  Myra,  wife 
of  Jacob  Brake,  an  agriculturist  of  Jasper  County, 
Mo. 

When  our  subject  was  a  child  of  four  years  his 


parents  removed  to  Upper  Canada,  now  called 
Ontario,  where  they  remained  for  seven  years. 
In  the  spring  of  1838,  the  family  removed  to  Or- 
leans County,  N.  Y.,  where  they  remained  for  a 
year,  and  in  1839  emigrated  to  southern  Michi- 
gan, where  the  succeeding  three  years  were 
passed.  The  year  1842  witnessed  the  arrival  of 
Charles  W.  Baldwin  in  Illinois.  He  took  up  his 
residence  in  Warren  County,  where  he  made  his 
home  until  184S,  when  he  came  to  Hancock 
Count)-,  settling  near  the  site  of  Basco.  The 
town  of  that  name  was  laid  out  by  him.  Mr. 
Baldwin  enjoyed  only  a  district-school  education. 
He  worked  on  the  farm  during  the  summer 
months,  and  attended  school  through  the  winter 
season.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  began 
farming  in  his  own  interest  on  a  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acre  tract  of  land,  which  he  purchased  on  a 
tax  title.  This  farm  was  located  in  Bear  Creek 
Township,  just  east  of  Basco. 

In  his  business,  Mr.  Baldwin  won  a  high  de- 
gree of  success  and  was  ranked  among  the  lead- 
ing agriculturists  of  the  community.  His  land 
was  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  the 
fields  were  made  to  yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute 
in  return  for  the  care  and  cultivation  he  bestowed 
upon  them.  He  also  made  a  specialty  of  stock- 
dealing,  raising,  feeding  and  shipping  stock  quite 
extensively.  This  also  proved  for  him  a  profita- 
ble source  of  income.  His  untiring  and  enter- 
prising labors  at  length  acquired  for  him  a 
comfortable  competence,  and  in  the  spring  of  1889 
he  laid  aside  business  cares  and  removed  to  Ham- 
ilton, where  he  erected  an  elegant  residence  and 
has  since  made  it  his  home.  He  still  retains  the 
ownership  of  two  farms,  one  in  Montebello  Town- 
ship, and  one  in  Wythe  Township. 

On  the  6th  of  April,  1S52,  Mr.  Baldwin  wedded 
Miss  Man-  A.,  daughter  of  Isaiah  ami  Sarah  Wi- 
ley. They  became  the  parents  of  six  children, 
namely:  Lavina,  now  deceased;  Alice,  wife  of 
M.  C.  Girard,  a  grain  and  stock  dealer  of  Elvas- 
ton;  Emma,  wife  of  C.  A.  Denton,  an  attorney - 
at-law  of  Butler,  Mo.;  Ida,  wife  of  R.  A.  Piggott, 
who  is  engaged  in  farming  near  Bruning,  Neb. ; 
Charles,  who  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Wythe  Township;    and    Mattie,    wife   of  J.    H. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


227 


Guckert,  a  tailor  engaged  in  business  in  Keokuk, 
Iowa.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  called  to 
her  final  rest  July  16,  1892. 

Politically,  Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  Democrat,  and 
has  served  as  Supervisor.  Assessor  and  Road 
Commissioner  of  Bear  Creek  Township.  He  has 
never  aspired  to  public  office,  but  has  been  called 
to  these  positions  by  his  fellow -townsmen,  who  ap- 
preciated his  worth  and  ability  and  knew  that  he 
would  prove  true  to  his  duties  and  to  the  trust  re- 
posed in  him.  In  the  spring  of  1890,  he  was 
elected  Alderman  of  Hamilton  for  a  term  of  two 
years,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
was  elected  for  a  second  term,  so  that  he  is  now 
filling  that  office.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
Black  Hawk  Lodge  No.  238,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
He  manifests  a  commendable  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community 
and  to  the  advancement  of  public  enterprises, 
loi  forty-five  years  he  has  resided  in  Hancock 
County,  and  has  therefore  witnessed  the  greater 
part  of  its  growth  and  development.  In  the  his- 
toid of  tlie  community  he  well  deserves  represen- 
tation as  one  o!  the  honored  pioneers. 


0  LIVER  CRAIG,  of  Hamilton,  is  a  native  of 
Ohio,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Cham- 
paign County,  August  5,  1N44.  The  Craig 
family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  The  father, 
Vincent  Craig,  was  .1  native  of  Virginia,  and  a 
fanner  bj  occupation.  In  an  early  day  he  emi- 
grated  westward  and  purchased  land  near  Urbana, 
Champaign  County,  Ohio.  In  the  Buckeye  State 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann  Simnw. 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  by  their  union  were  born 
fourteen  children,  seven  sons  and  seven  daughters, 
who  in  order  of  birth  are  as  follows:  Man',  wife 
Ol  l-ii-  Fay,  a  trader  oi  Texas,  Champaign 
Countw  Ohio;  William,  who  is  living  in  the  same 
county,  and  who  was  a  soldier  of  the  late  war; 
Oliver,  of  this  sketch;  Andrew,  who  also  wore  the 
blue  in  defense  of  his  country,  and  now  carries  on 
agricultural  pursuits  in  Champaign  County;  John, 
whose  history  is  similar  to  that  of  his  brother  An- 


drew; Alfred,  deceased;  Eliza,  deceased,  wife  of 
Benjamin  Cage,  of  Champaign  County;  Nancy, 
who  has  also  passed  away;  Lucy,  wife  of  John 
Rock,  the  well-known  Treasurer  of  Champaign 
County;  Henry,  deceased;  Martha,  wife  of  Lem- 
uel Bayless.  an  agriculturist  residing  in  Cherokee, 
Logan  County,  Ohio;  Susan,  wife  of  Oliver  Chat 
man,  a  farmer  of  Champaign  County;  George,  a 
painter  of  the  same  county;  and  La  Fayette,  a 
trader  of  that  county. 

Oliver  Craig  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in 
the  county  of  his  nativity,  and  acquired  his  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
but  his  privileges  in  that  direction  were  meagre, 
for  his  services  were  required  in  the  fields  during 
the  summer  months,  and  during  much  of  the  win- 
ter in  clearing  timber-laud.  At  length  he  left 
home  and  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month  in  the  neighborhood,  being  thus  employed 
until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War. 

The  Craig  family  furnished  a  number  of  repre- 
sentatives to  the  Union  Army,  and  among  the 
number  was  our  subject,  who  on  the  5th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1N61,  offered  his  services  to  the  Government 
and  enrolled  his  name  among  the  boys  in  blue  of 
Company  I.  Sixty-sixth  Ohio  Infantry.  At  Port 
Republic,  W.  Va.,  he  was  wounded,  on  the  9th  of 
June,  1862,  being  hit  just  below  the  shoulder- 
blade  by  a  minie-ball,  which  came  out  on  the  right 
side  of  the  breast.  His  wound  unfitted  him  for 
further  duty,  and  he  was  discharged  at  Columbus, 
but  after  several  months  spent  in  rest  and  recup- 
eration he  re-enlisted  in  January,  [863,  becoming 
a  member  of  Company  K,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirteenth  Ohio  Infantry.  He  then  remained  in 
the  service  until  after  the  close  of  the  war.  when 
he  was  mustered  out,  July  8,  [865,  at  Louisville, 
Ky.  During  the  same  month  he  received  hisdis 
charge  at  Columbus.  As  his  wound  unfitted  him 
for  field  service,  he  did  special  duty  at  brigade 
headquarters.  His  loyalty,  however,  was  mani- 
fest by  the  faithfulness  with  which  he  discharged 
every  task  allotted  to  him. 

After  his  return  home,  Mr.  Craig  was  employed 
as  a  farm  hand  b\  the  month  until  [868,  when  he 
went  to  Macon  County,  Mo.,  where  he  --pent  five 
years.       He  purchased  a  faun  ol"  eighty  acres,  and 


228 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  connection  with  agricultural  pursuits  he  bought 
and  sold  stock.  In  1873,  he  came  to  Hamilton 
and  purchased  a  farm  in  Hancock  Count}-,  on 
which  he  made  his  home  until  1877.  He  then 
leased  a  farm,  and  on  this  tract  of  land  lived  for 
four  years,  then  leased  another  farm,  remaining  on 
it  for  six  years.  In  1887,  he  bought  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  in  Montebello  Township,  and  contin- 
ued its  cultivation  and  improvement  for  over  two 
years,  but  in  1892  he  sold  out  and  purchased 
property  in  Hamilton,  removing  to  this  city.  In 
September,  1893,  ne  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business,  but  sold  out  in  January,  1894,  and  is 
now  living  retired. 

The  lad}-  who  bears  the  name  of  Mrs.  Craig 
was  formerly  Mrs.  Eliza  Millage,  widow  of 
George  Millage.  Their  wedding  was  celebrated 
June  15,  1867,  and  to  them  have  been  born  three 
children:  Myrta,  wife  of  William  Scannell,  a 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Hamilton ;  and  Frank 
and  Fred,  who  are  still  with  their  parents. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln,  in  1864,  Mr.  Craig  has  been  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and 
warmly  advocates  its  principles.  He  has  also 
been  honored  with  several  local  offices,  the  duties 
of  which  he  has  discharged  with  promptness  and 
fidelity.  He  served  as  Constable  of  Montebello 
Township  for  eight  years,  has  been  Deputy  Sheriff 
for  the  same  length  of  time,  and  is  now  filling  that 
office.  He  has  also  served  as  School  Director. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Black  Hawk  Lodge 
No.  228,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Russell  Post  No.  86, 
G.  A.  R. ;  and  belongs  to  the  Christian  Church 
of  Hamilton. 

f=       ,s~i=!)  <"?••>  Mr*    '     & 

ROBERT  R.  WALLACE,  the  efficient  and 
popular  Cashier  of  the  State  Bank  of  Hamil- 
ton, and  one  of  the  wide-awake  and  progress- 
ive young  business  men  of  the  city,  was  born  in 
Montebello  Township,  Hancock  County,  July  2, 
1867.  He  comes  of  a  family  of  Scotch-Irish  ex- 
traction, and  his  grandfather,  Washington  R. ,  and 
his  great-grandfather,  Henry  Wallace,  were  both 


natives  of  Ohio.  The  father,  Francis  M.  Wallace, 
married  Miss  Susanna  Davis,  a  native  of  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, the  eldest  of  whom  is  Robert  R.  Nettie  is 
now  the  wife  of  Lovell  J.  Foster;  Station  Agent 
of  Clatonia,  Neb.;  Grace  is  engaged  in  teaching; 
Walter  is  now  deceased;  William  A.  is  a  telegraph 
operator  in  Clatonia,  Neb. ;  Kate  is  living  in 
Weaver,  Iowa;  and  Harry  is  now  deceased. 

Mr.  Wallace  of  this  sketch  left  home  at  the  age 
of  seven  years.  He  probably  never  attended 
school  more  than  a  year  altogether  in  his  life,  but 
through  his  own  efforts,  by  reading,  study  and  ob- 
servation, he  has  become  a  well-informed  man, 
and  now  holds  teacher's  certificates.  In  1882  he 
began  business  as  a  peddler,  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed one  summer.  He  then  resumed  work  as 
a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  and  continued  to  de- 
vote his  time  to  agricultural  pursuits  for  five  years. 
In  1887  he  made  an  engagement  to  teach  school, 
but  before  entering  upon  his  term  cancelled  the 
contract  and  entered  the  employ  of  M.  B.  Lane 
&  Co.,  of  Hamilton,  druggists,  insurance  agents 
and  bankers.  He  took  charge  of  the  books  of 
this  concern,  and  was  with  this  company  until 
1889,  when  Mr.  Lane  was  taken  ill  and  Mr.  Wal- 
lace took  charge  of  the  insurance  business,  and 
also  became  Assistant  Cashier  in  the  bank.  In 
October,  1889,  the  State  Bank  of  Hamilton  was 
organized,  and  Mr.  Wallace  was  made  its  first 
Cashier,  a  position  he  has  held  continuously  since, 
with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  em- 
ployers. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1890,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Robert  R.  Wallace  and  Miss  Lizzie 
Denton,  a  daughter  of  Edmund  P.  and  Jemima 
E.  (Whitney)  Denton,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Kentucky.  The  young  couple  are  widely 
and  favorably  known  in  this  community  and  hold 
an  enviable  position  in  social  circles.  Their  home 
is  noted  for  its  hospitality.  Mr.  Wallace  takes 
considerable  interest  in  civic  societies,  and  holds 
membership  with  Black  Hawk  Lodge  No.  238, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Tecumseh  Chapter  No.  152, 
R.  A.  M. ;  Montebello  Lodge  No.  697,  I.  O.  O.  F. ; 
Genevieve  Lodge,  D.  R. ;  Rapid  City  Lodge  No. 
286,  K.  P.;  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


229 


He  was  also  the  first  Captain  of  George  O.  Felt 
Camp  No.  183,  S.  V.,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Sisters  Pythias.  In  polities,  he  is  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican, and  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
City  Council.  The  best  interests  of  Hamilton 
ever  find  in  him  a  friend,  and  one  ever  ready  to 
aid  in  the  promotion  of  those  enterprises  calculated 
to  prove  of  public  benefit. 


b  <"  T  ">  Q=s ^ 

HENRY  K.  MeLELLAN,  who  carries  on  a 
billiard  hall  in  Hamilton,  is  a  native  of  the 
Pine  Tree  State,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Lincoln  County,  Me.,  on  the  istof  May,  [838. 
His  father,  Thomas  McLellan,  who  was  also  born 
in  the  same  county,  was  a  sea  captain.  In  1848 
he  removed  to  New  Orleans,  and  after  remaining 
in  the  Crescent  City  one  year  came  to  Hancock 
County,  111.,  in  1N49.  He  settled  in  Carthage, 
and  gave  his  attention  to  the  distilling  business 
and  to  farming.  In  1S50  he  returned  to  Maine, 
and  brought  our  subject  back  with  him  to  Illi- 
nois. In  connection  with  A.  Hamilton,  Thomas 
McLellan  laid  out  the  present  city  of  Hamilton, 
and  was  otherwise  prominent  in  the  upbuilding 
and  development  of  the  community. 

Henry  K.  McLellan  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch  is  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren. Mary  A.,  the  eldest,  became  the  wife  of  Ben- 
jamin Davis,  and  died  at  their  home  in  New  York 
City;  Lydia  C,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Crock- 
ett Wilson,  of  Carthage;  Adeline  F.  is  the  wife  of 
H.  F.  Emery,  a  ranchman  residing  near  Hoxie, 
Kan.;  William  T.  is  a  railroad  conductor  on  the 
WTabash  Road,  and  makes  his  home  in  Hamilton; 
and  Adelia  H.,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Frank- 
lin Bell,  of  this  place. 

Our  subject  spent  the  first  twelve  years  of  his 
life  in  his  native  State,  and  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Lincoln  County. 
When  a  youth  of  twelve  summers  he  was  brought 
by  his  father  to  Hancock  County,  where  he  con- 
tinued for  four  years,  when,  possessed  with  the 
spirit  of  restlessness  which  is  often  characteristic 
of  youth,    he    ran    away   from  home.       Making 


his  way  south  to  New  Orleans,  he  there  secured  a 
position  as  cabin-boy  on  a  steamboat  on  the  Miss- 
issippi. For  one  season  he  followed  the  river, 
and  then  engaged  in  the  lightning-rod  business  for 
two  years. 

Soon  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War, 
Mr.  McLellan  was  found  among  the  defenders  of 
the  Union.  In  May,  1861,  he  donned  the  blue, 
enlisting  as  a  member  of  Company  I),  Sixteenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  for  one  hundred  days'  sen-ice. 
After  having  been  at  the  front  for  twenty  days  he 
re-enlisted  for  a  term  of  three  years.  He  remained 
with  his  old  company  for  one  year,  and  was  then 
discharged,  on  the  21st  of  May,  1S63.  Immedi- 
ately after,  he  returned  home,  where  he  spent  a 
week,  but  feeling  that  his  country  still  needed  his 
services,  he  then  re-enlisted,  becoming  a  member 
of  Company  G,  Twelfth  Iowa  Cavalry,  and 
with  his  old  command  took  part  in  the  battles 
of  Monroe  Station  and  New  Madrid.  After  be- 
coming a  cavalryman  he  engaged  in  the  battles-of 
Harper's  Ferry,  Antietam,  and  in  numberless 
skirmishes.  For  one  month  he  was  ill  in  the 
hospital  at  Martinsburgh,  Va. 

After  his  return  home  in  1863,  Mr.  McLellan 
began  driving  team  and  stages  on  the  western 
plains,  and  was  also  steward  in  different  hotels  in 
the  West.  In  Oakland,  Cal.,  he  learned  the 
painter's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  about  three 
years.  He  then  returned  home  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Canada,  but  later  he  went  to  Indiana, 
where  he  engaged  in  canvassing  for  some  time. 
He  also  worked  at  his  trade  of  painting  in  the 
Hoosier  State  for  a  considerable  period,  and  sub- 
secpuently  embarked  in  the  fire-insurance  business, 
which  he  continued  for  a  year.  After  abandoning 
that  enterprise  he  became  connected  with  a  hotel 
in  Bunker  Hill,  Ind.,  serving  as  day  clerk.  The 
succeeding  two  years  of  his  life  were  thus  passed, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  the  show  business, 
which  took  him  all  over  the  United  States  and 
Canada.  In  this  way  he  continued  his  travels 
until  1891,  when  he  returned  to  Hamilton,  and 
opened  the  billiard  hall  of  which  he  is  now  pro- 
prietor. 

On  the  14th  of  May,  1850,  in  New  York  City, 
Mr.  McLellan  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 


230 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mary  A.  Violet,  daughter  of  Monsieur  A.  Violet, 
a  native  of  France.  In  polities,  our  subject  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  supported  that  party  since 
he  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Abraham 
Lincoln,  in  i860.  He  has  never  aspired  to  public 
office,  however,  preferring  to  give  his  time  and 
attention  to  other  interests.  Socially,  he  is  con- 
nected with  Russell  Post  No.  86,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
Rapid  City  Lodge  No.   286,  K.  P. 


&+£i 


gEORGE  C.  WAGGONER,  of  Hamilton,  is 
one  of  the  oldest  native  sons  of  Hancock 
County  who  still  reside  within  its  borders. 
He  was  here  born  on  the  20th  of  May,  1839,  andisa 
worthy  representative  of  an  honored  pioneer  fam- 
ily. His  father,  Isaac  N.  Waggoner,  was  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  in  the  county,  the  date  of  his 
arrival  being  1824.  He  pre-empted  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  four  miles  north  of 
Hamilton,  known  as  the  Waggoner  Tract,  and  was 
one  of  the  successful  fanners  of  the  neighborhood. 
He  had  removed  to  this  State  from  Pennsylvania. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  earliest  pilots  on  the  river, 
and  was  captain  of  a  keel-boat,  propelled  by  poles 
and  sails,  before  the  days  of  steamers.  He  after- 
wards owned  and  built  several  steamboats,  and 
followed  the  river  until  about  four  years  prior  to 
his  death. 

In  Nauvoo,  Mr.  Waggoner  married  Miss  Mary 
White,  daughter  of  Capt.  James  White,  a  pioneer 
settler  of  Hancock  County,  who  bought  land  from 
the  Indians  where  the  town  of  Nauvoo  now  stands, 
giving  them  seven  bushels  of  corn  for  each  wig- 
wam, and  receiving  an  Indian  d.eed  on  wampum 
for  the  same.  On  this  tract  he  erected  a  stone 
house,  the  first  one  in  Nauvoo.  He  also  followed 
the  river,  whereon  he  owned  two  keelboats.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Waggoner  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  the  land  which  he  had  pre-empted,  and 
which  he  transformed  into  a  well-cultivated  tract. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  seven  children,  three 
Mins  and  four  daughters.  Martha,  the  eldest, 
is  the  widow  of  Henry  I!.  Parsons,  of  Hamilton; 
George  C.   comes   next;    Austin    and    Milton   are 


both  residents  of  Hamilton:  Luella  and  Eleanor 
are  deceased;  and  Clara  is  the  wife  of  Ed  Curry, 
a  farmer  of  Montebello  Township.  The  mother 
of  this  family,  who  is  still  living,  resides  in  Hamil 
ton,  and  is  said  to  be  the  oldest  settler  now  living 
in  the  county. 

Our  subject  was  reared  to  manhood  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm,  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  old- 
time  district  schools.  With  the  family,  he  shared 
in  all  the  hardships  and  experiences  of  frontier 
life,  and  was  early  inured  to  the  hard  labors  of 
developing  wild  land.  He  knew  the  county  when 
it  was  a  part  of  the  western  frontier,  and  when 
much  of  the  land  was  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
Government.  He  has  been  an  eye-witness  of  its 
growth  and  development,  and  has  also  aided  in 
its  progress  and  advancement,  taking  an  active 
interest  in  all  that  pertained  to  the  public  welfare. 
Mr.  Waggoner  continued  farm  work  until  1855, 
when  he  began  work  on  the  river:  He  spent  four 
3  ears  in  learning  all  about  the  stream,  its  chan- 
nels, its  sandbars,  etc.,  and  in  1859  ne  secured 
a  license  to  act  as  a  pilot  from  St.  Louis  to  St. 
Paul.  During  the  war  he  served  on  a  United 
States  gunboat  in  that  capacity  for  three  years, 
participating  in  a  number  of  naval  engagements. 
He  enlisted  in  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and 
Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  in  1862,  and  on  the 
roth  of  July,  1863,  was  transferred  to  the  navy. 
When  the  war  was  over  he  was  mustered  out, 
July  8,  1865.  Returning  home,  he  then  engaged 
in  the  milling  business  for  six  years  on  the  old 
homestead,  but  in  1871  he  returned  to  the  river, 
and  has  since  served  as  master  and  pilot.  He  has 
been  in  every  packet  trade  from  St.  Louis  to  St. 
Paul.  During  the  winter  months  he  is  engaged 
in  the  real  estate   business. 

On  the  17th  of  July,  1867,  Mr.  Waggoner  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emerilla  Forney, 
ami  to  them  has  been  born  a  family  numbering 
three  sons:  Isaac  N.,  who  is  now  an  attorney-at- 
law  of  Keokuk,  Iowa;  Herbert,  who  is  employed 
as  telegraph  operator  in  Hamilton;  and  Willard, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business. 

In  his  political  views.  Mr.  Waggoner  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Socially,  he  is  connected   with   Russell   Post  No 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


Charlks  Dorm an 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


233 


68,  G.  A.  R.;  and  with  Montebello  Lodge  No. 
697,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  has  been  a  member 
for  twenty  years.  Mr.  Waggoner  is  widely  known 
throughout  his  native  county,  and  all  along  the 
river.  He  makes  friends  wherever  he  goes,  and 
his  many  excellencies  of  character  have  gained  for 
him  the  confidence  and  good-will  of  those  with 
whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 

|^_^_-^^<.,  A.^F  .0.  s> 

EIIARLES  DORMAN.  who  since  1865  has 
made  his  home  in  Hamilton,  was  For  many 
years  prominently  connected  with  its  busi- 
ness interests  as  one  of  its  leading  merchants, 
but  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  A  native  of  New 
Jersey,  he  was  born  in  Gloucester  County,  on  the 
28th  of  November,  1817.  He  traces  his  ancestry 
back  to  Revolutionary  daws,  his  maternal  grand- 
father being  one  of  the  heroes  in  the  War  for  In- 
dependence. His  parents,  James  and  Amy  E. 
(Parker)  Dorman,  were  both  natives  of  New  Jer- 
sey, and  to  them  were  born  four  children,  but 
Charles,  the  eldest,  is  now  the  only  surviving  one. 
Those  who  have  passed  away  are  Josiah  F. , 
Annie  and  Daniel  H. 

The  father  of  our  subject  died  when  Charles 
was  only  about  seven  years  old;  therefore  the 
care  of  the  children  devolved  upon  the  mother, 
who  did  her  best  for  them,  although  she  was  left 
in  very  limited  circumstances.  All  the  school 
privileges  which  Mr.  Dorman  received  were  ob- 
tained prior  to  his  tenth  year,  in  the  subscription 
schools  of  the  neighborhood.  At  that  time  lie 
began  earning  his  own  livelihood  by  work  upon 
the  farm,  and  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his 
own  resources.  He  may  truly  be  called  a  self- 
made  man,  for  the  success  of  his  life  is  due  en- 
tirely to  his  untiring  labors  and  perseverance. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  years,  he  began  learning  the 
blacksmith's  trade  in  a  shop  at  Good  Intent, 
N.  J.,  and  served  a  seven-year  apprenticeship. 
When  his  term  was  ended  he  was  nineteen  years 
of  age.  He  then  began  working  as  a  journey- 
man, and  after  a  time,  in  1839,  he  left  the  East 
with   the  determination  of  trying  his  fortune  on 


the  broad  prairies  of  Illinois.  He  emigrated  to 
Alton,  where  he  followed  blacksmithing  for  six 
months,  and  in  1840  he  removed  to  Kane, 
Greene  County,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for 
three  years. 

In  the  year  1843,  Mr.  Dorman  removed  to  a 
farm  in  Macoupin  County,  where  he  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  for  two  years,  in  connection 
with  the  blacksmith's  trade.  In  1845,  we  find 
him  in  Carlinville,  where  he  continued  his  labors 
at  the  anvil  for  eleven  years.  From  1856  until 
1S58,  he  was  again  engaged  in  farming  in  Macou- 
pin County.  His  next  place  of  residence  was  in 
Woodburn,  111.,  where  he  resided  until  1865, 
when  he  came  to  Hamilton,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  He  embarked  in  merchandising, 
and  for  main-  years  did  a  most  successful  busi- 
ness, thus  acquiring  a  competence  which  enabled 
him  to  lay  aside  business  cares  and  live  retired. 

An  incident  illustrating  his  courage  and  fear- 
lessness is  worthy  of  mention  here.  On  the  even- 
ing of  Jul}'  29,  1S89,  two  masked  men  entered  his 
store,  and  one  of  them  presented  a  revolver  and 
demanded  his  money,  threatening  to  shoot  if  he 
did  not  comply  with  his  request.  Mr.  Dorman 
stooped  down  to  get  a  pistol  from  under  the 
counter,  replying,  "Shoot,  and  I'll  shoot  too."  As 
he  raised  his  head  above  the  counter,  the  robber 
discharged  his  pistol,  the  ball  taking  effect  in  Mr. 
Dorman 's  mouth,  striking  the  artificial  teeth  in 
his  upper  jaw,  and  lodging  in  his  neck  on  the 
right  side,  near  his  ear,  being  taken  out  some 
days  later  by  a  surgeon.  The  day  after  the 
shooting  the  robbers  were  arrested,  and  Mr.  Dor- 
man being  able  to  identify  them,  they  were  con- 
victed and  sent  to  the  State  penitentiary.  By 
this  daring  act  the  old  gentleman  was  enabled  to 
retain  his  money,  and  at  the  same  time  rendered  a 
valuable  service  to  the  public,  by  ridding  the  city 
of  two  worthless  characters. 

Mr.  Dorman  has  been  twice  married.  On  at- 
taining his  majority  he  was  married,  in  April. 
1838,  to  Anna  M.  Northrop,  a  native  of  Phila- 
delphia. Seven  children  were  born  to  them,,  as 
follows:  Albert  J.,  deceased;  James  P.,  a  black- 
smith and  farmer  now  living  in  Centralia,  Kan.; 
Harriet  \V.,  wife  of  E.  M.  Grubb,  a  merchant  of 


234 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Hamilton;  Amy  and  Charles,  who  are  both  de- 
ceased; Anna,  wife  of  Jesse  Middleton,  of  Cam- 
den, N.  J.;  and  Emily,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Dorman  was  again  married,  on  the  28th  of  June, 
1SS2,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Rebecca 
C.  Hoopes.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  in 
Hamilton,  supplied  with  the  comforts  and  con- 
veniences of  life,  and  are  surrounded  by  many 
friends. 

During  the  late  war,  Mr.  Dorman  enlisted  in 
his  country's  service,  in  May,  1864,  becoming  a 
member  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty  - 
third  Illinois  Infantry.  He  did  guard  duty,  and 
in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  received  his  dis- 
charge. He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
William  Henry  Harrison,  and  was  a  supporter  of 
the  Whig  part}-  and  its  principles  until  the  Re- 
publican party  was  formed,  when  he  joined  its 
ranks.  He  has  since  been  one  of  its  advocates, 
and  has  a  firm  belief  in  its  measures.  He  served 
as  Tustice  of  the  Peace  at  Woodburu  for  four 
years,  and  has  also  filled  the  office  of  School  Di- 
rector. He  holds  membership  with  Russell  Post 
No.  86,  G.  A.  R.,  and  for  some  years  was  an  El- 
der in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  with  which  he 
held  membership  while  a  resident  of  Carlinville. 
He  is  true  to  every  public  and  private  trust,  and 
is  a  man  whose  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond,  for 
by  an  honorable,  upright  life,  he  has  gained  the 
confidence  of  all,  as  well  as  their  high  regard. 

g         ^-B^^^-g-^ 3 

EHARLES  P.  CRUM,  deceased,  was  born  in 
Cass  County,  111.,  on  the  nth  of  April,  1S53. 
His  father,  James  Crum,  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  followed  agricultural  pursuits  as  a 
means  of  livelihood.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Christina  Ream.  James  Crum's  father  was 
Matthias  Crum,  a  Virginian,  and  his  father  in  turn 
bore  the  same  name  and  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
whence  he  came  to  America  before  the  Revolu- 
tion. Their  son  Charles  acquired  the  rudiments 
of  his  education  in  the  district  schools  of  his  na- 
tive county,  and  when  he  had  thoroughly  mas- 
tered the  branches  of  learning  there   taught,   he 


entered  the  State  Normal  University,  of  Bloom- 
ington,  111.,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for 
three  years.  He  next  entered  Adrian  College,  of 
Adrian,  Mich.,  and  after  two  years  was  gradu- 
ated from  that  institution,  on  the  24th  of  June, 
1875,  with  the  degree  of  B.  S. 

When  his  life  as  a  pupil  was  ended,  Mr.  Crum 
removed  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm,  at  once  turning  his  attention 
to  the  further  development  and  cultivation  of  his 
land.  He  there  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
for  two  years,  when,  in  1877,  he  came  to  Han- 
cock County,  and  purchased  an  interest  in  a  gen- 
eral store  in  Disco.  His  connection  therewith, 
however,  was  continued  only  until  the  following 
year.  In  1878,  he  purchased  a  farm  on  section 
6,  La  Harpe  Township,  comprising  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres,  and  again  took  up  agricultural 
pursuits,  which  he  successfully  carried  forward 
until  1883. 

Mr.  Crum  w^as  married  on  the  14th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1875,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Liua 
James,  daughter  of  Andrew  J.  and  Sidney  (Pig- 
man)  James,  of  La  Harpe.  Five  children  came 
to  bless  their  union,  four  sons  and  a  daughter, 
Ray,  Charles,  James,  Mabel  and  Virgil,  all  of 
whom  are  still  with  their  mother.  Mrs.  Crum  is 
a  most  estimable  lad}-  and  one  who  has  many 
friends  thoroughout  the  community. 

In  1883,  Mr.  Crum  left  the  farm  and,  removing 
to  La  Harpe,  accepted  a  professorship  in  Gittings 
Seminary.  His  school  work  was  earnest  and  ef- 
ficient, and  he  took  great  interest  in  educational 
matters,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  advance  the 
cause.  He  was  recognized  as  a  most  able  instruc- 
tor, and  his  place  will  be  hard  to  fill.  He  was  a 
teacher  of  mathematics  and  science,  and  his  con- 
nection with  the  seminary  at  La  Harpe  continued 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
March  25,  1S85,  the  result  of  a  wreck  on  the 
Toledo,  Peoria  &  Warsaw  Railroad. 

In  his  social  relations,  Mr.  Crum  was  a  Royal 
Arch  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow.  He  held  mem- 
bership with  La  Harpe  Lodge  No.  195,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.;  La  Harpe  Chapter  No.  134,  R.  A.  M.; 
and  Bristol  Lodge  No.  653,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which 
he  was  Noble  Grand  at  the  time  of  his  death.    He 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


235 


was  also  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Protestant 
Church,  and  his  honorable,  upright  life  made  him 
a  valued  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  the  com- 
munity. He  was  a  patron  of  all  those  interests 
which  tend  to  elevate  humanity,  and  his  loss  was 
deeply  mourned  in  this  community. 


IILLIAM  PIERCE  BARRETT,  deceased, 
was  born  in  the  shadow  of  Westminster 
Abbey,  in  England,  on  the  iSth  of  March, 
1820,  and  was  a  son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Ray- 
ner)  Barrett,  who  were  also  natives  of  England. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Barrett,  was 
born  in  the  same  country,  and  throughout  his 
business  career  was  a  dealer  in  dry  goods.  He 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-.  The  maternal  grand- 
father, Isaac  Rayuer,  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion. His  entire  life  was  spent  in  England,  where 
he  died  at  an  advanced  age.  The  father  of  our 
subject  became  a  dry-goods  merchant,  and  carried 
on  business  until  his  death,  in  1819.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  his  wife 
held  membership  with  the  Congregational  Church. 
She  survived  him  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  This 
worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  five  children, 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  but  none  are  now 
living. 

Mr.  Barrett  whose  name  heads  this  record 
grew  to  manhood  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  and 
when  twenty-three  years  of  age  sailed  for  America. 
With  the  hope  of  bettering  his  financial  condition 
in  the  Xew  World,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
1843,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  McDonough 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  Later  he 
bought  a  tract  of  land  in  Macomb,  and  was  em- 
ployed in  various  ways  for  a  time.  In  1857  ne 
was  elected  Constable,  which  position  he  filled  for 
eight  years.  During  that  time  he  also  served  as 
Deputy  Sheriff.  When  his  term  of  office  had  ex- 
pired,he  purchased  a  forty-acre  tract  of  laud  south- 
west of  Macomb,  and  to  its  cultivation  and  im- 
provement devoted  his  energies  for  eighteen  years. 
This  ended  his  career  as  a  farmer.  He  came  to 
Macomb,  and  was  again  officially  connected  with 


its  interests.  For  about  eight  years  he  served  as 
Deputy  County  Clerk,  and  was  then  appointed 
Deputy  County  Treasurer,  which  position  he  was 
filling  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

On  June  6,  1846,  Mr.  Barrett  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Roberts,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Ann  (Roberts)  Roberts,  and  to 
them  were  born  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  only 
four  of  whom  are  now  living:  Sarah  E.,  wife  of 
Charles  Combs,  of  Chariton,  Iowa:  William  T., 
of  Chalmers,  McDonough  County:  Maggie;  and 
Edward,  of  Grafton,  Cal.  Mrs.  Barrett's  parents 
were  natives  of  Denbigh,  Wales,  and  during  her 
infancy  she  was  brought  by  them  to  America. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Barrett  was  always 
a  stalwart  Democrat,  and  took  a  warm  interest  in 
the  growth  and  success  of  his  party.  As  an  offi- 
cer, he  was  always  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him, 
and  discharged  his  duties  with  a  promptness  and 
fidelity  that  won  him  the  confidence  of  all  con- 
cerned. His  life  was  well  and  worthily  spent,  and 
tin  ugh  he  lived  quietly,  he  had  the  high  respect 
of  all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations 
brought  him  in  contact.  He  held  membership 
with  the  Church  of  England,  and  Mrs.  Barrett 
belongs  to  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church. 
During  the  last  years  of  his  life  he  served  as  No- 
tary Public,  and  was  engaged  in  the  insurance, 
real-estate  and  loan  business.  He  passed  away 
February  14,  1893,  and  his  death  was  deeply 
mourned  by  many  friends. 


^"HOMAS  McCLURE,  an  attorney-at-law of 
/  C  Macomb,  who  is  successfully  engaged  in 
\J2/  practice  at  the  Bar  of  McDonough  County, 
claims  Illinois  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He 
was  born  in  Augusta  Township,  Hancock  County, 
July  5,  184S,  and  comes  of  an  old  Virginia  family. 
His  grandfather,  John  McClure.  was  a  native  of 
Virginia  and  a  saddler  by  trade.  Soon  after  mar- 
rying he  moved  to  Kentucky,  and  spent  his  re- 
maining days  in  Adair  County,  that  State.  In 
his  family  were  four  sons  and  three  daughters. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our    subject,  John  Mc- 


236 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL.  RECORD. 


Clure,  was  a  native  of  Scotland.  He  married  an 
Irish  lady,  and  crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America, 
located. in  Albemarle  County,  Va.j  but  soon  after 
located  in  Beaver  County,  Pa.,  where  he  spent 
his  remaining  days. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Thomas  McClure, 
Sr.,  was  born  in  Adair  County,  Ky.,  and  through- 
out the  greater  part  of  his  life  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  farming.  With  the  hope  of  bettering 
his  financial  condition,  he  removed  to  Illinois  prior 
to  1839,  and  after  a  few  years'  residence  in  St.  Ma- 
ry's Township,  Hancock  County,  111.,  located 
three  and  a-half  miles  northwest  of  Augusta,  at 
Mechanicsville,  where  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land.  This  he  at  once  began 
to  cultivate  and  improve.  Subsequently  he  added 
to  it  a  tract  of  eighty  acres,  and  his  energies  were 
devoted  untiringly  to  its  development.  Thus  he 
accumulated  a  competency,  and  left  his  family  in 
comfortable  circumstances.  He  married  Mary 
Ellen  Samuels,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  emigra- 
ted prior  to  1840,  with  her  father,  Moses  Samuels, 
to  Illinois.  Her  grandfather,  a  Polish  Hebrew, 
spent  his  last  days  in  Richmond,  Va.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  McClure  were  born  eleven  children,  of 
whom  seven  are  living,  four  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, namely:  John  W.,  who  served  in  the  late 
war  as  a  member  of  the  Thirty-sixth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and  is  now  a  Christian  preacher  of  Iowa; 
Elzy,  who  was  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  and  is  a  merchant 
now  living  in  Carthage,  111.;  Thomas,  of  this 
sketch;  Mary  F.,  wife  of  James  Garwood,  of  Au- 
gusta Township,  Hancock  County,  111. ;  Ulysses 
G.,  baggage-master  on  the  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.:  Eliza 
Ellen,  wife  of  A.  W.  Byers,  of  Carthage,  111. ;  and 
Ida  Helen,  wife  of  Leslie  C.  Richards,  a  druggist, 
now  postal  clerk  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railway, 
residing  in  Centralia,  111.  The  father  of  this 
family,  by  exposure  contracting  typhoid  fever, 
passed  away  May  4,  1863,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
six  years,  two  months  and  one  day.  His  wife 
died  April  21,  1874,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  six 
months  and  seven  days.  In  early  life  they  united 
with  the  Christian  Church,  and  were  ever  faithful 
and  devoted  members.      Mr.  McClure  was  a  man 


of  integrity  and  strong  convictions,  being  well 
liked  and  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him. 
Politically,  he  was  a  Whig,  and  prior  to  the  Civil 
War  becoming  a  Republican,  cast  his  last  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln.  Loyal  to  the  Union,  he  was 
deeply  interested  in  its  successes  up  to  the  day  of 
his  death. 

Thomas  McClure  of  this  sketch  early  became  • 
familiar  with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life,  and  re- 
mained upon  the  old  homestead  with  his  mother 
until  her  death.  His  early  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  district  schools,  and  supplemented 
by  study  in  the  public  schools  of  Augusta,  and  in 
Abingdon  College.  He  then  embarked  in  teach- 
ing, and  followed  that  profession  for  fourteen  years 
in  Adams,  Hancock,  McDonough  and  Fulton 
Counties.  Later  he  began  reading  law  in  the  of- 
fice of  Judge  L.  Y.  Sherman,  of  Macomb,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  August,  1890,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  practicing  on  his  own  account. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  1893,  Mr.  McClure 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Myra  E.  Cris- 
sey,  daughter  of  Charles  D.  and  Samira  C.  Cris- 
sey,  of  Macomb,  111.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClure  are 
members  of  the  Christian  Church.  Socially,  Mr. 
McClure  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
and  also  a  Knight  of  Pythias.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and  its  princi- 
ples, and  is  now  serving  as  City  Attorney  of  Ma- 
comb, 111.,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 
Although  he  has  been  in  practice  for  little  more 
than  three  years,  he  has  already'  won  a  place  at 
the  Bar  and  acquired  a  good  patronage,  and  his 
future  labors  in  the  line  of  his  profession  will  un- 
doubtedly be  successful. 

S *=3^   ?    ->fa   *  « 

[""\ORTER  K.  SUTTLE,  senior  member  of  the 
Yf  firm  of  Suttle  &  Williams,  proprietors  of 
[2  the  Macomb  Steam  Laundry,  is  a  native  of 
the  Buckeye  State.  He  was  born  in  Knox  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  on  the  23d  of  January,  1846,  and  is  a 
son  of  Wilford  and  Ann  Eliza  (Milhorn)  Suttle, 
who  were  also  natives  of  Ohio.  Their  family 
numbered  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


237 


ters,  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Alberson 
Moore,  a  resident  of  Bushnell;  Rosa,  wife  of  L. 
Anghinbaugh,  of  Bushnell;  Porter  K.,  of  this 
sketch;  and  Shannon,  who  is  now  deceased.  In 
early  days  the  father  was  a  stage-driver  for  many 
years  in  Ohio.  His  death  occurred  about  1848. 
His  wife,  who  still  survives  him,  is  yet  living  in 
Bushnell,  111.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  that  place. 

Porter  K.  Suttle  spent  the  first  fourteen  years 
of  his  life  in  his  native  State,  the  year  1859  wit- 
nessing his  arrival  in  Illinois.  He  has  since  that 
time  made  his  home  in  McDonough  County,  for 
a  short  time  he  was  a  resident  of  Bushnell,  but 
later  he  learned  the  marble-cutter's  trade  in 
Prairie  City,  following  that  business  for  three 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went 
South  and  engaged  in  clerking  in  a  clothing 
store  for  two  years.  Subsequently  he  followed 
railroading  for  a  similar  length  of  time,  and  then 
opened  a  grocery,  boot  and  shoe  store  in  Good 
Hope,  which  he  carried  on  for  nine  years.  Com- 
ing to  Macomb,  he  then  conducted  a  billiard  hall 
in  this  city  until  May,  1893,  when  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  L.  M.  Williams,  and  established 
the  Macomb  Steam  Laundry,  which  is  conducted 
under  the  firm  style  of  Suttle  &  Williams.  They 
furnish  employment  to  nine  hands,  and  are  doing 
a  good  business,  which  is  constantly  increasing, 
owing  to  the  excellent  quality  of  work  which  they 
turn  out. 

In  September,  1874,  was  celebrated  a  marriage 
which  united  the  destinies  of  Mr.  Suttle  and  Miss 
Luella  Monger,  daughter  of  Alexander  Monger. 
One  child  was  born  unto  them,  Wilford  Alexan- 
der. The  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  died  in  1877.  F°r 
his  second  wife  Mr.  Suttle  chose  Miss  Ella  Ans- 
line.  Four  children  grace  this  union,  a  son  and 
three  daughters,  namely:  Claudia,  Ray,  Ethel 
and  Lila. 

Mr.  Suttle,  socially,  is  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows'  Society  and  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  His  wife  holds  membership  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  In  politics,  he  is  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party  and  its  principles, 
and  while  residing  in  Good  Hope  he  served  as  a 


member  of  the  Village  Board  of  Trustees.  His 
time  and  attention,  however,  have  been  devoted 
largely  to  business  interests.  He  is  meeting  with 
good  success  in  his  undertakings,  and  the  liberal 
patronage  which  he  receives  is  well  deserved. 

»a  ~a  1—  i<a"~T'$T^r~3'  Z 

(JOHN  SMITH  BARKER,  the  efficient  Sheriff 
I  of  McDonough  County,  now  living  in  Ma- 
Q)  comb,  is  a  native  of  this  State.  He  was  born 
in  Fulton  County  on  the  1 6th  of  November,  1852, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Eliza  S.  (Brand) 
Barker,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Virginia.  The  father  was  thrice  married, 
there  being  no  issue  of  the  third  marriage.  By 
the  first  union  he  had  two  children:  Harriet, 
wife  of  Alexander  Barnes,  of  Sumner  County, 
Kan.;  and  Warren,  who  resides  in  the  same 
county.  By  the  second  marriage  were  born 
eight  children,  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  of 
whom  six  are  yet  living,  as  follows:  Lafayette, 
who  is  located  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  Mary  J., 
wife  of  R.  A.  Miner,  of  McDonough  County; 
John  S.;  George  M.  and  Franklin,  who  reside  in 
Fulton  County;  and  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  George 
Hefner,  of  this  county.  The  father  of  this  family 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  followed  that 
business  throughout  his  entire  life.  The  year 
1832  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Illinois.  He  lo- 
cated in  Fulton  County,  near  the  present  site  of 
Table  Grove,  and  there  made  his  home  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty years.  His  wife  passed  away  in  1883.  They 
were  both  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
were  highly-respected  people. 

Little  is  known  concerning  the  origin  of  the 
family.  The  paternal  grandfather,  John  Barker, 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  served  in  the  Mexican 
War.  As  a  means  of  livelihood  he  followed  both 
farming  and  blacksmithing.  His  death  occurred 
at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  in  Fulton  County, 
where  he  had  located  at  a  very  early  day.  His 
family  numbered  four  sons  and  two  daughters. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  claimed 
Virginia  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  and  he  too 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Fulton  Coun- 
ty. For  many  long  years  he  there  carried  on 
fanning,  and  at  an  advanced  age  departed  this 
life. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  our  subject  was 
reared  to  manhood,  and  the  common  schools  of 
the  community  afforded  his  educational  privi- 
leges. Under  the  parental  roof  he  remained  until 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he  left  home,  and 
on  the  ist  of  January,  1878,  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  G.  Miner,  daughter  of 
John  F.  and  Susanna  (Ward)  Miner,  who  reside 
near  Adair.  Three  children  blessed  their  union, 
but  a  son  died  in  infancy.  Their  daughters  are 
Mary  E.  and  Susanna  S. 

In  the  spring  of  1879,  Mr.  Barker  came  to  Mc- 
Donough  County  and  located  in  Bethel  Town- 
ship, where  for  three  years  he  engaged  in  farming. 
During  the  succeeding  year  he  carried  on  agri- 
culture in  Lamoine  Township,  and  then  removed 
to  Colchester  Township,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  1886,  when  he  came  to  Macomb.  For  four 
years  he  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  under  Theodore 
Huston,  and  was  then  elected  to  his  present  of- 
fice, which  he  is  now  filling  in  a  creditable  and 
acceptable  manner.  He  served  as  Town  Clerk  of 
Bethel  Township  for  one  term,  and  in  that  posi- 
tion discharged  his  duties  with  the  same  prompt- 
ness and  fidelity  that  now  characterize  his  ad- 
ministration. In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Democracy,  and,  socially,  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Pvthias  fraternity. 


I^RM 


*VSAI  AH  ODENWELLER  is  now  doing  a  good 
I  liven-  business  in  Macomb.  He  has  an  ex- 
X  tensive  stable,  of  which  he  has  been  proprietor 
since  1888,  and  keeps  on  hand  a  number  of  good 
horses  and  carriages;  in  fact,  he  has  one  of  the  best 
appointed  establishments  in  his  line  in  Mc- 
Donough  County.  He  was  born  near  Industry, 
in  this  county,  November  29,  1856,  and  is  a  son 
of  Leonard  and  Elizabeth  (Danley)  Odenweller, 
the  former  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  the 
latter  of  Ohio.     His  paternal  grandparents  lived 


and  died  in  Germany.  The  maternal  grandfather, 
Thomas  Danley,  was  for  many  years  a  resident 
of  Ohio,  and  followed  farming  in  the  Buckeye 
State.  In  1850  he  removed  to  Illinois,  locating 
in  McDonough  County,  and  improved  a  good  farm 
south  of  Macomb.  There  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  passing  away  in  1S70,  at  an  advanced  age. 

The  father  of  our  subject  also  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  began  earning  his  liveli- 
hood in  that  way,  but  in  1843  came  to  Illinois, 
and  spent  two  years  in  Macomb.  He  then  re- 
moved to  a  farm  two  miles  southeast  of  the  city, 
but  in  1847  again  came  to  Macomb.  Two  years 
subsequently,  he  once  more  took  up  agriculture, 
and  continued  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
his  land  until  1878,  when  he  came  to  the  city,  and 
here  spent  his  remaining  days,  being  called  to  the 
home  beyond  in  February,  1887,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two  years.  His  wife  survived  him  until 
1889,  and  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-four. 
They  were  both  members  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  were  prominent  workers  in  its  interest.  Of 
their  family  often  children,  seven  are  yet  living, 
namely:  Thomas  F.,  a  Christian  preacher  of  Des 
Moines,  Iowa;  John  L-,  who  resides  in  Schuyler 
County;  Simon  P.,  of  Macomb;  Richard  A.,  of 
Pleasanton,  Kan.;  Isaiah;  Mary  M.,  wife  of  James 
Miller,  of  Graham,  Mo.;  and  Lucy  H.,  widow  of 
H.  D.  Grider,  a  resident  of  Windsor,  111. 

As  a  typical  farmer's  son,  Isaiah  Odenweller 
was  reared  to  manhood  upon  the  old  homestead 
in  Scotland  Township,  and  in  the  district  schools 
his  education  was  acquired.  He  remained  at 
home  until  1879.  When  he  was  married  he  con- 
tinued farming  until  1887,  when  he  came  to 
Macomb,  and  embarked  in  the  butcher's  business. 
A  year  later  he  purchased  the  liven'  stable  of  R. 
D.  Merchon,  and  has  since  conducted  the  business. 
He  also  owns  a  good  home  property. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1879,  Mr.  Odenweller  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Lizzie  M.  Ellis,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  .Susan  M.  (Breckenridge)  Ellis, 
who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Two  children 
were  the  fruit  of  their  union,  a  daughter  and  son, 
M.  Bertha  and  Walter  Leonard,  the  former  now 
deceased.  The  parents  hold  membership  with 
the  Christian  Church,   and  Mr.  Odenweller  is  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


239 


member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Odd  Fel- 
low-' Societies  and  the  Patriotic  Order  of  Sons  of 
America.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing his  second  term  as  Alderman  of  the  Third 
Ward.  He  has  also  served  for  several  years  as 
School  Director,  while  residing  in  the  country. 

fa  '    d^ySls  S1 

|~RANCIS  M.  JACKSON.  M.  I).,  who  is  suc- 
r^  cessfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
I  in  Hamilton,  is  one  of  the  honored  veterans 
of  the  late  war,  who  risked  his  life  in  defense  of 
the  Union,  and  valiantly  aided  in  its  preservation. 
The  record  of  his  career  will  prove  an  interesting 
one  to  many  of  our  readers,  for  he  is  widely 
known  in  this  locality.  A  native  of  Knox  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  he  was  born  July  31,  1841,  and  is  of 
Scotch-Irish  extraction.  His  father,  Obediah 
Jackson,  was  a  native  of  Otsego  County,  X.  V., 
but  when  about  ten  years  of  age  went  with  his 
father's  family  to  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1839  kit 
tlie  Keystone  State  for  Illinois,  locating  in  Knox 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  Before 
leaving  Pennsylvania  he  wedded  Mary  Kings- 
bury, a  native  of  that  State,  and  unto  them  were 
born  nine  children,  as  follows:  Cassandra  D.,  wife 
of  E.  M-  Wright,  who  is  engaged  in  the  jewelry 
business  in  Marysville,  Cal.;  Lyman  A.,  a  fruit- 
grower of  Knoxville,  111.;  Nancy  J.,  Ruth  A. 
and  Ebenezer,  deceased;  Francis  M.,  of  this 
sketch;  Julius,  of  Hamilton;  Man-  A.,  now  the 
wife  of  George  Wilson,  a  resident  of  California; 
and  Lucy  D.,  who  is  deceased. 

As  l>r.  Jackson  emerged  from  early  boyhood, 
he  was  put  to  work  upon  the  farm,  and  be- 
came familiar  with  all  the  duties  of  that  life.  He 
early  began  to  follow  the  plow,  and  by  his  serv- 
ices aided  greatly  in  the  development  of  the  old 
home  farm.  When  harvests  were  over  and  the 
winter  had  come  on,  he  would  enter  the  public 
schools  of  Knoxville,  and  there  pursue  his  studies 
until  spring  again  called  him  to  the  fields. 

Dr.  Jackson  remained  at  home  until  1861, 
when,  on  the  14th  of  December,  he   responded  to 


the  country's  call  for  troops  and  was  assigned 
to  Company  C,  Fifty-first  Illinois  Infantry.  He 
saw  much  hard  service,  participated  in  the  bat- 
tle of  New  Madrid  and  the  siege  and  capture  of 
Island  No.  10,  went  with  the  fleet  to  Ft.  Pillow, 
and  participated  in  the  siege  of  Corinth.  On  the 
2 2d  of  August,  1862,  at  Decatur,  Ala.,  he  was 
captured  and  sent  to  Libby  Prison,  where  he  re- 
mained for  three  months.  He  was  then  ex- 
changed and  taken  to  Camp  Carroll,  at  Annapo- 
lis, Md.,  where  he  remained  for  one  month, when 
he  was  ordered  to  Camp  Butler,  111.  When  he 
reached  Chicago,  he  was  taken  quite  sick  and 
was  forced  to  remain  there  for  a  time.  He  then 
obtained  a  furlough  and  returned  home.  Later 
he  was  ordered  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  on  account 
of  physical  disability  was  discharged  from  the 
service  on  the  24th  of  March,  1863.  He  was  a 
loyal  defender  of  the  Old  Flag  and  the  cause  it 
represented,  and  well  deserves  mention  among  his 
country's  patriots. 

On  the  26th  of  March,  1863,  Dr.  Jackson  mar- 
ried Catherine  Yarvan,  daughter  of  William  Yar- 
yan.  Unto  them  was  born  a  son,  William  B.,  a 
fanner  of  Hamilton.  The  mother  died  July  29, 
1873,  and  our  subject  was  again  married.  Novem- 
ber 26,  1877,  his  second  union  being  with  Kate 
G.  Davis,  by  whom  he  has  two  children,  Frank 
D.  and  Sallie. 

During  the  first  year  after  his  return  from  the 
army,  the  Doctor  engaged  in  farming  in  the  coun- 
ty of  his  nativity,  but  in  1864  he  embarked  in 
business  in  Colchester,  McDonough  County,  111., 
as  a  dealer  in  drugs  and  groceries.  There  he  re- 
mained until  1866,  and  the  last  year  was  spent 
largely  in  the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Yar- 
yan. When  he  had  become  thoroughly  proficient 
in  the  science,  he  began  practice  in  Colchester, 
hut  in  1S67  he  went  West,  spending  about  three 
years  in  Missouri  and  Iowa.  In  the  year  1870, 
he  returned  to  Knoxville,  Knox  County,  and 
took  charge  of  his  father's  farm,  which  he  contin- 
ued to  operate  for  a  year.  In  1871,  he  went  to 
Gladstone,  where  he  was  successfully  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  until  1872,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Colchester.  We  afterwards  find  him  in 
Hopper's    Mills,    Henderson   County,    where    he 


240 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


continued  to  make  his  home  until  1881,  during 
which  time  he  was  elected  to  serve  as  Coroner  of 
the  county. 

Thirteen  years  have  now  passed  since  Dr.  Jack- 
son came  to  Hamilton,  and  during  this  time  he 
has  been  continuously  engaged  in  general  prac- 
tice. He  does  a  good  business  in  the  line  of  his 
profession,  and  the  liberal  patronage  he  receives  is 
well  merited.  In  politics,  he  has  been  a  Repub- 
lican since  the  time  when  he  cast  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  in  1864.  He  is 
now  serving  as  Mayor  of  Hamilton,  and  is  a  ca- 
pable and  efficient  officer,  faithful  in  the  dis- 
charge of  all  public  duties.  He  has  also  served 
one  term  as  Supervisor  of  Montebello  Township, 
and  as  School  Director.  Socially,  he  is  a  member 
of  Russell  Post  No.  86,  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  Montebello  Lodge  No.  697,  I.  O. 
O.  F.  The  Doctor  is  a  public- spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen,  who  gives  his  hearty  support  to 
all  worthy  public  interests  that  are  calculated  to 
upbuild  and  benefit  the  community.  He  pos- 
sesses many  excellencies  of  character,  is  a  faith- 
ful officer,  a  skilled  physician,  and  is  highly  re- 
spected by  all. 


S^H^l 


pQlLLIAMT.  McLELLAN,  of  Hamilton,  a 
\  k  I  conductor  on  the  Wabash  Railroad,  is  one 
Y  Y  °f  tne  honored  veterans  of  the  late  war,  who 
in  the  days  when  the  dissolution  of  the  Union  was 
threatened  responded  to  the  call  for  troops,  and 
valiantly  aided  in  its  defense.  He  was  born  on 
the  16th  of  April,  1835,  in  Thomaston,  Me.,  and 
is  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  His  father,  Capt. 
Thomas  McLellan,  was  a  native  of  the  same  place, 
and  was  one  of  a  family  which  numbered  three 
sons  and  a  daughter.  His  educational  privileges 
were  very  meagre,  being  such  as  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  afforded.  At  the 
age  of  twelve  years,  he  made  his  first  sea  voyage, 
going  on  a  whaler.  He  was  thus  employed  for 
two  years,  receiving  $12  per  month.  When  a 
youth  of  fifteen,  he  shipped  on  a  sailing-vessel  be- 
fore  the   mast,  and  won  promotion  from  time  to 


time,  until,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he  was 
Captain  and  owned  a  third-interest  in  the  sailing- 
vessel  ' '  The  Four  Brothers, ' '  plying  as  a  freight- 
er throughout  the  world,  with  New  York  as  its 
main  port.  He  was  afterwards  Captain  of  the 
sailing-vessels  "  William  Henry,"  "  Brigg  Lud- 
wig, ' '  and  several  others.  The  last  ship  he  com- 
manded was  the  "  European,"  of  which  he  had 
charge  many  years. 

In  1848  Capt.  McLellan  removed  with  his 
family  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained  for  one 
year,  having  abandoned  the  sea;  but  the  cholera 
drove  them  from  the  Crescent  City  northward. 
After  a  short  time  spent  in  St.  Louis,  they  re- 
moved to  Alton,  111.,  where  they  continued  to  re- 
side until  their  removal  to  Hancock  County  in 
1849.  Carthage  was  chosen  as  their  place  of 
abode.  Capt.  McLellan  had  married  Nancy  Ful- 
ler, a  native  of  Bangor,  Me.,  and  to  them  were  ' 
born  five  children:  Adeline,  now  the  wife  of  H. 
F.  Emery,  a  farmer  of  Hoxie,  Kan.;  William  T., 
whose  name  heads  this  record;  Henry  K.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Hamilton;  Adelia,  deceased,  wife  of  Frank 
Bell;  and  Joseph,  who  is  also  deceased.  The  father 
of  this  family  was  an  old  line  Whig  in  early  life,  but 
afterwards  became  a  Republican. 

William  T.  McLellan  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools,  and  afterwards  attended 
Jubilee  College,  of  Peoria  County,  111.,  where  he 
pursued  his  studies  for  a  year.  He  began  busi- 
ness for  himself  as  a  teamster  in  Hamilton,  but 
afterwards  went  on  a  farm,  where  he  was  employed 
for  three  years.  In  this  way  he  got  a  start  in  life. 
He  also  worked  in  a  planing-mill  in  Keokuk  for 
a  short  time. 

After  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr. 
McLellan,  prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  re- 
sponded to  the  call  for  troops  in  February,  1862, 
enlisting  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  Sixteenth 
Illinois  Infantry.  He  served  for  more  than  three 
years,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Louisville,  Ky., 
on  the  8th  of  July,  1865.  He  participated  in  all 
the  battles  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta,  and  was 
with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea. 
He  was  also  in  the  campaign  from  Savannah  to 
Washington,  and  participated  in  the  Grand  Re- 
view in  the  Capitol  City,    the  most  brilliant  mili- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


241 


tary  pageant  ever  seen  on  the  western  hemisphere. 
He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Kennesaw  Mountain, 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  Big  Shanty,  Buzzards'  Gap, 
Jonesboro,  and  numerous  other  skirmishes.  He 
was  always  found  at  his  post,  and  his  army  rec- 
ord is  one  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud. 

Shortly  after  his  return  from  the  service  in  1865, 
he  began  railroading  for  the  Wabash  line.  He 
was  first  employed  in  the  freight  house,  later  was 
made  baggageman ,  then  served  as  fireman  on  an 
engine  for  a  time,  afterwards  became  brakeman 
on  a  freight  train,  and  was  then  made  conductor 
on  a  freight  train.  In  this  capacity  he  has  served 
for  twenty-five  years,  a  trusted  and  faithful  em- 
ploye of  the  road. 

On  the  15th  of  October,  1858,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  McLellan  and  Miss  Mary  R. 
Debitt,  daughter  of  William  and  Rosetta  (Si- 
mons) Debitt.  To  them  have  been  born  four 
children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  but  the  latter, 
Bertha,  is  now  deceased.  The  three  sons,  Arthur, 
Edward  and  William,  all  reside  in  Hamilton. 
Mrs.  McLellan  is  a  member  .  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  a  most  estimable  lady.  In  politics, 
Mr.  McLellan  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of 
public  office.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Black 
Hawk  Lodge  No.  238,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Rapid 
City  Lodge  No.  286,  K.  P. ;  and  Russell  Post 
No.  86,  G.  A.  R.  His  long  continuance  with  the 
railroad  service  indicates  his  faithfulness  to  duty, 
and  the  trust  reposed  in  him  by  the  company. 
He  has  for  many  years  made  his  home  in  Hamil- 
ton, and  is  well  liked,  having  many  warm  friends 
throughout  the  community. 


r~REDERICK  WILLIAM  HASELWOOD, 
Yri  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Register,  of  Ham- 
|  ilton,  and  one  of  the  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive citizens  of  Hancock  County,  has  the  hon- 
or of  being  a  native  of  Illinois,  for  his  birth  oc- 
curred on  his  father's  farm  in  Henderson  County, 
on  the  25th  of  June,  1867.  He  is  of  German  and 
Scotch  descent.     His  father,  J.   R.    Haselwood, 


was  born  near  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  came  of  a  fam- 
ily of  German  origin.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Jane  Duncan,  was  born  in 
Tennessee,  and  was  of  Scotch  lineage.  With  the 
Huston  family  she  removed  to  McDonough  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  during  the  early  settlement  of  that  lo- 
cality. On  leaving  his  native  State,  Mr.  Hasel- 
wood went  first  to  Indiana,  and  thence  removed  to 
Adams  County,  111.  At  length  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Henderson  County,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  He  is  an  enterprising  and 
progressive  man,  and  as  the  result  of  his  untir- 
ing industry,  his  career  has  been  a  prosperous 
one.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  of  the  community. 

F.  W.  Haselwood  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 
the  usual  manner  of  fanner  lads,  and  acquired  his 
early  education  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  Later  he  attended  the  graded 
schools  in  Blandinsville,  111.,  and  subsequently 
completed  his  education  in  Eureka  College,  a 
school  of  the  Christian  Church  in  Eureka,  111., 
his  parents  both  being  members  of  that  denomina- 
tion. During  the  summer  months,  he  aided  in 
the  labors  of  the  farm,  but  his  taste  lay  in  another 
direction  than  that  of  agricultural  pursuits.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  began  school 
teaching.  He  then  took  up  the  business  to  which 
he  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  energies.  He 
entered  the  Gazette  office  at  Blandinsville,  then 
conducted  by  Fred  Aldrich,  to  learn  the  "art 
preservative. ' '  He  there  worked  for  about  a  year, 
and  then  went  to  the  West,  spending  some  time 
in  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  where  he  was  employed 
on  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  as  brakeman. 

It  was  in  1890  that  Mr.  Haselwood  returned 
to  his  native  State  and  took  charge  of  the  Hustler, 
owned  by  Paul  Hume,  and  published  at  Bland- 
insville, continuing  thereuntil  the  plant  was  sold, 
when,  in  March,  1891,  he  came  to  Hamilton. 
Here  he  secured  employment  in  the  Press  office. 
About  eight  months  later  he  left  that  position  and 
established  the  Register,  on  the  31st  of  December, 
1 89 1.  This  is  a  bright,  newsy  sheet,  all  home 
print,  and  in  size  is  a  seven-column  folio.  It  has 
a  liberal  patronage,  which  has  constantly  increased 


242 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


from  the  beginning.  A  large  business  is  well  de- 
served by  its  editor,  who  ever  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  the  best  welfare  of  the  community,  and 
does  all  in  his  power  to  aid  in  its  upbuilding. 

In  his  social  relations,  Mr.  Haselwood  is  a 
Knight  of  Pythias,  belonging  to  Rapid  City  Lodge 
No.  286,  K.  P.,  of  Hamilton.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
stalwart  Democrat,  who  warmly  advocates  the 
principles  of  his  party,  and  is  an  admirer  of  Gro- 
ver  Cleveland.  He  takes  great  interest  in  athle- 
tic sports,  is  fond  of  boxing,  and  delights  in  foot 
and  base  ball  and  bicycle-riding.  He  is  a  pleas- 
ant, genial  and  accommodating  gentleman,  and 
throughout  the  community  in  which  he  lives  is 
held  in  high  regard. 

(SOLOMON  TWIDWELL,  a  retired  farmer 
?\  now  residing  in  Macomb,  is  a  native  of  North 
Q)  Carolina,  born  January  20,  1818.  His  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  George  Twidwell,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  and  was  reared  in  that  State  by 
his  grandfather.  Both  reached  an  advanced  age. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  Thomas  Twidwell,  was 
born  in  the  Old  Dominion,  and  in  early  life  learned 
the  cooper's  trade,  but  afterward  became  a  farmer. 
Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he  married 
Miss  Polly  Way  man,  daughter  of  John  Wayman, 
and  a  native  of  Maryland .  Her  father  was  a  black- 
smith by  trade,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  in  North  Carolina. 

In  1834,  Thomas  Twidwell  brought  his  family 
to  Illinois,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Apple 
Creek,  in  Morgan  County,  where  he  made  his 
home  for  eighteen  months.  He  then  came  to  Mc- 
Donough  County,  and  moved  into  a  little  cabin 
built  of  hickory  logs  and  minus  a  roof.  It  was 
located  in  Lamoine  Township,  three  miles  east  of 
Plymouth.  There  Mr.  Twidwell  took  up  two 
eighty-acre  tracts  of  land  from  the  Government, 
and  afterward  added  to  this  from  time  to  time  by 
purchase,  but  ere  his  death  he  sold  all  of  his  land. 
He  passed  away  February  16,  1883,  at  the  very 
advanced  age  of  ninety-four  years.  His  wife  had 
long  since  departed  this  life,  having  died  of  small- 


pox in  1865.  In  early  life,  she  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  but  later  she 
and  her  husband  joined  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr. 
Twidwell  married  Mrs.  Sarah  (Sapp)  Smith. 
Nine  children  were  born  of  the  first  union,  five 
sons  and  four  daughters,  namely:  John,  a  resi- 
dent of  Plymouth  and  a  twin  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject; William,  who  is  living  at  Elma,  Wash.; 
Martha,  wife  of  Josiah  Morris,  a  resident  of  Nor- 
ton, Kan.;  Nancy,  who  makes  her  home  in  Iowa; 
and  Absalom,  who  is  living  in  Jewell  County, 
Kan.     The  other  children  are  now  deceased. 

In  the  State  of  his  nativity,  Solomon  Twidwell 
was  reared  to  manhood.  At  the  age  of  eighteen, 
he  left  North  Carolina  and  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  westward  emigration  to  Illinois. 
For  about  five  years  he  then  resided  in  McDon- 
ough  County,  and  in  1841  went  to  Schuyler 
County,  where,  in  connection  with  his  father,  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on 
Round  Prairie.  He  still  owns  his  share  of  that 
tract,  and  also  sixty-seven  acres  of  that  which 
formerly  belonged  to  his  father.  He  was  suc- 
cessful in  his  business  dealings,  and  from  time  to 
time  he  added  to  his  possessions,  until  he  had 
over  seven  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.  He 
still  retains  possession  of  two  hundred  and  seven 
acres,  and  derives  a  good  income  therefrom. 

On  the  1 9th  of  December,  1839,  Mr.  Twidwell 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rebecca  Mor- 
ris, daughter  of  Simeon  and  Hannah  Morris. 
Three  children  were  born  to  them,  two  sons  and 
a  daughter,  Thomas  B.,  George  W.  and  Eveline. 
The  first-named  wedded  Mary  House,  by  whom 
he  had  three  children,  Manlove,  Carolina  and 
Mary.  The  mother  died,  and  he  married  Leonora 
Smith.  With  their  two  children,  Solomon  W. 
and  Mattie  May,  they  reside  in  Lamoine  Town- 
ship. Eveline  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Curtis,  who 
resides  near  St.  John,  in  Stafford  County,  Kan. 
They  have  six  children:  Delia  May,  Charles  Solo- 
mon, Myrtle  Maud,  Jesse  F.  and  Inez  Pearl. 
Mrs.  Rebecca  Twidwell  died  in  February,  1873. 
On  the  8th  of  September,  following,  Mr.  Twid- 
well was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with   Mrs.    Lucinda   Graham,  widow  of  William 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


243 


A.    Graham,   and  a  daughter  of  John  and  Leah 
(Gordon)  Shuler,  natives  of  North  Carolina. 

Politically,  Mr.  Twidwell  has  always  been  a 
Democrat  of  the  Jacksonian  type,  but  has  had 
little  time  or  inclination  to  seek  public  office,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  entire  attention  to  his  busi- 
ness interests.  He  served  three  years  as  Super- 
visor, and  eight  years  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  in 
Birmingham  Township,  Schuyler  County,  probab- 
bly  the  strongest  Republican  township  in  that 
county.  His  life  has  been  a  busy  one,  and  his 
industry,  and  good  management  have  brought  to 
him  the  handsome  competence  which  now  en- 
ables him  to  live  retired.  He  owns  besides  his 
farm  a  residence  and  other  real-estate  in  Macomb. 
On  laying  aside  agricultural  pursuits,  he  came  to 
this  city,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  has 
made  his  home  in  Schuyler  and  McDonough  Coun- 
ties for  fifty-eight  years,  and  well  deserves  men- 
tion among  the  honored  pioneers  of  this  locality. 


b'<"  f">C 


DWTN  LEE  DALLAM,  the  senior  member 
r3  1  if  the  well-known  firm  of  Dallam  &  Wiley, 
I  dealers  in  clothing  in  Macomb,  is  a  wide- 
awake, enterprising  and  representative  business 
man,  who,  as  the  result  of  his  well-directed  efforts, 
is  meeting  with  success  in  his  undertakings  and 
now  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage.  As  he  is  wideb- 
and favorably  known  in  this  community,  we  feel 
assured  that  the  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  in- 
terest to  many  of  our  readers. 

Mr.  Dallam  is  a  native  of  Macomb,  his  birth 
having  here  occurred  October  16,  1855.  He  comes 
of  an  old  family  of  Maryland,  in  which  State  his 
grandfather  was  born.  The  latter  was  a  cabinet- 
maker by  trade.  Emigrating  westward,  betook 
up  his  residence  in  this  city,  where  he  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years.  Among  his  family  of  two 
sons  and  three  daughters  was  Charles  \V.  Dallam, 
father  of  our  subject.  He  too  was  a  native  of 
Maryland,  and  with  his  parents  came  to  the  West. 
In  an  early  day  he  engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer 
in  threshing-machines,  in  connection  with  John 
Wiley,  under  the  firm  name  of  Dallam  &  Wiley. 


He  then  embarked  in  the  milling  business  in  con- 
nection with  N.  P.  Tinsley,  and  they  built  the 
North  Side  Mill,  with  which  he  continued  his  con- 
nection for  a  few  years.  He  then  removed  to  a 
farm  six  miles  east  of  Macomb,  and  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  successfully  car- 
ried on  until  his  death  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Plotts,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Plotts,  a  farmer  of  the  Key- 
stone State,  who  came  to  Macomb  in  pioneer  days, 
but  afterward  removed  to  Lucas  County,  Iowa, 
where  he  lived  for  about  twenty  years.  He  was 
called  to  the  home  beyond  in  1884,  at  the  ripe  old 
age  of  eighty-five.  Mrs.  Dallam  still  survives 
her  husband.  Both  were  members  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church,  to  which  she  still 
belongs.  In  their  family  were  four  children,  three 
sons  and  a  daughter:  Edwin  L. ;  Frank  W.,  of 
Washington  County,  Iowa;  Charles  T. ,  of  Colby, 
Kan.;  and  Amanda,  wife  of  L.  L.  Wilson,  of  Mc- 
Donough County.  Mr.  Dallam  had  been  twice 
married,  his  first  wife  being  in  her  maidenhood 
Rebecca  Swain.  They  had  four  children,  of  whom 
three  are  yet  living:  Samuel  W.;  Margaret,  wife 
of  S.  Moore,  of  Macomb;  and  Josephs.,  of  San 
Francisco,  Cal. 

Edwin  L.  Dallam  was  reared  to  manhood  upon 
his  father's  farm,  and  lived  at  home  until  his  mar- 
riage. On  the  10th  of  May,  1878,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Ella  Hill,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Hill.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  five 
children,  a  son  and  four  daughters,  and  the  fam- 
ily circle  yet  remains  unbroken.  In  order  of  birth 
they  are  as  follows:  Daisy,  Fred  Clifton,  Alice, 
Edith  and  Helen. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dallam  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  farm,  and  he  continued  to  engage  in  agri- 
culture for  eleven  years,  but  in  1887  he  came  to 
Macomb  and  purchased  the  clothing  store  of  J.  C. 
McClellan  &  Son.  The  firm  then  became  Mc- 
Clellan  &  Dallam,  and  this  connection  was  con- 
tinued for  two  and  a-half  years,  when  Mr.  Dallam 
bought  out  his  partner's  interest  and  admitted  to 
partnership  J.  Y.  Wiley.  They  carry  all  kinds 
of  gents'  furnishing  goods  and  have  a  good  trade, 
which  they  well  merit.     Mr.  Dallam  is  a  member 


244 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  His  wife  holds 
membership  with  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  Republican.  His  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  his  native  county,  and  those  who 
have  known  him  from  boyhood  are  his  stanchest 
friends. 


)ILLIAM  M.  CAMP,  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Camp  &  Chatterton,  liverymen 
of  Macomb,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native 
of  McDonough  County .  He  was  born  in  Chalmers 
Township,  on  the  6th  of  May,  i860,  and  is  the 
third  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  four  children 
born  to  Daniel  A.  and  Elizabeth  (Kellough) 
Camp.  His  father  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and 
spent  his  youth  upon  a  farm  in  that  State.  At 
an  early  age,  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Illi- 
nois, where  he  lived  until  August,  1861.  He 
then  enlisted  in  the  service  of  his  country,  as  a 
member  of  the  Tenth  Missouri  Infantry,  and  died 
of  the  measles  after  seven  months  in  the  field. 
His  parents  were  natives  of  the  United  States,  but 
the  family  is  of  German  extraction.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  came 
to  McDonough  County  with  her  parents  when 
only  two  years  of  age.  She  is  now  living  in  Plym- 
outh, Hancock  County,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six 
-years.  Sarah  Anna,  the  youngest  child,  is  now 
deceased.  She  married  William  King,  and  left  a 
child,  Posy  Ethel.  Andrew,  the  eldest,  is  a  farm- 
er of  Warren  County ;  and  Louis  makes  his  home 
in  Macomb. 

Our  subject  lost  his  father  when  he  was  quite 
young,  and  at  the  early  age  of  thirteen  years  he 
began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by  working  as  a 
farm  hand  by  the  month.  He  was  thus  employed 
until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  began  farming 
in  his  own  interest.  As  he  had  no  capital  with 
which  to  purchase  property,  he  rented  land  for 
eleven  years,  but  at  length  abandoned  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  removed  to  Macomb.  This  was  in 
1891.  He  then  embarked  in  the  livery  business, 
which  he  has  followed  continuously  since.     In 


1893,  ne  formed  a  partnership  with  O.  W.  Chat- 
terton, and  under  the  firm  name  of  Camp  &  Chat- 
terton they  are  doing  a  successful  and  constantly 
increasing  business. 

On  the  3d  of  December,  1886,  Mr.  Camp  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Alice  (Askew)  Mur- 
ray, and  three  children  have  been  born  of  their 
union:  Gracie  Askew,  Mabel  and  Arthur  L. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Camp  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  having  supported  that  party  since  at- 
taining his  majority.  Socially,  he  is  connected 
with  the  Odd  Fellows'  Society,  and  with  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America.  His  wife  holds  mem- 
bership with  the  Christian  Church,  and  although 
he  is  not  a  member,  he  contributes  to  the  support 
of  the  same.  He  is  a  self-made  man,  whose  pos- 
sessions represent  his  own  earnings.  He  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  and  by  his  in- 
dustry and  enterprise  is  now  at  the  head  of  one  of 
the  leading  livery  establishments  of  Macomb. 

to  — ^    c^l  ■<  Y   ">  CEa^         '  §> 

REV.  J.  G.  LIBERT,  who  has  charge  of  the 
Catholic  Church  of  Macomb,  is  a  native  of 
Belgium,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the 
20th  of  July,  1849.  He  was  the  fourth  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  seven  children,  whose  par- 
ents were  Charles  and  Man-  (Lemaire)  Libert. 
They  too  were  natives  of  Belgium,  and  in  1856 
they  came  to  America,  settling  in  Kankakee,  111., ' 
where  the  father  died  in  the  seventy-fourth  year 
of  his  age.  His  widow  still  survives  him,  and 
has  now  reached  the  age  of  eighty  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  child  of  seven 
summers  when,  with  his  parents,  he  crossed  the 
broad  Atlantic  to  America.  He  remained  at  home 
until  about  twenty  years  of  age,  and  became  fa- 
miliar with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life,  for  as  soon 
as  old  enough  he  began  work  in  the  fields.  His 
early  education  was  acquired  in  the  common 
schools,  and  in  1869  he  entered  St.  Viateur's  Col-- 
lege  in  Bourbonnais,  111.  There  he  continued 
his  studies  until  he  had  completed  the  course  and 
was  graduated  from  that  institution.  Later,  he 
began  the  study  of  theology  in  Grand  Seminary , 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


245 


of  Montreal,  Canada,  where  lie  was  ordained  as  a 
priest  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  18S5,  by  Arch- 
bishop Fabre. 

After  his  ordination.  Father  Libert  was  sta- 
tioned at  Peoria,  where  he  did  pastoral  duty  for  a 
short  time.  He  was  next  transferred  to  Ivesdale, 
where  he  did  duty  as  an  assistant  for  a  limited  pe- 
riod, and  was  then  placed  in  charge  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church  in  Lewiston.  There  he  continued  for 
three  years  and  a-half.  and  in  1S91  he  came  to 
Macomb  and  took  charge  of  the  congregation  in 
this  place.  This  church  has  been  in  existence 
for  about  thirty  years,  and  has  a  membership  of 
one  hundred.  Father  Libert  is  an  earnest  and 
faithful  worker  and  has  the  respect  and  love  of  all 
his  people. 

a  ,gi=3  <  t  ^>  ilj^ §1 

PjAVID  H.  HAMPTON  is  the  editor  and  pro- 
lyl prietor  of  the  Macomb  By-Stander,  and 
](*)  throughout  his  business  career  has  been 
connected  with  the  newspaper  interests  of  this 
city.  He  was  born  in  Macomb  on  the  26th  of 
June,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Randolph 
and  Angehne  E.  (Hale)  Hampton.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  his  mother  of  Ken- 
tucky, but  both  are  now  deceased.  The  former 
resided  in  the  Buckeye  State  during  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  when  a  young  man 
he  there  conducted  a  sawmill  and  a  woolen- 
mill.  The  year  1840  witnessed  his  arrival  in 
Illinois.  Coming  to  Macomb,  he  served  as  deputy 
in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  William  H.  Randolph, 
who  was  then  serving  as  Circuit  Clerk.  He  also 
took  up  the  study  of  law,  and  afterwards  prac- 
ticed at  the  Bar  of  McDonough  County  for  some 
years.  About  1850,  he  established  the  first  news- 
paper in  Macomb,  called  the  Enterprise,  and  con- 
tinued its  publication  for  a  number  of  years.  In 
1859,  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Macomb  Township, 
which  is  known  as  the  Ruukle  Farm,  and  which  is 
celebrated  for  the  clay  used  in  making  the  fine 
pottery  ware  manufactured  in  this  locality.  There 
Mr.  Hampton  resided  until  1865,  when  he  sold 
out  and  removed  to  Abingdon,  there  engaging  in 


law  practice  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  returned  to  Macomb  and  pur- 
chased the  Macomb  Journal,  with  which  he  was 
connected  until  1880,  when  he  sold  to  W.  H. 
Bainline,  the  present  proprietor.  He  then  began 
the  publication  of  the  By-Standcr,  and  was  its 
editor  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1886,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  His  wife 
survived  him  until  the  autumn  of  1893,  when  she 
too  passed  away,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  Thev 
were  both  faithful  members  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  were  numbered  among  its  leading 
workers.  Mr.  Hampton  took  quite  a  prominent 
part  in  politics,  and  was  a  stalwart  supporter  of 
Republican  principles.  He  served  as  Supervisor 
of  Macomb  for  several  years,  served  as  Representa- 
tive to  the  State  Legislature,  and  for  four  years  was 
State  Senator.  Those  interests  which  were  calcu- 
lated to  benefit  and  upbuild  the  community  al- 
ways found  in  him  a  friend,  and  Macomb  num- 
bered him  among  its  best  and  most  valued  citi- 
zens. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Wan 
Culen  Hampton,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this  city.  Here 
he  engaged  in  operating  a  carding-mill  for  some 
time.  He  also  owned  land  northeast  of  the  city, 
011  which  he  had  another  carding-mill.  He  reared 
a  large  family,  was  one  of  the  prominent  men  of 
the  county  in  his  day,  and  reached  an  advanced 
age.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  D.  H.  Hamp- 
ton was  Durham  Hale.  He  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  always  made  his  home  in  that 
State,  but  in  an  early  day  he  owned  large  tracts 
of  land  in  Illinois,  and  made  frequent  trips 
hither.  He  also  was  well  advanced  in  years  at 
the  time  of  his  death. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  three  children,  and 
the  only  surviving  one.  His  brothers,  William 
R.  and  Durham  Y.,  being  now  deceased.  There 
were  also  three  children  who  died  in  infancy.  His 
boyhood  days  were  spent  in  Macomb  and  upon 
his  father's  farm.  He  began  his  education  in 
the  district  schools,  afterwards  pursued  his  studies 
in  Abingdon,  later  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Macomb,  and  subsequently  was  a  student  in  the 
Macomb  Noimal   College.       In    1S68,    he  began 


246 


■PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


learning  the  printer's  trade,  which  he  has  fol- 
lowed continuously  since.  In  1871  and  1872  he 
published  a  paper  in  Marshall,  Mo.,  called  the 
Saline  Republican.  In  the  latter  year  he  shipped 
his  outfit  to  Macomb,  and  sold  the  material, 
which  was  taken  to  another  town.  Mr.  Hamp- 
ton then  entered  the  Journal  office  and  continued 
to  work  with  his  father  on  that  paper  and  the 
By-Stander.  Two  years  after  the  establishment 
of  the  latter,  he  was  taken  into  partnership  with 
his  father,  and  this  business  relation  was  main- 
tained until  the  death  of  Mr.  Hampton,  Sr. ,  since 
which  time  the  son  has  conducted  it  on  his  own 
account.  It  is  a  weekly  journal  of  eight  pages, 
and  is  a  favorite  with  many  of  the  residents  of 
McDonough  County,  and  those  who  are  interested 
in  this  locality.  It  now  has  a  large  circulation, 
which  has  steadily  increased. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1874,  Mr.  Hampton 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary,  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Throop)  Bowles. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  five  children,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters,  Benjamin  B.,  Lucie  E., 
Jesse  D.,  Joseph  B.  and  Mary  E.  The  last  two 
were  twins  and  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  months. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hampton  hold  membership  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  They  have 
many  friends  throughout  the  community  and  are 
highly  respected  by  all.  Mr.  Hampton  votes 
with  the  Republican  party,  and  is  now  serving  as 
a  member  of  the  School  Board.  He  belongs  to 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  to  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Mutual  Aid.  He  is  a  pro- 
gressive and  public-spirited  citizen,  in  touch  with 
the  best  interests  of  his  native  city,  and  through 
the  columns  of  his  paper  has  done  much  for  its 
promotion. 

0R.  JOHN  WRIGHT,  of  Hamilton,  is  one  of 
the  honored  pioneers  of  Hancock  County, 
who  has  been  prominently  identified  with 
the  growth  and  upbuilding  of  the  community  for 
many  long  years.  He  located  within  its  borders 
before   the  city   of  Hamilton  had  an  existence, 


when  the  greater  part  of  the  land  was  wild  and 
unimproved,  and  when  the  work  of  civilization 
and  progress  seemed  hardly  begun.  He  has  al- 
ways been  connected  with  every  enterprise  for 
the  good  of  the  county,  and  has  taken  a  just 
pride  in  its  advancement. 

The  Doctor  was  born  in  Banffshire,  in  the 
north  of  Scotland,  February  11,  18 19.  His  fa- 
ther, William  Wright,  a  native  of  the  same  lo- 
cality, was  born  on  the  24th  of  February,  1780, 
acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  and 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  In  1802,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann  Wilson,  who 
was  born  January  4,  1780.  They  became  the 
parents  of  nine  children:  Alexander,  now  de- 
ceased; Ann,  deceased,  wife  of  William  Donald,  a 
resident  of  Hamilton;  Isabel,  deceased;  James, 
whose  death  occurred  in  this  city;  William,  who 
died  in  England;  Jane,  widow  of  John  Spence; 
John,  whose  name  heads  this  record;  Robert,  who 
has  also  passed  away;  and  Mary,  wife  of  A. 
Horsper,  of  Hamilton. 

Dr.  Wright  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  his  time  being 
passed  midst  play  and  work.  In  the  summer 
months,  he  was  busy  in  the  fields,  aiding  in  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  father's  farm. 
In  the  winter  season  he  conned  his  lessons  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  thus  ac- 
quired a  good  education.  In  1842,  he  bade  adieu 
to  his  old  home  and  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  emigration  to  America.  They  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  New  Orleans,  and  then  started  up  the 
Mississippi.  They  resided  in  St.  Louis  and  Alton 
until  the  spring  of  1843,  when  they  removed  to 
Keokuk,  but  after  a  few  weeks  they  came  to 
Hamilton.  It  took  them  a  whole  day  to  cross 
the  river  from  Keokuk,  there  being  no  ferry  at 
that  time. 

Dr.  Wright  aided  in  laying  out  this  town,  and 
is  therefore  numbered  among  its  founders.  He 
has  watched  with  interest  its  growth,  and  has 
ever  given  his  hearty  support  and  co-operation  to 
what  tended  toward  its  further  development.  Af- 
ter coming  to  the  county,  he  worked  for  some 
time  upon  his  father's  farm,  aiding  in  transform- 
ing the  wild  land  into  rich  and  fertile  fields.     He 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


247 


is  a  magnetic  healer,  and  for  some  years  was 
identified  with  the  Riverside  Sanitarium.  He 
makes  a  specialty  of  the  treatment  of  cancers  and 
tumors,  and  has  healed  main  w  ho  were  suffering 
from  diseases  of  that  kind. 

[npolitics,  tin- Doctor  is  a  Republican.  He  cast 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Henry  Clay,  and 
was  a  supporter  of  the  Whig  party  until  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party,  when  he 
joined  its  ranks.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Anti- 
Horse  Thief  Association,  and  in  his  religious  be- 
lief is  a  Congregationalist,  holding  membership 
with  the  church  at  this  place.  He  served  as  Road 
Commissioner  for  one  term,  and  has  been  School 
Trustee  for  more  than  forty  years. 

e ....  ^  <■  A  ■>  ?=  -  « 


(IIJJAM  H.  FRANKLIN,  one  of  the  hon- 
ored pioneers  of  McDonough  County,  who 
for  many  years  has  served  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace  of  Macomb,  was  born  in  Mercer  County, 
Ky.,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1813,  and  is  one  of 
thirteen  children  whose  parents  were  James  and 
Nancy  (  Whitton  1  Franklin,  natives  of  Virginia. 
The  maternal  grandfather  was  also  born  in  the 
Old  Dominion,  and  there  died  in  1800,  when  about 
seventy  years  of  age.  He  followed  farming  in 
Amherst  County.  James  Franklin  was  also  an 
agriculturist.  He  was  born  on  the  18th  of  May, 
1776,  and  died  June  12,  1826,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
two  years.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1861, 
and  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven. 
She  was  first  a  member  of  the  New-Light  Church, 
and  afterward  joined  the  Christian  Church.  Of 
their  eight  sons  and  five  daughters  only  three  are 
now  living,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being  the 
eldest.  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  Harmon 
Mclntyre,  and  is  now  the  widow  of  Daniel  Moore. 
She  lives  with  a  daughter  in  Van  Buren,  Ark. 
Hamilton  G.  is  a  resident  of  Corsicana,  Tex. 

W.  H.  Franklin  came  to  Macomb,  111.,  on  the 
25th  of  October,  1839,  and  for  nineteen  years  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  law.  He  then  abandoned 
the  profession  to  engage  in  the  nursery  business. 
For  some  time  his  trade  along  that  line  was  quite 


extensive,  and  he  made  considerable  money,  but 
he  afterward  lost  several  thousand  dollars  during 
the  panic  of  1857.  Since  that  time  he  has  con- 
tinuously served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  having 
filled  the  office  for  forty-four  years.  During  his 
residence  in  Macomb,  the  accumulated  distance 
which  he  has  walked  in  going  to  and  from  busi- 
ness is  over  forty  thousand  miles,  or  nearly  twice 
the  circumference  of  the  globe. 

On  the  1  st  of  April,  1841,  Mr.  Franklin  mar- 
ried Miss  Maria  J.  Clarke,  daughter  of  James  and 
Mary  (Lewis)  Clarke,  pioneer  settlers  of  Mc- 
Donough County.  Here  her  father  served  as 
Count}-  Judge  for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  a 
prominent  and  influential  citizen.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Franklin  were  born  ten  children,  six  sons 
and  four  daughters.  Maria  is  deceased.  Will- 
iam J.,  who  wedded  Mary  S.  Gibbs,  is  a  success- 
ful lawyer  of  Junction  City,  Kan.,  and  has  three 
living  children:  Maude,  Dean  and  Ray.  Nancy 
Jane,  Mary  Mahala  and  Samuel  B.  are  all  now 
deceased.  John  H.  married  Irene  Hudgins  and  re- 
sides in  Macomb.  He  was  Second  Deputy  Audi- 
tor of  the  Treasury  in  Washington,  D.  C. ,  for  four 
years,  under  President  Harrison,  and  then  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  local  attorney  of  the  Santa 
Fe  Railroad  at  Toluca,  111.  He  and  his  wife  have 
six  children:  Mabel,  Blake,  Wirt,  Delia,  Junia 
and  Harrison.  Ben  has  also  passed  away.  George 
A.  married  Miss  Annie  Pulford,  by  whom  he  had 
one  child,  Maria.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife 
he  wedded  Mrs.  Ida  Head,  widow  of  Henry  Head. 
Harrison,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  married 
Miss  Louisa  Munson,  and  resides  in  Beeville, 
Tex.:  they  have  a  daughter,  Pearl.  The  mother 
of  this  family,  who  was  born  May  7,  182 1,  died 
September  5,  1886.  She  was  a  devoted  member 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  possessed  many  ex- 
cellent traits  of  character. 

Mr.  Franklin  has  served  as  Fkler  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  for  forty-eight  years.  He  obeyed  the 
Gospel  in  Missouri,  and  was  baptized  in  Locust 
Creek  by  Elder  Thomas  Thompson,  July  9,  1843, 
more  than  half  a  century  ago.  He  was  one  of  the 
prime  movers  in  organizing  the  Christian  Church 
in  Macomb,  forty-eight  years  ago.  During  all 
this  time  he  has  never   missed   attending  church 


248 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


services  on  Sunday  more  than  six  or  seven  times, 
unless  absent  from  the  city.  Twice  during  this 
time  he  was  detained  on  account  of  death  in  the 
family,  and  twice  by  sickness.  He  has  always 
been  faithful  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  has  ever 
been  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  church  to 
which  he  has  belonged  for  nearly  half  a  century. 
In  politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  then  became 
a  Republican,  but  he  now  votes  with  the  Prohibi- 
tion party.  For  three  years  he  served  as  Master 
in  Chancery.  He  came  to  McDonough  County 
when  it  contained  only  about  twenty-two  hundred, 
people,  not  half  as  many  as  are  now  in  the  city  of 
Macomb.  He  has  seen  the  many  changes  which 
have  since  taken  place,  has  witnessed  its  develop- 
ment, and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
its  growth  and  upbuilding. 

r^ROF.  THOMAS  J.  DUDMAN,  who  is  now 
LX  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Macomb  Eagle, 
[3  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illinois, 
his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  19th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1850,  near  Chili,  Hancock  County.  He  was 
the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eight 
children,  born  to  Robert  Jackson  and  Phoebe 
(Mills)  Dudman.  His  father  was  born  March 
13,  1821,  in  Indiana.  During  his  youth  the  lat- 
ter learned  the  cooper's  trade  in  his  native  State, 
but  later  became  an  officer  on  a  steamboat  on  the 
Ohio  River.  Thus  his  time  was  occupied  until 
1849,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Adams  County.  After  a  short  time, 
however,  he  removed  to  Hancock  County  and 
purchased  a  farm,  which  he  continued  to  culti- 
vate and  improve  until  his  death.  He  passed 
away  on  the  2Sth  of  January,  1873.  He  came  of 
a  family  of  English  origin,  and  his  parents  were 
both  natives  of  England.  While  residing  in  Chili 
Township,  Hancock  County,  he  served  as  Super- 
visor. With  the  Methodist  Church  he  held  mem- 
bership. Mr.  Dudman  was  married  in  1842  to 
Miss  Phcebe  Mills,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born 
March  13,  1818.  She  was  of  German  lineage,  and 
died  near  West  Point,  in  Hancock  County,   May 


25,  1861.  Two  years  later,  Mr.  Dudman  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Rachel  Ogden,  by  whom  he  had  a  daughter,  Mrs. 
Martha  Jane  Lyberger,  a  resident  of  Eagle  Grove, 
Iowa. 

The  eight  children  born  to  Robert  J.  and  Phcebe 
Dudman  were  as  follows:  Samuel,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Mary  Frances,  wife  of  Henry  Garner, 
of  Bowen,  111.;  William  H.,  who  also  died  in  in- 
fancy; Thomas  J.,  of  this  sketch;  Anna  E.,  wife 
of  James  A.  Veach,  of  Bentley,  111.;  Lorain  R., 
who  died  in  infancy;  Rev.  William  Finley,  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  minister,  now  living  in  Bent- 
ley;  and  Elizabeth  M.,  wife  of  Conrad  Koehler, 
who  resides  in  Hancock  County. 

Prof.  Dudman  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  upon  his  father's  farm  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity,  and  in  the  summer  months  he 
aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field,  while  in  the  win- 
ter season  he  attended  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  He  also  spent  two  years  as  a 
student  in  the  High  School  of  Bowen,  111.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  left  home  and  began  teach- 
ing, which  profession  he  followed  in  Hancock 
County  and  in  Missouri  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority.  He  then  entered  the  High  School  of 
Carthage,  Mo.,  where  he  completed  the  teacher's 
course,  after  which  he  resumed  teaching,  being 
employed  in  both  Missouri  and  Illinois. 

On  the  22d  of  October,  1874,  Prof.  Dudman 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Marietta  Lons- 
don,  of  Augusta,  who  was  born  in  Adams  County, 
111.,  May  24,  1856.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  seven  children,  but  Leila  Annetta  died  in 
infancy.  Those  still  living  are  William  Ernest, 
who  was  born  September  9,  1877,  and  is  now 
pressman  in  the  Eagle  office;  Louis  Arthur,  born 
March  6,  1879;  Clarence  Albert,  April  4,  1881; 
George  Otto,  December  19,  1882;  Robert  Lloyd, 
March  10,  1885;  and  Lillie  Ethel,  August  30, 
1887. 

The  year  1879  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Dudman  and  his  family  in  McDonough  County. 
He  became  Principal  of  the  public  schools  at  Col- 
chester, and  after  a  year  was  offered  and  accepted 
a  similar  position  in  Industry.  He  then  became 
connected  with  Prof.  M.  Kennedy,  as  one  of  the 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


Mrs.  S.  Weinberg 


Simon   Weinberg 


LIBRARY 

UNWERSHY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


253 


Principals  of  the  Macomb  Normal  and  Commer- 
cial College.  Mr.  Dudmaii  took  charge  of  the 
mathematics  and  science  departments,  continuing 
his  connection  with  the  school  until  188 1.  In  the 
fall  of  that  year  he  was  elected  Count}-  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  for 
a  term  of  four  years,  and  in  1885  was  chosen  his 
own  successor.  He  was  one  of  the  most  efficient 
and  capable  superintendents  that  MeDonough 
County  has  ever  had,  and  under  his  administra- 
tion the  excellence  of  the  schools  was  greatly  ad- 
vanced. In  1890,  immediately  aftSr  the  expira- 
tion of  his  second  term,  he  purchased  the  plant  of 
the  Macomb  Eagle  from  Charles  H.  Whitaker, 
who  had  conducted  the  paper  for  twenty-five  years. 
During  the  four  years  in  which  Prof.  Dudman  has 
had  control,  the  subscription  list  has  increased 
from  one  thousand  to  two  thousand,  and  the  pa- 
tronage  received  in  the  job  department  has  like- 
wise grown.  He  has  one  of  the  best  equipped 
newspaper  offices  in  this  section  of  the  State,  and 
the  Eagle  is  a  neat  and  well-edited  sheet.  In 
politics,  it  is  strongly  Democratic,  for  its  editor 
has  always  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  princi- 
ples of  Democracy.  He  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America. 


)  <"  T  ">  \ 


MI.MON  WEINBERG,  who  for  many  years 
/\  has  been  numbered  among  the  prominent 
\~J  and  enterprising  citizens  of  Hancock  County, 
is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Augusta.  His  bus- 
iness career  was  an  active  and  successful  one,  and 
he  is  now  resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits 
of  his  former  toil.  A  native  of  Germany,  he  was 
born  in  Harmon,  Hanover,  February  15,  1817, 
and  comes  of  an  old  family  of  that  country.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  .Simon  Moses  Weinberg, 
reared  a  family  of  seven  sons,  and  died  in  his  na- 
tive land.  His  maternal  grandfather,  Jacob 
Meyer,  was  a  wealthy  citizen  and  money-loaner 
of  Germany,  and  died  in  Harmon  at  an  advanced 
age.  Moses  Simon  Weinberg,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Rehburg,  in  the  same  country, 


and  served  as  a  soldier  under  Napoleon  in  his 
younger  years.  He  afterwards  followed  the 
butchering  business,  and  his  death  occurred  in 
1840,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  His  wife, 
kwTho  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Pearlie  Jacobs,  died 
in  1851,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine.  They  were 
both  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
had  a  family  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters: 
Fredericka,  wife  of  Jacob  Reutz,  of  New  York 
City;  Mrs.  Regina  Herweg,  of  Hoboken,  N.  Y. ; 
Jacob,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  and  Simon,  of  this 
sketch. 

Simon  Weinberg  is  a  self-made  man,  who,  in 
early  life,  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world,  and  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his  own 
resources.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began  work- 
ing for  a  traveling  merchant  for  his  board  and 
clothes,  three  hundred  miles  from  his  home,  and 
was  thus  employed  for  four  and  a-half  years. 
Later  he  spent  five  years  and  a-half  in  working 
for  a  trader  and  drover.  With  the  view  of  bet- 
tering his  financial  condition,  he  bade  adieu  to 
the  Fatherland  in  1841,  and  boarded  a  sailing- 
vessel  bound  for  America.  They  were  upon 
the  water  ninety-two  days,  and  long  before 
they  reached  port  the  vessel,  with  its  seven 
hundred  passengers,  was  given  up  as  lost. 
They  encountered  some  very  severe  storms,  but 
at  length  reached  harbor  in  safety  at  Baltimore. 
Mr.  Weinberg  has  since  crossed  the  ocean  six 
times.  He  first  located  in  Cincinnati,  where  he 
worked  at  pork-packing.  He  was  also  employed 
at  a  stone  quarry  and  as  a  farm  hand  at  Cincin- 
nati for  about  four  years.  During  that  time  he 
was  sick  for  nine  months.  About  1845,  he 
rented  seventy  acres  of  land,  and,  keeping  bach- 
elor's hall,  engaged  in  farming  for  himself.  Dur- 
ing the  first  year  he  cleared  $300. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey 
Mr.  Weinberg  chose  Miss  Louisa  Juergens,  a 
daughter  of  Henrich  and  Mary  (Meyers)  Juer- 
gens, natives  of  Germany,  where  the  daughter 
was  also  born.  The  marriage  was  celebrated 
December  30.  1845,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  nine  sons  and  nine  daughters.  Of  these,  Re- 
gina is  the  wife  of  John  Tarr,  of  Moravia,  Iowa, 
by  whom  she  has  eight  children,  Edward  Burt, 


254 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Louis  Frederick,  Nannie  Louise,  Simon  Wein- 
berg, Frederick  Augustus,  Joseph  Weinberg, 
Robert  Lincoln  and  Mamie  Deena.  Jacob  is  now 
deceased.  Joseph,  of  Plymouth,  married  Cor- 
nelia Holt,  and  they  have  four  children,  Ernest, 
Louise,  Joseph  and  Leo.  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of 
Enos  Bacon,  of  Tacoma,  Wash.,  and  their  chil- 
dren are  Frank,  Alma,  Jennie  and  Leonard.  Fred- 
ericka  is  the  wife  of  F.  M.  King,  of  Augusta,  and 
they  have  four  children,  Jacob  Weinberg  (called 
Bergie),  Harry  Milton,  Gertrude  Louise  and  Ed- 
son.  Deena  married  George  S.  Stark,  of  La 
Porte,  Tex.,  and  has  a  daughter,  Pearl  Elizabeth. 
Wilhelmina  is  the  wife  of  C.  M.  Allensworth, 
of  Augusta,  by  whom  she  has  four  children, 
Arabel  Louise,  Myrtle,  Rollo  and  Leslie.  Moses 
wedded  Mrs.  Flora  Hobble,  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Boulton,  and  with  their  four  children,  Nina, 
Margie,  Simon  and  Flora,  they  reside  in  Augusta. 
She  had  one  child  by  a  former  marriage,  Arthur. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  G.  W.  Worman,  of  Augusta, 
and  the  mother  of  six  children,  Flora,  Ray,  Fred- 
erick, Daniel,  Russell  and  Bernice  Elizabeth. 
Pearlie  wedded  F.  A.  Reich,  of  Moravia,  Iowa, 
and  has  three  children,  Henry  Claude,  Clarence 
Percival  and  Gladys  Pearl.  Abraham  wedded 
Mary  Worman,  and  with  his  wife  and  daughter, 
Catherine,  resides  in  Galesburg.  Aaron  is  living 
in  Augusta.  La  Fayette  married  Mabel  Bab- 
cock,  and  with  their  daughter,  Helen  Louise, 
they  make  their  home  in  Galesburg.  Selina  mar- 
ried Irving  K.  Wright,  of  Rose,  Monroe  County, 
N.  V.  Adolph  and  Simon  complete  the  family, 
save  two  who  died  in  childhood.  The  mother  of 
this  family  passed  away  in  Augusta,  November 
21,  1893,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years,  nine 
months  and  thirteen  days.  She  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was 
highly  esteemed  by  all.    . 

In  1857,  Mr.  Weinberg  left  Cincinnati  and 
came  to  Augusta,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  He  engaged  in  the  butchering  business 
for  ten  years,  after  which  he  dealt  in  dry  goods 
for  a  similar  period.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  gave  his  business  to  his  son  Jacob,  who 
died  two  years  later,  while  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits,  living  upon  a  farrc 


for  six  years.  At  one  time  he  owned  several 
large  larms,  but  has  sold  and  divided  his  property 
among  his  children.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat; socially,  is  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows' 
society;  and  in  religious  belief  is  a  Presbyterian. 
Although  he  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy-six, 
he  is  still  hale  and  hearty,  his  years  resting  light- 
ly upon  him.  His  life  has  been  well  and  worth- 
ily passed.  Industry  and  enterprise  have  brought 
to  him  a  handsome  competence,  and  his  sterling 
worth  and  many  excellencies  of  character  have 
won  him  the  love  of  his  family  and  the  high  es- 
teem of  the  entire  community  in  which  he  lives. 
His  example  is  in  many  respects  well  worthy  of 
emulation,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present 
to  our  readers  this  record  of  his  life  work.  He 
has  made  his  way  in  the  world  without  any  as- 
sistance, his  parents  being  poor  and  unable  to 
educate  him,  and  he  has  given  to  each  of  his 
twelve  married  children  a  home. 


^H^l 


AFAYETTE  M.  WILLIAMS,  who  is  suc- 
I  C  cessfully  engaged  in  the  laundry  business  in 
l_y  Macomb,  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  na- 
tivity, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Muskingum 
County  on  October  18,  1853.  His  parents  were 
Washington  and  Jane  (Dailey)  Williams,  the 
former  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Virgin- 
ia. By  occupation  the  father  was  a  farmer,  and 
followed  that  business  throughout  his  entire  life. 
When  our  subject  was  a  child  of  four  years, 
Washington  Williams  left  the  Buckeye  State,  and, 
accompanied  by  his  family,  emigrated  westward 
to  Illinois,  taking  up  his  residence  in  McDonough 
County.  This  was  in  1857.  Here  he  gave  his 
attention  to  agriculture,  which  he  successfully 
followed  for  some  years.  His  death  occurred  on 
the  2Sth  of  August,  1891,  and  his  widow  is  now 
living  with  her  son,  L.  M.  Williams.  William 
D.  is  successfully  engaged  in  farming  near  Adair, 
111.  There  were  three  children  in  the  Williams 
family,  but  one  of  the  number  is  now  deceased. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  William 
Williams,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,   and  spent 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


255 


the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Ohio.  During  the 
Revolutionary  War,  he  aided  the  colonies  in  their 
struggle  for  independence.  The  family  traces  its 
ancestry  back  to  Roger  Williams,  the  noted  pi- 
oneer and  apostle  of  freedom  in  Rhode  Island. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  who  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated. The  district  schools  afforded  him  a  fair 
English  education,  and  work  in  the  fields  aided 
in  his  physical  development.  After  arriving  at 
years  of  maturity,  Mr.  Williams  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Dora  Adcock,  daughter  of 
Thomas  Adcock.  Their  union  was  celebrated  on 
the  25th  of  October,  1876,  and  was  blessed  with 
two  children:  Clarence  and  Glenn.  Mrs.  Will- 
iams, who  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  28th  of  March, 
[889. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Williams  en- 
gaged in  driving  a  hack  until  1893,  when,  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  Mr.  Suttle,  he  embarked 
in  the  laundry  business,  which  he  now  carries  on. 
From  the  beginning  their  trade  has  constantly  in- 
creased, and  they  now  enjoy  a  liberal  patronage, 
which  is  well  deserved.  Mr.  Williams  votes  with 
the  Republican  party,  with  which  he  has  been 
identified  since  casting  his  first  Presidential  ballot 
for  Gen.  I".  S.  Grant,  in  1S72.  He  holds  mem- 
bership with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  and 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


LMER  ELLSWORTH  GREER,  part  own- 
*y  er  and  manager  of  the  City  Flouring  Mills  of 
_  Macomb,  claims  McDonough  as  the  county  of 
his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  within  its 
borders  on  January  8,  1862.  He  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  an  honored  pioneer  family,  which 
was  here  established  at  a  very  early  day.  His 
father,  Alfred  W.  Greer,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
born  in  1834,  went  to  Industry,  111.,  in  1S56. 
The  next  year  he  married  Miss  Annie  E.  Kemper, 
a  native  of  this  .State,  born  in  Cass  County,  March 


29,  1835,  and  for  many  years  they  have  resided  in 
Industry,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greer  were  born  eight 
children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living:  James,  a 
resident  farmer  of  Scotland  Township.  McDon- 
ough County:  Harry,  who  is  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  York  County,  Neb.;  Elmer  E.; 
John  L-,  who  also  resides  in  York  County;  Charles, 
who  makes  his  home  in  Industry;  Albert,  who  is 
living  in  Peoria,  111. ;  Thomas  L.,  who  is  employed 
in  a  dry -goods  store  in  Macomb;  and  William, 
who  is  also  located  in  Peoria.  A.  W.  Greer  is 
the  third  in  a  family  of  seven  brothers,  all  of 
whom  are  now  living. 

Asa  Greer,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Logan  County,  Ky.,  where  he  dwelt  all 
his  life,  and  lived  to  the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 
Nancy  Phelps,  his  wife,  was  also  born  in  that 
county,  and  reached  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 
The  maternal  grandfather,  J.  M.  Kemper,  was 
born  in  Yirginia,  March  10,  1815,  and  is  still  liv- 
ing, making  his  home  in  Industry,  111.  He  mar- 
ried Kitty  Ann  Cole,  a  native  of  the  same  State, 
in  1832,  and  she  died  eight  years  later. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Elmer 
E.  Greer,  who  is  engaged  in  the  milling  business, 
which  pursuit  he  has  followed  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  his  life.  When  a  boy  of  ten  years 
he  began  work  along  that  line  in  the  employ  of 
P.  Eish  &  Son.  He  remained  for  ten  years  in 
Industry,  and  also  learned  to  run  the  engine  of  a 
mill.  He  served  as  mill  engineer  both  in  Quincy 
and  in  Macomb,  and  in  1892  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  Kirkbride.  becoming  interested  in 
the  City  Mills  of  Macomb,  of  which  he  is  now 
manager.  This  is  a  leading  industry  of  the  place, 
and  they  are  doing  a  good  business,  having  worked 
up  a  fair  trade,  which  is  constantly  increasing. 
The  flour  which  they  turn  out  is  an  excellent 
grade,  and  in  consequence  they  have  secured 
many  new  customers.  In  his  political  affiliations, 
our  subject  is  connected  with  the  Democracy,  but 
has  never  sought  or  desired  public  office,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
He  possesses  good  business  ability,  and  well  de- 
serves prosperity. 

On   the  5th  of  March,    1885,    Mr.   Greer   was 


256 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Louisa 
Wilcox,  daughter  of  Thomas  R.  Wilcox.  Two 
children  bless  their  union,  both  boys:  Carl  and 
Thomas. 

Thomas  R.  Wilcox,  father  of  Mrs.  E.  E.  Greer, 
is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  in  1S33.  He  left 
his  native  State  when  three  years  old,  coming 
with  his  parents  to  McDonough  County,  111., 
where  he  now  resides.  Phoebe  Greenup,  his  wife, 
was  born  in  the  same  State  and  year  as  himself, 
coming  with  her  family  to  Schuyler  County,  111., 
at  the  age  of  two  years.  They  were  married  in 
1854,  and  had  thirteen  children,  seven  sons  and 
six  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Mrs.  Greer 
is  one  of  twin  sisters,  succeeding  the  fourth. 

Benjamin,  father  of  Thomas  R.  Wilcox,  was 
born  in  Kentucky  in  1792,  and  died  in  the  same 
State  forty-four  years  later.  His  wife,  Flora  Mc- 
Cormick,  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1803,  and  im- 
mediately after  the  death  of  her  husband  came  to 
McDonough  County,  111.,  with  her  two  sons  and 
five  daughters.  She  died  in  1880,  in  her  seventy- 
seventh  year.  Her  marriage  to  Mr.  Wilcox  took 
place  in  18 19. 

The  parents  of  Phoebe  Greenup  were  John 
Greenup  and  Elizabeth  Harland.  The  former 
was  born  in  Virginia  in  1799,  and  died  in  Illinois 
in  1874.  The  latter  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  died  in  1 844,  nine  years  after  they  came  to 
Illinois. 

e>  ^_gg]j<^Ji1_,>_{S_<,i  ® 


jILLIAM  HENRY  INGRAM,  who  now  re- 
sides in  Macomb,  is  a  native  of  Maryland. 
He  was  born  on  the  2d  of  February,  1848, 
and  is  a  son  of  Evan  Ingram.  The  latter  was 
born  in  Wales,  and  during  his  youth  emigrated 
to  America,  settling  in  Maryland,  on  the  banks  of 
the  beautiful  Potomac.  His  father  purchased  a 
flouring-mill,  and  Evan  learned  the  milling  busi- 
ness, which  he  followed  as  a  means  of  livelihood 
for  many  years.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Miller,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children: 
John  and  Mary  Jane,  who  are  now  deceased; 
Sarah,  who  became  the  wife  of  G.  W.  Morris,  by 


whom  she  has  one  child,  and  resides  in  Omaha, 
Neb. ;  Ellen,  wife  of  U.  S.  Camp,  of  Omaha,  Neb., 
by  whom  she  has  five  children;  and  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  C.  H.  Given,  who  has  one  child,  and  re- 
sides near  Republic  City,  Neb.  Mr.  Ingram  hav- 
ing passed  away,  his  widow  was  afterward  mar- 
ried, and  removed  with  her  second  husband  (James 
Ingram,  a  brother  of  her  first)  to  Guernsey  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  where  they  are  still  living.  They  have 
two  children,  Evan  and  J.  Hamilton. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  accompanied  his 
mother  and  step-father  to  the  Buckeye  State,  and 
the  family  located  on  a  farm,  whereon  he  was 
reared  to  manhood.  The  educational  privileges 
which  he  enjoyed  were  those  afforded  by  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  that  time.  During  his  earliest 
years,  he  lived  with  his  paternal  grandfather. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  left  his  old  home  in 
Ohio  and  came  to  Illinois,  with  a  view  to  try- 
ing his  fortune  on  the  broad  prairies  of  this  State. 
He  had  only  thirty-five  cents  in  money  and  a  lit- 
tle bundle  of  clothes,  when,  in  company  with  J. 
W.  Sheley,  he  came  to  McDonough  County,  and 
for  four  years  and  three  months  he  worked  for 
Mr.  Sheley  as  a  farm  hand.  He  received  for  his 
services  during  that  time  $250  in  money,  his  board, 
and  the  privilege  of  attending  school  during  a 
short  period  in  the  winter  season.  His  early  life 
was  not  an  easy  one,  but  the  obstacles  which  he 
had  to  surmount  developed  in  him  a  self-reliance 
and  force  of  character  which  have  proven  of  in- 
calculable benefit  to  him  in  later  years. 

On  the  9th  of  February,  1871,  Mr.  Ingram  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mary  Elizabeth  Allen, 
daughter  of  Thompson  and  Rhoda  Allen,  who  are 
residents  of  Mound  Township,  McDonough  Coun- 
ty. Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren, but  one  of  the  number  died  in  infancy. 
Those  still  living  are,  Allen  T.,  who  was  born 
February  9,  1878,  and  Jessie  Lee. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingram  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  rented  farm,  and  in  1874  he  made  his  first 
purchase  of  land,  buying  an  eighty-acre  tract  of 
his  father-in-law.  This  he  at  once  began  to  clear 
and  improve,  and  in  course  of  time  the  wild  land 
was  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  The 
boundaries  of  his  farm   he  also  extended  by  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


257 


purchase  of  two  hundred  and  fort}-  acres  ad- 
ditional. He  has  good  buildings  upon  his  farm, 
and  in  appearance  it  is  neat  and  thrifty.  In  the 
spring  of  1894,  however,  Mr.  Ingram  laid  aside 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  is  now  living  a  retired 
life,  resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his 
former  labor. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingram  are  members  of  the 
Free  Will  Baptist  Church,  in  which  he  is  serving 
as  Trustee  and  Deacon.  He  has  also  been  Treas- 
urer of  the  yearly  meeting  and  Superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school.  He  takes  an  active  interest 
in  church  and  benevolent  work,  and  has  lived  an 
honorable  and  upright  life,  which  has  gained  for 
him  the  high  regard  of  all.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
Republican,  has  served  as  School  Trustee  and 
Road  Commissioner,  and  is  the  present  Super- 
visor of  his  township.  He  may  well  be  called  a 
self-made  man,  for  his  success  in  life  is  due  to  his 
own  efforts,  and  his  example  is  well  worthy  of 
emulation. 


|J\OAH  X.  TVNER,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
YJ  served  in  the  United  States  Volunteers  dur- 
\LD  i"g  the  late  Rebellion,  from  April  14,  the 
day  Ft.  Sumter  was  fired  upon,  until  the  dis- 
banding of  the  right  wing  of  the  Sixteenth  Army 
Corps  at  Montgomery,  Ala.,  in  the  latter  part  of 
1865;  and  was  thence  transferred  to  the  Indian 
service,  being  in  the  Commissary-  of  Subsistence 
Department  for  Iowa  and  Dakota,  continuing 
therein  until  1868.  During  his  term  of  service 
he  held  all  positions,  having  started  as  a  private 
soldier  in  the  First  Iowa,  three  months'  service; 
later  he  was  made  Adjutant  of  the  Fourteenth 
Iowa  Infantry,  and  left  the  volunteer  service  with 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  on  the  volunteer 
staff,  he  having  been  on  the  staff  of  Gens.  Buford 
and  Asboth,  but  chiefly  and  for  over  one  year  on 
the  staff  of  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith  as  Assistant  Inspec- 
tor-General. Col.  Tyner  was  born  in  Lexington, 
Ky.,  July  2,  1839,  and  is  the  son  of  Richard  and 
Martha  W.  Tyner,  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Rev.    William    Tyner,    was    a    Baptist    minister. 


whose  earlier  pulpit  duties  were  performed  in 
South  Carolina.  The  latter  part  of  his  life  was 
devoted  to  church  work  in  southeastern  Indiana. 
His  death  occurred  at  Decatur,  Ind.,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-five  years. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Dr. 
T.  \V.  Noble,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  whore- 
moved  to  Kentucky  when  twenty-five  years  old, 
where  he  practiced  medicine,  and  represented  his 
county  in  the  earlier  Legislature  and  Senate  of 
that  State.  He  died  at  Frankfort,  Ky.,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one  years. 

Richard  Tyner  was  a  banker,  merchant  and 
manufacturer  at  Brookville,  Ind.,  where  Col. 
Tyner  was  reared,  and  where  his  father  died  in 
September,  1872,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  Mrs. 
Martha  W.  Tyner,  the  mother,  died  in  Iowa  while 
with  her  daughter,  in  May,  1864.  In  religious 
belief  the  family  were  Methodists,  Mrs.  Tyner 
having  taken  an  active  part  in  church  work.  She 
was  a  sister  of  James  W.  Noble,  Indiana's  second 
United  States  Senator;  Gov.  Noah  Noble,  of 
Indiana,  another  brother,  was  a  Congressman  from 
the  same  State;  while  a  fourth  was  a  Captain  in 
the  United  States  Navy. 

In  the  Tyner  faintly  were  eleven  children,  seven 
sons  and  four  daughters.  Of  the  four  living  chil- 
dren, Hon.  James  N.  Tyner,  ex-Postmaster- 
General  in  Grant's  cabinet,  resides  at  Washing- 
ton ;  Richard  H . ,  a  retired  merchant ,  lives  near  his 
old  home  in  Indiana;  George  N.  is  President  of 
the  Holyoke  (Mass.)  Envelope  and  Paper  Com- 
pany; Noah  N.  is  our  subject.  The  latter  was 
educated  at  his  old  Indiana  home,  attending  one 
term  at  Miami  College,  Oxford,  Ohio.  Thence  he 
went  to  Iowa,  from  which  State  he  entered  the 
sen'ice,  participating  in  all  the  principal  engage- 
ments of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  commenc- 
ing at  Ft.  Donelson,  and  ending  at  Spanish  Fort, 
Ala.  He  also  was  with  Gen.  Smith  in  the 
Red  River  campaign.  Since  the  close  of  the  war 
Col.  Tyner  has  been  engaged  in  newspaper  woik, 
chiefly  as  correspondent  for  New  York  and  Chi- 
cago  paptrs  until  1880,  when  he  went  to  Fargo, 
N.  Dak.  While  there  he  was  Postmaster  for  four 
years,  and  at  one  time  editor  of  the  Dakota  daily 
editii  m  of  the  St.  Paul  Pioneer  Pnss.    While  in  Da- 


258 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


kota,  Col.  Tyner  was  made  Adjutant- General  of 
that  State,  occupying  the  office  for  two  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  received  his  commission  as 
Brigadier-General  of  Militia.  Subsequently,  he 
received  an  offer,  which  he  accepted  and  held  for 
four  years,  on  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Daily  Ore- 
gonian,  Portland,  Ore.,  and  thence  was  assigned 
to  the  business  department,  as  Assistant  Manager 
of  that  paper. 

On  October  i,  1877,  Col.  Tyner  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Cornelia  H.  Catlin,  daughter 
of  John  H.  and  Lydia  (Hawley)  Catlin,  of  Augus- 
ta. His  wife  holds  membership  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
Loyal  Legion,  and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic, the  former  and  latter  membership  being  held 
in  Augusta  by  transfer,  since  his  location  here  two 
years  ago.  Army  wounds,  that  have  increased 
in  severity  with  age,  have  forced  Col.  Tyner 
from  active  work,  and  hence  he  regards  Augusta, 
where  he  has  built  a  comfortable  residence,  as  his 
permanent  home. 


GlRTOIS  HAMILTON,  a  pioneer  settler  of 
I  I  Carthage,  was  born  in  Tolland,  Mass.,  Au- 
I  J  gust  15,  1795.  He  removed  to  Montgomery 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1822,  and  on  the  2 2d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1827,  married  Miss  Alva  Bentle}-,  of  that 
county.  In  1835,  he  came  with  his  family,  then 
consisting  of  four  children,  to  Hancock  County, 
111.  He  traversed  the  entire  distance  with  horse- 
teams,  and  the  journey  lasted  nearly  two  months. 
He  arrived  at  Carthage  on  the  22c!  of  July,  and 
the  family  on  the  14th  of  August.  During  the 
first  two  weeks  spent  in  Carthage,  they  slept  in 
their  wagons  and  prepared  their  food  hard  by  on 
the  prairie.  He  fed  his  horses  on  grass  which  he 
cut  on  the  open  prairie  where  the  court  house 
now  stands.  At  the  end  of  two  weeks,  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton leased  a  dwelling,  in  which  he  lived  about 
three  months.  In  the  following  spring  he  pur- 
chased a  small  log  house,  and  afterwards  added  to 
it  other  rooms,  until  it  was  large  enough  to  enter- 
tain travelers,  and  his  dwelling  thereafter  became 


by  common  consent  the  village  hotel,  which  he 
carried  on  until  1851.  He  also  entered  and  im- 
proved five  or  six  quarter-sections  of  land  in  the 
vicinity  of  his  new  home.  Close  attention  to  his 
accumulating  interests,  and  prudent  management, 
soon  made  him  the  wealthiest  citizen  of  the 
county . 

During  the  eventful  period  of  the  Mormon 
War,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  necessarily  a  spectator 
of  most  of  the  stirring  events  of  that  time.  His 
hotel  being  the  general  headquarters  for  the 
traveling  public  of  Carthage,  he  very  frequently 
was  compelled  to  entertain  at  the  same  hour 
guests  holding  the  most  antagonistic  views  on  the 
Mormon  question.  When  Joseph  and  Hyrum 
Smith  were  killed  at  the  Carthage  jail,  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton, as  soon  as  he  heard  of  it,  went  to  the  jail 
with  a  wagon  and  conveyed  the  bodies  to  his 
house,  where  he  constructed  rude  coffins,  in 
which  they  were  placed.  On  the  following  morn- 
ing, accompanied  by  two  of  his  sons  and  two 
neighbors,  he  conveyed  the  bodies  in  a  wagon  to 
Nauvoo,  and  delivered  them  to  their  friends.  For 
this  humane  act  he  was  cordially  thanked  by  the 
Mormon  people,  who  also  offered  substantial  to- 
kens of  their  gratitude,  which  last,  however,  he 
declined.  During  the  hostilities  that  followed  be- 
tween the  Mormons  and  anti-Mormons,  an  artil- 
lery company  at  Carthage  had  for  some  cause  dis- 
banded, and  a  six-pound  iron  cannon  belonging 
to  it  had,  to  some  extent,  become  public  property. 
Mr.  Hamilton,  learning  that  a  Mormon  squad, 
headed  by  one  Jo  Backenstos,  a  "Jack  Mormon" 
leader,  was  coming  to  take  away  the  cannon,  un- 
limbered  the  gun  and  hid  it  in  a  cornfield,  where 
it  remained  until  the  arrival  of  the  State  forces, 
to  which  he  gave  it  up. 

In  July,  1 85 1,  a  great  calamity  fell  on  Mr. 
Hamilton  in  the  loss  of  five  members  of  his  fam- 
ily by  cholera.  One  sister  and  a  daughter  died 
on  the  1 6th,  his  wife  on  the  18th,  his  eldest  son, 
Marvin,  on  the  19th,  and  his  remaining  sister  on 
the  23d.  In  1852,  he  married  Mrs.  Susan  Smith, 
who  survived  him  some  years,  and  died  in  Carth- 
age, August  24,  1880.  In  1855,  Mr.  Hamilton 
laid  out  the  town  of  Hamilton,  opposite  Keokuk. 
This  enterprise  did  not  prove  a  pecuniary  success. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


259 


His  reticence  during  his  life  relative  to  the  un- 
dertaking necessarily  abridges  what  would 
doubtless  have  been  a  valuable  and  interesting 
portion  of  the  history  of  the  city  of  Hamilton. 

It  was  said  by  some  that  Mr.  Hamilton  never 
had  but  one  hobby  in  his  life,  and  that  was  the 
celebration  of  Jul}-  4.  It  was  his  habit  from  child- 
hood to  regard  the  day  as  one  of  peculiar  signifi- 
cance to  Americans,  a  day  to  be  observed  and  hon- 
ored in  the  ceremonies  appropriate  to  its  patri- 
otic inspirations.  He  was  a  leading  and  directing 
spirit  in  every  Fourth  of  July  celebration  taking 
place  in  the  town  or  vicinity.  The  day  was  to  be 
celebrated  in  Carthage  in  1873,  and  for  this  Mr. 
Hamilton  had  spent  much  time,  labor  and  money. 
The  program  was  mostly  gotten  up  by  him,  and 
was  to  consist,  in  large  part,  of  a  military  dis- 
play and  mock  battle  by  the  "Army  of  the  Revo- 
lution," as  he  delighted  to  call  it.  This  consisted  of 
some  three  hundred  boys,  for  whom  military  hats 
and  wooden  guns  had  been  provided  by  Mr. 
Hamilton.  The  military  parade  took  place,  the 
mimic  battle  was  fought  to  the  satisfaction  of  all, 
and  the  general  program  for  the  day  was  carried 
out  as  the  old  veteran  had  devised.  The  troops 
were  then  mustered  into  line  and  inarched  to  his 
residence,  after  which  arms  were  stacked  and  the 
little  soldiers  dismissed.  While  there  assembled 
at  his  well,  he  made  them  a  little  speech,  saying, 
"Boys,  you  have  done  nobly  to-day;  you  have 
acted  like  patriots  and  gentlemen,  and  I  am  proud 
of  you.  This  is  the  last  Fourth  of  July  I  will 
ever  celebrate,  boys,  and  I  want  you  to  remember 
this.  Mind  your  parents,  and  remember  the 
Fourth  of  July,  and  you  will  make  good  men  and 
be  an  honor  to  the  country."  The  boys  then 
dispersed  to  their  homes. 

Mr.  Hamilton  soon  after  sat  down  on  the  porch 
of  his  home  to  converse  with  his  family  and  visit- 
ing friends.  In  a  short  time  he  complained  of 
feeling  sick.  He  went  into  the  house  and  lay 
down,  while  his  daughter  fanned  him.  Shortly  af- 
ter he  said  he  felt  better.  His  sons,  William  and 
Elisha,  were  with  him,  and  he  conversed  with 
them  easily  and  cheerfully  some  minutes.  Soon 
he  ceased  talking  and  lay  with  his  eyes  closed,  as 
if  asleep.      It  was  then   discovered  that  his  limbs 


were  quite  cold,  and  that  he  was  unconscious. 
Physicians  were  sent  for  and  restoratives  applied, 
but  he  was  beyond  the  aid  of  medical  skill  or  the 
kind  offices  of  friends.  The  old  patriot  was  dead. 
He  passed  away  as  peacefully  as  an  infant  falls 
asleep  in  its  mother's  arms.  The  precise  mo- 
ment of  his  death  is  not  known,  but  it  could  not 
have  been  far  from  half- past  six  p.  m.,  or  about 
one  hour  after  he  had  dismissed  the  boy  soldiers 
at  his  home.  Thus  lived  and  died  the  patriot 
citizen.  Doubtless  had  he  been  permitted  to  se- 
lect the  hour  of  his  death  he  would  not  have 
wished  it  different.  The  celebration  he  had 
planned  and  labored  for  with  such  zeal  had  hap- 
pily passed  off  to  his  complete  satisfaction.  He 
had  said,  '  'Boys,  this  is  my  last  Fourth  of  July.' ' 
He  evidently  thought  it  was,  and  thus  feeling,  he 
doubtless  welcomed  the  summons  to  rest. 

Of  his  four  children  who  survived  him,  three 
are  now  living:  William  Ransom,  whose  sketch 
appears  on  another  page  of  this  work;  Man-  B., 
who  resides  in  Ouincy  with  her  brother,  Elisha 
B.,  who  is  a  prominent  lawyer  of  that  city.  He 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion, 
and  was  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  B,  One 
Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  John 
D.  served  as  Sergeant- Major  in  the  Sixteenth  Illi- 
nois Infantry  during  the  Civil  War,  and  was  after- 
wards clerk  in  the  Illinois  penitentiary  in  Chester, 
111.,  where  he  died  August  13,  1892. 


|ILLIAM  ALBERT  MAXWELL,  common- 
ly known  as  Bert  Maxwell,  is  but  a  young 
man,  yet  he  is  now  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  Bardolph  News,  and  displays  excellent  busi- 
ness ability,  bidding  fair  to  make  his  life  a  suc- 
cess. He  was  born  in  Bardolph,  where  he  yet 
makes  his  home,  on  the  9th  of  January,  1877, 
and  is  a  son  of  H.  A.  and  Mary  F.  (  Kee  )  Max- 
well. The  family  is  of  Scotch  origin,  and  was 
founded  in  America  in  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  near  Cadiz, 
Ohio,  in  1845,  and  there  spent  the  first  twelve 
years  of  his  life,  attending  the  district  schools  of 


260 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  neighborhood.  After  he  had  attained  a  suffi- 
cient age,  about  1857,  he  became  a  resident  of 
Industry,  McDonough  County.  111.,  and  again 
entered  school,  pursuing  his  studies  until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  began  teaching.  His  first 
position  was  in  Eldorado  Township,  this  county. 
He  has  now  successfully  followed  that  profession 
for  twenty  years,  and  has  won  a  high  and  envia- 
ble reputation  as  an  educator.  From  1877  to 
1882  he  served  as  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools  of  McDonough  County,  and  by  his  prompt 
and  faithful  discharge  of  the  duties  of  the  office 
won  for  himself  great  commendation.  He  has  also 
held  other  offices,  having  been  Township  Clerk 
for  about  five  terms,  while  for  one  term  he  was 
Supervisor.  He  is  now  serving  his  seventeenth 
year  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Macomb  Township, 
a  position  he  has  filled  with  credit  to  himself  and 
satisfaction  to  his  constituents,  as  is  indicated  by 
his  long  retention  in  office.  He  has  served  as 
President  of  the  Village  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
at  this  writing,  the  spring  of  1894,  is  Clerk  of  the 
Village  Board,  and  Postmaster  at  Bardolph.  So- 
ciallv,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and 
in  his  religious  views  he  is  a  Methodist.  His 
political  support  is  given  to  the  Democracy. 

Prof,  and  Mrs.  Maxwell  now  reside  in  Bar- 
dolph, where  they  have  a  pleasant  home  and  many 
warm  friends,  who  esteem  them  highly  for  their 
sterling  worth.  Their  family  numbers  twelve 
children,  who,  in  order  of  birth,  are  as  follows: 
Ella  Gertrude,  Inez  Adell,  Thomas,  Frederick, 
William  Albert,  Walter  Kee,  Harry  Victor,  Anna 
Mary,  Bessie  Blanche,  Grover  C,  Nellie  Cleo  and 
John  Robert.  All  are  living  at  home  with  their 
parents  except  Thomas,  who  is  now  in  Duncombe, 
Iowa,  where  he  has  charge  of  a  lumber  establish- 
lishment. 

Mr.  Maxwell  of  this  sketch  has  always  lived  in 
Bardolph.  The  record  of  his  life  is  not  extensive, 
yet  he  manifests  traits  of  character  that  will  have 
a  bearing  on  his  entire  future  career,  and  will  un- 
doubtedly make  his  business  life  one  of  success. 
He  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Bardolph,  and  though  only  seventeen  years  of 
age  is  now  editing  and  publishing  the  Bardolph 


News,  a  paper  which  is  not  only  a  credit  to  him- 
self, but  also  to  the  town.  It  is  neat  in  appear- 
ance, is  ably  conducted,  and  well  deserves  a  liberal 
patronage.  Mr.  Maxwell  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  is  a  young  man 
highlv  esteemed  for  his  sterling:  worth. 


~M£+£i= 


0ANIEE  LOVITT,  who  for  a  number  of  years 
has  been  a  resident  of  Augusta,  is  now  living 
a  retired  life.  His  attention  to  business 
in  former  years,  combined  with  industry  and  well- 
directed  efforts,  brought  him  prosperity,  and  he  is 
now  resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his 
former  toil.  He  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his 
nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Muskingum 
County  May  20,  181 2.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel 
and  Mary  (James)  Lovitt,  natives  of  Maryland. 
On  the  paternal  side  he  is  of  Dutch  descent,  and 
on  the  maternal  side  he  is  of  Welsh  and  Scotch 
lineage.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  a  minister 
of  the  Missionary  Baptist  Church.  He  died  in 
1 82 1,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  about  twenty  years  later.  She  was 
a  member  of  the  Christian  Church.  Of  their 
family  of  twelve  children,  six  sons  and  six  daugh- 
ters, only  two  are  now  living:  Daniel,  and  Sarah, 
now  the  wife  of  Lawson  Carter,  of  Hancock 
County. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  reared  in  the  Buckeye  State,  and  made  Ohio 
his  home  for  fifty-seven  years.  His  father  was 
one  of  its  pioneer  settlers.  On  the  7th  of  January, 
1835,  he  married  Miss  Deborah  Birch,  daughter 
of  William  Birch,  and  to  them  were  born  seven 
children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Mary 
Elizabeth,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of  David  Waters, 
of  northwestern  Kansas,  by  whom  she  has  eight 
children.  Eveline  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  Dorsey, 
of  Augusta,  by  whom  she  had  six  children,  two 
yet  living.  Reason  married  Miss  Stots,  and  after 
her  death  wedded  Mary  Horn,  by  whom  he  had 
seven  children.  Maria  J.  is  now  the  wife  of  John 
Beal,  of  southeastern  Nebraska,  and  has  three 
sons.   Minerva,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Alex- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


261 


ander  Davis,  and  they  had  four  children,  two  yet 
living.  Andrew,  of  Nebraska,  married  Miss 
Ellen  Stots,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children.  Daniel  Walter  married  Miss  Ida  Lyons, 
and  died,  leaving  a  wife  and  two  children. 

Mr.  Lovitt  of  this  sketch  continued  his  residence 
in  Ohio  until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  lo- 
cating on  a  farm  three  and  a-half  miles  northwest 
of  Bowen,  where  he  spent  eight  years.  He  then 
came  to  Augusta,  and  has  since  made  his  home 
in  this  place.  In  1885,  he  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  in  the  month 
of  February,  in  the  faith  of  the  Christian  Church. 
On  the  nth  of  October,  1888,  he  was  again  mar- 
ried, his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Mary  E. 
Butler,  widow  of  George  J.  Butler,  and  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Sarah  A.  (Smith)  Pierce, who  were 
natives  of  Baltimore  County,  Md.  Mr.  Lovitt 
for  some  years  has  lived  retired,  and  his  rest  is 
well  deserved,  for  his  life  has  been  a  busy  and  use- 
fid  one.  He  still  owns  some  property,  however, 
including  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine 
farming  land  in  Chili  Township,  and  his  pleasant 
residence  in  Augusta.  In  politics,  he  was  in  early 
life  a  Free-Soil  Democrat,  but  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  he  has  been  a  stanch 
supporter  of  its  principles.  He  is  now  well  ad- 
vanced in  years,  having  reached  the  age  of  eight- 
ty-two,  but  is  yet  quite  well  preserved,  and  we  join 
with  his  many  friends  in  wishing  that  he  may 
be  spared  for  years  to  come.  He  holds  member- 
ship with  the  Christian  Church,  and  his  life, 
which  has  been  in  harmony  with  his  professions, 
is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


(TOHN  M.  WILCOX,  a  lumber-dealer,  is  rec- 
I  ognized  as  one  of  the  leading  business  men 
(2/  of  Bardolph.  He  was  born  on  the  19th  of 
March,  1826,  in  Carrollton,  Ky.,  and  is  a  son  of 
Benjamin  and  Flora  (McCormick)  Wilcox.  His 
father  was  born  in  Shelbyville,  Ky.,  in  1796, 
was  there  reared  to  manhood,  and  became  a  brick- 
mason  by  trade.  That  business  he  followed  as  a 
means  of  livelihood  until  his  death,  which  occur- 


red at  the  age  of  forty  years.  He  was  a  well- 
known  citizen,  and  served  as  Captain  of  a  com- 
pany of  militia  in  his  native  town.  The  mater- 
nal grandfather  of  our  subject  was  born  on  the 
Emerald  Isle,  and  on  emigrating  to  America  lo- 
cated in  Lexington,  Ky.,  where  he  worked  at  the 
shoemaker's  trade.  Our  subject  has  one  brother 
and  four  sisters  who  are  yet  living,  namely:  Man- 
Ann,  wife  of  A.  O.  Webb,  a  resident  of  Kansas; 
Sarah  E.,  wife  of  John  Trimble,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Iowa;  Elvira,  widow  of  Daniel  Milton 
and  a  resident  of  Fairfield,  Iowa;  and  Flora,  wife 
of  Robert  C.  Pointer,  of  McDonough  County. 

The  first  ten  years  of  his  life  John  M.  Wilcox 
passed  in  his  native  State,  and  his  early  education 
was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of  Carrollton. 
His  father  having  died  in  Kentucky,  he  accompa- 
nied his  mother  in  1836  to  McDonough  Count}7, 
111.,  and  the  family  locating  upon  a  farm  he  gave 
his  time  and  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
land  until  his  nineteenth  year.  He  bore  all  the 
hardships  and  trials  of  pioneer  life,  for  the  family 
lived  in  true  pioneer  style  during  those  early 
days,  and  he  also  aided  in  the  arduous  task  of 
opening  up  a  new  farm.  Attracted  by  the  dis- 
covery of  gold  in  California,  he  crossed  the  plains 
with  an  ox-team  to  the  Pacific  Slope  in  1849,  and 
spent  three  years  ranching  on  Cash  Creek  and  in 
the  mines  at  Rich  Gulch,  returning  in  1852. 
With  the  capital  he  had  thus  acquired,  he  then 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
in  Mound  Township  and  began  farming  in  his 
own  interests. 

On  the  13th  of  March,  1855,  Mr.  Wilcox  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Mary  C.  V.  Yocum.  Six 
children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  were  born 
of  their  union,  of  whom  the  three  eldest  are  de- 
ceased. George  T.  died  at  Bardolph,  February  21, 
1894;  he  married  Nancy  H.  Darr,  and  unto  them 
were  born  a  son  and  daughter,  Elvira  J.  and  Will- 
iam F.  Of  the  survivors,  Mary  A.  is  the  wife  of 
E.  L.  Lindsay,  of  Wilcox,  Neb.,  by  whom  she  has 
had  two  daughters  and  a  son.  but  the  latter  is  now 
deceased.  Robert  C.  married  Carrie  M.  Portlock, 
and  with  their  three  daughters  they  reside  in 
Bardolph;  and  John  R.,  of  Bardolph,  was  joined 
in   marriage  with  Nancy  E.  Portlock,    by   whom 


262 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  has  one  daughter.  The  mother  of  this  family 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1882,  at  the  age  of 
forty-eight  years,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  cem- 
etery at  Pennington's  Point. 

On  his  return  to  McDonough  County,  Mr. 
Wilcox  resumed  farming,  which  he  successfully 
followed  for  a  number  of  years.  He  placed  his 
land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  made 
many  excellent  improvements  thereon,  until  his 
farm  became  one  of  the  best  in  the  neighborhood, 
its  well-tilled  fields  and  neat  appearance  indicat- 
ing the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner.  About 
1886,  however,  he  laid  aside  all  agricultural  cares 
and  removing  to  Bardolph  established  a  lumber- 
yard, which  he  has  since  conducted.  He  is  a  con- 
servative and  practical  business  man,  and  by  his 
straightforward,  honorable  dealings  he  has  won 
the  confidence  of  the  community  and  secured  a 
liberal  patronage. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Wilcox  is  a  Demo- 
crat, and  was  for  about  eighteen  years  School  Di- 
rector in  Mound  Township.  He  was  also  Treas- 
urer of  Bardolph  for  about  four  years,  and  dis- 
charged his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity. 
For  more  than  half  a  century  he  has  resided  in 
McDonough  County,  and  the  growth  and  devel- 
opment of  the  community  he  has  witnessed  from 
almost  the  beginning.  He  has  also  ever  borne 
his  part  in  the  work  of  public  advancement,  and 
well  deserves  mention  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers. 


e ^-s^r^iEs — s1 

G7EBULON  A.  FOSTER,  who  is  one  of  the 
I.  leading  merchants  and  pioneers  of  Prairie 
/~)  City,  has  been  prominently  connected  with 
the  interests  of  this  place  and  with  its  develop- 
ment for  a  long  period.  As  he  is  widely  and  fav- 
orably known  in  the  community,  we  feel  assured 
that  the  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest 
to  many  of  our  readers,  and  gladly  give  it  a  place 
in  this  volume. 

Mr.  Foster  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  111.,  on 
the  10th  of  September,  1845,  and  is  the  younger 
of  two  sons,  whose  parents  were  Milton  and  Abi- 
gail   (  Mills)    Foster.     The  family  is  of  English 


origin,  but  at  an  early  day  in  the  history  of 
America  was  founded  in  this  country.  Milton 
Foster  was  a  native  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
and  resided  upon  a  farm  in  that  locality  until  his 
father's  family  removed  to  southern  Indiana. 
There  he  lived  until  about  1833,  when  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Fulton 
County,  where  he  made  his  home  until  1857.  In 
that  year  he  removed  to  Prairie  City,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  and  grain  business  for  three 
years.  Later  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Prairie  City 
Township,  adjoining  the  corporation  limits  of  the 
village,  and  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
until  1874,  when  he  again  took  up  his  residence 
in  the  town  and  made  it  his  home  until  his  death. 
He  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
seven — a  highly-respected  citizen,  who  had  the 
warm  regard  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  held 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Church.  His 
father  served  in  the  War  of  181 2.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  was  also  born  in  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  and  her  last  days  were  spent  in  this  county. 
The  brother  of  our  subject,  Algernon  S. ,  entered 
the  army  during  the  late  war,  as  a  member  of  the 
band  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Regiment.  While  in  the 
sen-ice  he  was  taken  sick  and  sent  to  the  hospital 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  his  death  occurred  at 
the  early  age  of  twenty-three  years. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Z.  A.  Foster  was 
reared  to  manhood,  and  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
were  quietly  passed,  unmarked  by  any  event  of 
special  importance.  He  continued  at  home  until 
his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in  April, 
1872,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Hettie  E. 
White,  of  Prairie  City.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  three  children,  but  one  of  the  number  died 
in  infancy.  Abbie  Estelle  is  now  the  wife  of 
Sanford  C.  Love,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  a  rail- 
road company  and  resides  in  Lincoln,  Neb;  and 
Mamie  is  yet  at  home. 

In  1857,  Mr.  Foster  came  to  Prairie  City  and 
embarked  in  the  grocery  business.  Here  he  has 
carried  on  operations  as  a  merchant  continuously 
since.  For  a  time  he  was  not  alone  in  business, 
but  in  1892  he  purchased  his  partner's  interest 
and  is  now  sole  proprietor  of  a  general  store.  He 
carries    a    full    line  of  dry    goods,  notions,  boots 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


263 


and  shoes,  groceries,  etc.,  and  has  a  good  store 
and  is  doing  a  nice  business.  From  the  begin- 
ning he  has  enjoyed  a  fair  trade,  and  a  liberal 
patronage  is  now  accorded  him. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Foster  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  is  now  serving  as  Supervisor  of 
the  township,  and  has  served  as  Town  Clerk  and 
as  a  member  of  the  School  Board.  His  wife  holds 
membership  with  the  Baptist  Church,  and  he 
contributes  liberally  to  its  support,  as  well  as  to 
other  worthy  interests  and  enterprises.  He  has  a 
wide  acquaintance  throughout  this  community, 
and  is  recognized  as  one  of  its  leading  and  influ- 
ential citizens. 


(TAMES  P.  GUTHRIE,  who  is  extensively  en- 
I  gaged  in  the  insurance  business,  is  a  repre- 
(2/  sentative  of  the  Bankers'  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, and  has  charge  of  its  interests  in  fourteen 
counties.  He  is  a  well-known  citizen  of  this  com- 
munity, where  he  has  resided  since  the  age  of 
seven  years,  and  on  account  of  his  extensive  ac- 
quaintance we  feel  assured  that  the  record  of  his 
life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers, 
and  therefore  gladly  give  it  a  place  in  this  volume. 
Mr.  Guthrie  was  born  in  Adams  County,  111., 
February  26,  i860,  and  is  of  Scotch-Irish  ex- 
traction. His  great-grandfather  was  a  native  of 
Scotland,  and,  emigrating  to  America,  became  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  this  country.  The  grand- 
father, John  P.  Guthrie,  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  from  that  .State  removed  to  Kentucky,  where 
William  L.  Guthrie,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born.  The  latter  emigrated  to  Adams  County, 
111.,  with  his  parents  in  an  early  day  and  was  there 
reared  and  educated.  On  the  13th  of  September, 
[855,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Amanda  Breckbill,  of  Adams  County,  and  by 
their  union  were  born  eight  children,  six  sons  and 
two  daughters,  namely:  Dorman,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; James  P.,  of  this  sketch;  William  E.,  who 
is  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  in  Hamil- 
ton; Laura  M..  who  resides  at  home;  George  W., 
who  died  in  infancy;  Ida  M.,  wife  of  James  Hurst, 


a  farmer;  and  Charles  and  Harry  L. ,  both  of  whom 
died  in  infancy. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Hamilton  in  1867,  and 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  this  city, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  until  a  youth  of  six- 
teen. He  began  earning  his  own  livelihood  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years,  at  which  time  he  engaged  in 
buying  old  rags  and  iron.  He  continued  this 
work  for  two  seasons,  and  thereby  provided  for 
his  own  support.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  be- 
gan working  on  a  farm,  and  was  thus  employed 
through  the  summer  months,  while  in  the  winter 
season  he  attended  school.  He  continued  to  work 
as  a  farm  hand  for  three  years,  when,  at  the  age 
of  seventeen,  he  began  to  learn  the  butcher's  trade 
at  a  salary  of  $5  per  month.  He  served  a  three- 
years  apprenticeship,  and  when  he  had  completed 
the  same  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  shop 
of  Casley  &  Guthrie.  This  partnership  was  con- 
tinued for  two  years,  when  he  sold  his  interest  in 
the  business  and  opened  a  shop  of  his  own,  which 
he  conducted  alone  until  1889. 

Since  that  time  Mr.  Guthrie  has  been  engaged 
in  the  life-insurance  business.  He  became  con- 
nected with  the  Hartford  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, but  after  four  months  became  agent  for  the 
Fidelity,  with  which  he  continued  six  months. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period,  he  entered  into 
relations  with  the  Bankers'  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, and  is  now  Superintendent  of  the  district, 
comprising  fourteen  counties.  He  is  well  adapted 
for  this  work,  for  he  is  pleasant  and  entertaining 
in  manner  and  possesses  good  business  ability. 

On  the  20th  of  October,  1886,  Mr.  Guthrie  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Harriet  M.  Poling,  a 
native  of  Hancock  County,  and  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Ann  (Lakin)  Poling.  To  them  have 
been  born  two  children,  both  daughters,  Hazel 
A.  and  Ruby  L-  The  parents  are  well  known  in 
this  community  and  have  a  wide  circle  of  warm 
friends  and  agreeable  acquaintances. 

Mr.  Guthrie  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  part}-.  He  has  served 
as  Assistant  Postmaster  of  Hamilton,  but  has 
never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  continuously 
seeking  office;  he  takes,  however,  a  deep  interest 


264 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  political  questions,  and  is  alwaj-s  well  informed 
on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  is  also  interested  in 
civic  societies,  and  holds  membership  with  Monte- 
bello  Lodge  No.  697,  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  also  be- 
longs to  Black  Hawk  Lodge  No.  238,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.;  to  Rapid  City  Lodge  No.  286,  K.  P.,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church.  Mr.  Guthrie 
may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years  he  was  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources,  and  since  that  time  has  made  his  own 
way  in  the  world.  His  success,  therefore,  may  be 
attributed  entirely  to  his  own  efforts. 

Mr.  Guthrie  has  always  used  his.  influence  for 
the  advancement  of  the  best  interests  of  the  city. 
In  1889,  with  the  assistance  and  encouragement 
of  the  late  Ed  Ruggles,  he  was  instrumental  in 
getting  the  first  newspaper,  the  Hamilton  Press, 
established  here.  It  was  started  by  a  Mr.  Sher- 
man, who,  in  June,  1890,  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
A.  L.  McArthur,  the  present  able  and  efficient 
proprietor.  To  Mr.  Guthrie  also  belongs  the 
credit  for  getting  two  merchant-tailoring  establish- 
ments located  here.  To  these  achievements  must 
be  added  the  honor  of  inciting  the  monied  men  of 
the  city  to  establish  the  Canning  Factory,  which 
is  now  running  on  a  paying  basis.  The  boom  the 
city  enjoyed  at  that  time,  and  its  somewhat  rapid 
development  and  improvement,  which  have  stead- 
ily gone  forward  since,  are  in  a  large  measure  due 
to  his  enterprise  and  public-spiritedness. 


EWIS  WHETSEL  CAMP,  second  son  of 
I  C  Daniel  A.  Camp  (see  biography  of  W.  M. 
I  J  Camp),  was  born  in  Chalmers  Township, 
McDonough  County,  111.,  October  3,  1858.  He 
had  not  yet  reached  the  completion  of  his  fourth 
year  when  cruel  war  robbed  him  of  his  father.  He 
remained  with  his  mother  on  the  home  farm  un- 
til the  spring  of  1877,  attending  the  country 
school  for  a  few  years  while  small.  When  twelve 
years  old,  he  went  out  to  work  by  the  month 
through  the  summer  on  a  farm,  and  after  that 
spent  but  one  summer  at  home.  He  is  largely 
self-educated,  as  he  never  attended  school  after  he 


was  sixteen  years  of  age.  At  the  age  of  twenty 
years  he  engaged  in  farming  on  his  own  account, 
on  rented  laud,  making  a  success  of  the  undertak- 
ing, and  continued  operations  in  that  manner  un- 
til the  spring  of  1888. 

At  the  last-named  date,  he  moved  to  Hubbell, 
Thayer  County,  Neb.,  where  he  conducted  a  liv- 
ery business  one  year.  Returning  to  Illinois,  he 
located  in  Macomb,  and  has  since  continued  to 
reside  here.  During  this  time,  he  has  carried  on 
a  dray  line,  and  now  employs  six  teams.  In  ev- 
ery undertaking  of  his  life,  Mr.  Camp  has  made 
a  success  by  his  energy  and  attention  to  his  own 
business,  leaving  others  to  care  for  theirs  without 
his  interference.  He  owns  a  comfortable  home  in 
Macomb,  and  town  property  beside. 

Mr.  Camp  is  a  member  of  the  Uuiversalist 
Church,  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid.  He  ad- 
heres to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party, 
without  any  sign  of  wavering.  December  15, 
1880,  he  married  Miss  Carrie  Goodwin,  a  native 
of  Macomb,  and  daughter  of  Washington  and 
Mary  (Dolan)  Goodwin,  of  English  and  Irish  de- 
scent. Ray  Elwin  is  the  only  offspring  of  this 
marriage,  and  is  now  eight  years  old. 

6 — =s=aTT^rB=s= §1 


ROBERT  C.  WILCOX,  one  of  the  representa- 
tive merchants  of  Bardolph,  who  is  actively 
engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer  in  hardware 
and  groceries,  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  McDon- 
ough County,  being  numbered  among  her  native 
sons.  He  was  born  September  21,  1862.  His 
parents  were  John  M.  and  Mary  Z.  V.  (Yocum) 
Wilcox.  His  maternal  grandfather  served  in  the 
Black  Hawk  War  and  held  an  officer's  commis- 
sion. 

John  M.  Wilcox  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and 
resided  in  that  State  until  after  the  death  of  his 
father,  when,  with  his  mother  and  her  family,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early 
settlers  of  McDonough  County.  He  continued  to 
engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1849,  when 
the  srold  excitement  in  California  caused   him  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


265 


make  a  trip  to  that  State.  A  few  years  later, 
however,  he  returned  to  McDonough  County, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  Much  of  his 
life  has  been  spent  as  a  farmer,  and  he  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  successful  and  enterprising  ag- 
riculturists of  the  community,  but  about  seven 
years  since  he  removed  to  Bardolph  and  em- 
barked in  the  lumber  business,  which  he  still  con- 
tinues. The  children  of  the  family  were:  George 
T.,  recently  deceased,  who  married  Hettie  Darr, 
and  with  his  wife  and  two  children  resided  in 
Bardolph:  Elvira,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years:  William  P.,  who  died  in  1884;  Mary  A., 
wife  of  E.  T.  Lindsay,  of  Nebraska,  by  whom  she 
has  three  children:  and  John  R.,  who  married 
Nancy  E.  Portlock.  They  have  one  child  and 
reside  in  Bardolph. 

Mr.  Wilcox  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
born  on  his  father's  farm  in  this  county,  and  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  lads.  The  summer  months 
were  passed  in  work  in  the  fields,  and  in  the  win- 
ter season  he  conned  his  lessons  in  the  common 
schools,  thus  acquiring  a  good  English  education, 
which  fitted  him  for  the  practical  and  responsible 
duties  of  life.  He  remained  on  the  old  home- 
stead until  1892,  when  he  left  the  farm  and  came 
to  Bardolph.  where  for  a  year  and  a-half  he  was 
employed  in  his  father's  lumber  yard.  He  then 
determined  to  engage  in  business  for  himself,  and 
became  proprietor  of  the  hardware  and  grocery 
store  which  he  now  carries  on. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1885,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Robert  C.  Wilcox  and  Miss  Car- 
rie M.  Portlock,  a  most  estimable  lady.  Three 
children  grace  their  union,  all  daughters:  Leah 
M.,  seven  years  of  age;  Maude  G.,  aged  five 
years;  and  Eva  M.,  a  baby  of  three  years.  The 
parents  hold  membership  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  take  an  active  interest  in 
its  work  and  upbuilding.  Their  pleasant  home 
is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  they  have  many 
friends  throughout  this  community  who  esteem 
them  highly. 

Mr.  Wilcox  is  a  member  of  the  Modem  Wood- 
men of  America,  and  in  politics  is  a  supporter  of 
the    Democratic    party  ami    its    principles.      The 


cause  of  education  has  ever  found  in  him  a  warm 
friend,  and  for  two  years  he  served  as  .School  Di- 
rector. He  is  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  sa- 
gacious, enterprising  and  persevering,  and  is 
well  entitled  to  the  liberal  patronage  which  he 
now  receives. 


^HHM 


(JOHN  PAULROARK,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  lead- 
I  ing  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Bushnell,  111., 
C2/  was  born  on  the  5th  of  July,  1864,  near  Ma- 
comb, McDonough  County,  and  was  the  eldest 
in  a  family  of  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four 
daughters,  whose  parents  were  James  and  Cath- 
erine (McGiunis)  Roark.  On  both  the  paternal 
and  maternal  sides  our  subject  is  of  Irish  descent. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  where 
he  resided  until  1861,  when  he  crossed  the  broad 
Atlantic  to  America.  Coming  west  to  Illinois,  he 
purchased  a  farm  in  Chalmers  Township,  Mc 
Donough  County,  where  he  still  resides.  He  was 
only  about  nineteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
emigration.  Since  his  arrival  here  he  has  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  is 
now  ranked  among  the  substantial  farmers  of  the 
neighborhood.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of 
the  Democratic  party.  His  wife  was  born  in  Mc 
Donough  County,  but  her  parents  were  natives  of 
Ireland,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1840. 

The  children  of  the  Roark  family  are:  John 
Paul,  of  this  sketch;  Patrick  D.,  who  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business  in  Macomb;  Mary, 
who  is  still  at  home;  Michael  E.,  who  is  engaged 
in  teaching  school  and  in  reading  law  in  his  na- 
tive county;  and  Susie,  Jo,  Kate,  Nell,  Jimmie 
and  Louis,  who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  and  attended  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood  until  about  seventeen  years  of  age. 
He  then  supplemented  his  early  educational  ad- 
vantages by  study  in  the  Macomb  Normal  College. 
Later,  he  embarked  in  teaching,  which  profession 
he  followed  for  two  years,  but  it  was  his  desire  to 
enter  the  medical  profession,  and  to  this  end  he 
entered  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  where 


266 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


for  three  years  he  pursued  his  studies,  graduating 
from  that  institution  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period.  He  also  attended  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Cook  County  School  of  Surgery. 

When  his  college  course  was  completed,  Dr. 
Roark  came  to  Bushnell,  in  1889,  and,  opening  an 
office,  began  the  practice  of  his  profession,  to 
which  he  has  since  devoted  his  energies.  On  the 
iSth  of  October,  1893,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  G.  Stanton,  of  White  Hall,  111. 
Both  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  So- 
cially, the  Doctor  is  a  member  of  Chevalier  Lodge 
No.  101,  K.  1'.,  of  Bushnell;  and  also  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  On  subjects  of 
national  importance,  he  votes  with  the  Democratic 
party,  but  at  local  elections  supports  the  candi- 
dates whom  he  thinks  best  qualified,  regardless 
of  party  affiliations.  He  has  served  as  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Health  since  locating  in  Bushnell. 
Recognized  as  a  skilled  physician,  he  receives 
a  liberal  patronage,  which  is  well  merited.  He  al- 
ways keeps  abreast  with  the  times,  and  is  a  thor- 
ough student  of  even-thing  connected  with  the 
science  of  medicine,  so  that  this  success  is  the  re- 
sult of  his  earnest  efforts.  The  Doctor  has  always 
lived  in  McDonough  County,  and  is  both  wideb- 
and favorably  known. 

g  i'  c=j<"  T  "S-ira  m 

~T  EI  BROWN  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of 
>)  McDonough  County,  and  in  this  volume  he 
__  well  deserves  representation .  He  resides  on 
section  25,  Bushnell  Township,  where  he  is  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  farming.  A  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, he  was  born  in  Crawford  County  in 
1828,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Elmira  (Hicker- 
nell)  Brown.  His  parents  were  both  born  in  the 
Keystone  State,  and  were  of  German  origin,  but 
they  died  during  the  early  boyhood  of  our  sub- 
ject, and  hence  he  knows  little  concerning  his 
ancestry.  In  the  family  were  two  sons,  and  he 
was  the  elder. 

Eli  Brown  was  only  four  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  mother's  death,  and  when  a  lad  of  ten 
he  was  left  an  orphan.     Thus  early  in  life  he  was 


thrown  upon  his  own  resources  to  make  his  way 
in  the  world  as  best  he  could.  He  went  to  live 
with  a  farmer,  with  whom  he  remained  for  seven 
years,  during  which  time  he  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  to  a  limited  extent.  His  training  at 
farm  labor,  however,  was  not  meagre.  Pie  early 
began  work  in  the  fields,  and  as  soon  as  old 
enough  to  handle  the  plow  he  began  turning  the 
furrows,  where  in  course  of  time  would  be  gar- 
nered plentiful  harvests.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen he  left  Pennsylvania,  and,  emigrating  west- 
ward, took  up  his  residence  in  Fulton  County,  111. , 
only  a  short  distance  from  where  he  now  lives. 
He  began  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  followed  continuously  until  i860,  when  he 
made  his  first  purchase  of  land.  He  had  worked 
earnestly  and  untiringly,  and  with  the  capital  he 
had  thereby  acquired  he  purchased  forty  acres  in 
Bushnell  Township,  McDonough  County.  He 
at  once  began  to  improve  the  tract,  and  has  since 
made  his  home  thereon.  With  characteristic  en- 
erg}-  he  began  its  cultivation,  and  the  wild  land 
was  soon  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile  fields. 
He  has  erected  good  buildings,  and  all  of  these 
improvements  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift 
and  enterprise.  As  time  passed  and  his  earnest 
labors  increased  his  financial  resources,  he  ex- 
tended the  boundaries  of  his  farm,  which  com- 
prises two  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  in  addition 
to  this  he  owns  a  section  (six  hundred  and  forty 
acres)  of  land  in  Gosper  County,  Neb.  The  place 
is  neat  and  thrift}-  in  appearance,  and  the  well- 
tilled  fields  yield  to  the  owner  a  golden  tribute  in 
return  for  the  labor  he  bestows  upon  them. 

On  the  27th  of  April,  1857,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Brown  and  Miss  Perfenia  Buck, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  during  her  infancy 
was  brought  to  Illinois  by  her  parents,  Peter  and 
Polly  (Gaube)  Buck,  who  are  mentioned  else- 
where in  this  work  in  connection  with  the  sketch 
of  Joseph  Buck.  Two  children  were  born  unto 
our  subject  and  his  wife,  James  F.  and  Charles 
W.,  who  are  wide-awake  and  enterprising  young 
men,  extensively  engaged  in  the  foundry  business 
in  Bushnell. 

The  best  interests  of  the  community  have  ever 
found   in    Mr.  Brown    a    warm    friend.      He  has 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


267 


done  much  to  advance  the  cause  of  education, 
and  for  fifteen  years  has  faithfully  served  as 
School  Director  in  his  district.  Throughout  his 
life  he  has  endeavored  to  follow  the  Golden  Rule, 
and  his  career  has  ever  been  an  honorable  and 
straightforward  one,  which  has  gained  him  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
been  brought  in  connection.  In  politics,  he  has 
ever  been  a  stalwart  Democrat,  and  has  the  cour- 
age of  his  convictions. 

CTOM  H.  B.  CAMP,  the  well-known,  genial 
I  C  and  gentlemanly  editor  of  the  Bushnell  Rec- 
\2)  <"'d-  published  in  Bushnell,  111.,  needs  no 
special  introduction  to  the  readers  of  this  volume, 
for  few  men  have  a  wider  acquaintance  in  Mc- 
Donough  County  and  this  part  of  the  State  than 
he.  He  was  born  in  the  county  which  is  still  his 
home,  August  16,  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  Sterling 
P.  and  Samantha  (Hains)  Camp.  His  father 
came  of  an  old  family  of  East  Tennessee  which 
strongly  supported  the  Abolition  cause,  and  his 
mother  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Sterling 
Camp  came  to  McDonough  County  in  the  early 
'50s  and  settled  in  Walnut  Grove  Township, 
where  he  followed  farming  until  his  death,  in  the 
spring  of  1870.  His  widow  still  survives  him. 
Their  children  were  as  follows:  Tom,  of  this 
sketch;  John  R.,  who  was  born  February  6, 
1862;  William,  who  was  born  November  2,  1863, 
and  is  now  living  in  Jacksonville,  111.:  Frank, 
born  November  4,  1865;  and  Anna  K.,  born  April 
6,  1870. 

The  first  ancestor  of  our  subject  of  whom  we 
have  any  certain  knowledge  was  Sterling  Camp, 
a  country  squire  and  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution 
from  South  Carolina.  He  was  of  English  origin, 
and  his  wife  was  of  full  Welsh  blood.  Their  son 
John,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
an  East  Tennessee  planter,  who  was  the  owner  of 
a  number  of  slaves.  He  gave  to  his  sou  Sterling 
one  of  the  negroes,  a  colored  preacher.  As  Ster- 
ling could  not  free  him  under  the  laws  of  the 
State  of  Tennessee,  he  did   the  next  best   thing, 


allowing  him  liberty  to  go  and  come  as  he 
pleased.  The  old  man  long  outlived  his  master. 
The  sympathies  of  the  Camp  family  were  all  on 
the  side  of  the  Union,  ami  Tom  Camp,  an  uncle  of 
our  subject,  served  throughout  the  late  war  among 
the  boys  in  blue.  He  is  now  living  in  Beebe, 
Ark.  His  brother,  John  B.,  was  drafted  into  the 
Confederate  service  when  but  a  boy,  but  on  ac- 
count of  an  injured  foot  he  was  unable  to  go  to 
the  front.  He  then  managed  to  evade  the  pro- 
vost officers  until  enabled  to  make  his  way  through 
the  lines  to  the  North.  After  coming  to  the 
North,  he  attended  school  for  a  time,  and  then 
went  to  California.  He  is  now  engaged  in  fruit- 
culture  in  Pomona.  Three  sisters  of  the  family 
married  and  live  in  the  South. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads 
spent  his  early  boyhood  days.  Eater  he  attended 
the  High  School  of  Macomb,  and  subsequently  be- 
came a  member  of  the  first  class  which  was  grad- 
uated from  the  High  School  of  Bushnell.  He 
then  engaged  in  teaching,  also  worked  in  a  brick- 
yard for  a  time,  and  later  gave  his  attention  to 
farming.  His  connection  with  the  printing  busi- 
ness began  in  1889,  when  he  commenced  learning 
the  trade  in  the  office  of  The  Gleaner.  Two  years 
later,  in  connection  with  Charles  W.  Taylor,  he 
purchased  the  Bushnell  Record,  a  paper  founded 
in  1868  by  Capt.  Epperson.  On  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary ,  1893,  John  Camp  purchased  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Taylor,  who  became  an  editorial  writer  on 
the  Chicago  Tribune,  and  the  firm  of  Camp 
Brothers  has  since  continued  the  publication  of 
the  Bushnell  Record. 

On  the  23d  of  December.  1882,  Tom  Camp  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Jessie  Fremont  Baker, 
daughter  of  Frank  N.  Baker,  of  Hannibal,  Mo., 
and  a  native  of  Connecticut.  Three  children  have 
been  born  unto  them:  Howard  Sterling,  Frank 
Baker  and  Mar)-  Inez. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1885,  John  R.  Campled 
to  the  marriage  altar  Lura  C.  Keral,  and  one 
child  graces  their  union,  Lura  Zolene.  The  jun- 
ior member  of  the  firm  of  Camp  Brothers  learned 
his  trade  in  the  office  where  he  is  now  a  partner. 
He  began  work  therein  on  the  1st  of  April,  1878, 


268 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  has  served  in  its  various  capacities  from  er- 
rand-boy up  to  proprietor.  The  Bushnell  Record 
is  a  bright  and  newsy  sheet,  well  edited,  and  the 
liberal  patronage  which  it  receives  is  well  de- 
served. The  proprietors  are  both  supporters  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  the  paper  is  published 
in  the  interests  of  that  organization. 

John  Camp  has  served  as  Town  Collector,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  of  the  Subordinate  Lodge  and  Encampment, 
I.  O.  O.  F.  He  has  been  several  times  Secretary 
and  Chief  Patriarch  in  the  latter  order,  and  has 
represented  his  lodge  in  the  Grand  Lodge. 

Tom  Camp  has  been  elected  to  several  local  of- 
fices and  takes  quite  a  prominent  part  in  politics, 
but  his  influence  is  generally  used  for  the  support 
of  a  friend.  When  the  Republican  County  Con- 
vention convened  in  1892  to  nominate  a  candi- 
date for  Representative,  several  ballots  were 
taken  without  any  person  receiving  a  majority. 
No  great  enthusiasm  was  shown  for  any  candi- 
date. At  length  the  Colchester  delegation  gave 
sixteen  votes  for  Mr.  Camp,  and  the  Blandinsville 
delegation  followed  with  seven.  Other  delegations 
which  had  previously  voted  tried  to  recall  them, 
and  it  was  moved  that  Mr.  Camp  be  nominated 
by  acclamation.  The  motion  was  seconded  from 
all  parts  of  the  house,  and  it  was  soon  seen  that 
Mr.  Camp  was  the  popular  candidate,  but  he  had 
helped  place  Mr.  Kaiser,  of  Bushnell,  before  the 
convention,  and  in  view  of  this  fact,  together 
with  other  reasons,  he  declined  the  honor  confer- 
red upon  him.  The  Colchester  Independent^ 
speaking  of  the  incident,  said:  "It  was  a  splen- 
did tribute  to  a  splendid  man,"  and  this  senti- 
ment was  largely  echoed  throughout  the  county. 
Our  subject  has  served  as  Alderman  for  two 
terms,  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as 
President  of  the  Board  of  Education.  The  best 
interests  of  the  community  always  receive  his 
support,  and  he  is  enthusiastic  in  the  promotion 
of  those  enterprises  calculated  to  advance  the  gen- 
eral welfare.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias. 

Mr.  Camp  is  an  ardent  follower  of  Isaac  Wal- 


ton and  takes  great  delight  in  the  use  of  the 
rod  and  line.  Of  a  social  disposition,  he  is  friendly 
and  genial  in  manner,  enjoys  good  humor,  and  is 
an  entertaining  conversationalist.  His  friends 
throughout  the  county  where  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed  are  indeed  man}'. 

®= ,,rl=D <*Hr*^"fa  &  Hi 

fDQlLLIAM  E.  LEWIS,  editor  and  publisher 
\  A  /  °f tne  Prairie  City  Herald,  and  a  representa- 
V  V  tive  citizen  of  that  place,  was  born  in  Pied- 
mont, Va. ,  on  the  2d  of  August,  1852,  and  is  a  son 
of  Benjamin  F.  and  Jane  (Johnson)  Lewis.  His  fa- 
ther was  a  native  of  Augusta  County,  Va.,  and 
there  resided  for  many  years.  In  early  life  he  em- 
barked in  merchandising,  and  successfully  contin- 
ued operations  along  that  line  until  after  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  late  war,  when  on  account  of  the  hard 
times  he  lost  the  most  of  his  property.  Reared  to 
southern  principles  and  views,  he  entered  the 
Confederate  army  and  served  with  Stonewall 
Jackson  during  the  entire  war.  When  the  struggle 
was  ended  he  came  to  Illinois,  in  1866,  locating  in 
Lewistown,  where  his  death  occurred  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years.  His  parents  were  both  na- 
tives of  America,  but  were  of  Scotch-Irish  ex- 
traction. The  mother  of  our  subject  was  also  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent.  She  too  was  a  native  of 
the  Old  Dominion,  and  died  in  Lewistown. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  younger  of  two 
children.  The  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  in  his  native  State,  and  he  then  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  Illinois, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  The  public 
schools  afforded  him  his  educational  privileges, 
and  his  service  in  the  printing-office  has  also 
added  greatly  to  his  knowledge,  making  him  a 
well-informed  man,  who  is  well  posted  on  all  the 
interests  and  issues  of  the  day.  Soon  after  locat- 
ing in  Lewistown,  he  began  learning  the  printer's 
trade,  and  was  employed  in  an  office  at  that  place 
for  about  four  years.  He  then  began  to  read  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1886. 

Mr.  Lewis  first  came  to  Prairie  City  in  1876. 
Here  he  engaged  in  the  publication  of  a  newspa- 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  Of  ILL 
URBANA 


Henry  C.  Twyman 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


271 


per  for  some  time,  and  also  continued  his  legal 
studies.  After  his  admission  to  the  Bar  he  be- 
gan practice  here,  and  has  since  continued  the 
prosecution  of  his  profession  in  connection  with 
the  publication  of  his  paper,  his  time  being  de- 
voted to  the  two  business  interests. 

Mr.  Lewis  took  for  his  wife  Miss  Ida  Steach, 
of  Prairie  City,  and  by  their  union  has  been  born 
a  daughter,  Hazel.  In  politics,  our  subject  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Democracy,  and  is  a  stalwart  ad- 
vocate of  its  principles.  His  paper  is  published 
in  the  interests  of  that  party,  and  he  does  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  cause. 


!^HHN 


HENRY  C.  TWVMAN,  deceased,  was  for 
many  years  numbered  among  the  leading 
business  men  of  Macomb,  and  no  one's  his- 
tory is  more  deserving  of  a  place  in  this  volume 
than  is  his.  He  was  born  in  Hodgensville, 
Ky. ,  on  the  nth  of  June,  1832,  and  spent  the 
days  of  his  youth  in  his  native  State.  He  was  a 
son  of  Elijah  and  Man-  (Bell )  Twymau,  natives 
of  Virginia.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  how- 
ever, he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and  came  to 
Macomb,  where  he  ever  afterwards  lived.  He 
became  a  leader  in  business  circles  and  worked  his 
way  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence.  He  was 
first  employed  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  Iverson 
Twyman  and  D.  P.  Wells.  The  former  was  his 
elder  brother,  who  had  come  to  Macomb  in  1836. 
This  gentleman  was  also  an  influential  citizen  of 
Macomb,  and  filled  various  responsible  positions. 
He  served  as  County  Assessor,  and  twice  held  the 
office  of  County  Treasurer.  He  was  also  col- 
lector for  the  North  Cross  Railroad  during  the 
time  of  its  construction.  He  possessed  most  ex- 
cellent business  and  executive  ability  and  those 
traits  of  character  which  win  success. 

Henry  Clay  Twyman  remained  in  his  brother's 
employ  for  several  years,  where  he  became  famil- 
iar with  business  methods,  acquiring  a  knowl- 
edge which  he  applied  to  his  own  dealings  when 
he  had  entered  into  business  for  himself.  In  1854, 
he   became   proprietor  of  a  drug  store,  which  he 

13 


carried  on  for  many  years.  He  met  with  excel- 
lent success  in  that  venture,  and  enjoyed  a  con- 
stantly increasing  trade,  which  in  course  of  time 
yielded  him  an  excellent  income.  He  had  no 
special  advantages  in  his  youth,  and  he  worked 
.his  way  upward  by  his  own  merit. 

On  the  gth  of  October,  1856,  Mr.  Twyman  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  Chandler, 
daughter  of  Col.  Charles  Chandler,  who  for  many 
years  was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  up- 
building and  development  of  Macomb.  Eight 
children  were  born  unto  our  subject  and  his  wife, 
and  five  of  the  number  are  yet  living,  namely: 
Belle,  who  was  born  November  5,  i860,  and  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  Mapes,  a  resident  of  Hutchin- 
son, Kan.;  Willis  F.,  who  was  born  July  30, 
1865,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  real-estate  busi- 
ness in  Macomb;  Catherine,  who  was  born  Octo- 
ber 2,  1870,  and  is  the  wife  of  Ross  C.  Hall,  an 
attorney  of  Chicago;  Mary  King,  who  was  born 
February  9,  1873,  and  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  C.  H. 
McLean,  of  Spokane,  Wash.;  and  Franklin,  who 
was  born  October  21,  1876,  and  is  now  a  student 
in  the  State  University  at  Champaign,  111.  Those 
deceased  are:  Charles  E.,  who  died  January  28, 
i860,  at  the  age  of  twenty  months;  Henry  Iver- 
son, who  was  born  September  2,  1863,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  ten  months;  and  Vilasco  C. ,  who 
died  February  20,  1889,  a  short  time  before  his 
twenty-first  birthday. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Twymau  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising in  Macomb,  first  as  a  dealer  in  drugs 
and  later  in  dry  goods.  He  was  straightforward 
and  honorable  in  all  dealings,  was  enterprising 
and  industrious,  and  progressive  though  conserv- 
ative. His  success  came  to  him  as  the  result  of 
well-directed  efforts  and  careful  attention  to  the 
details  of  his  business.  He  became  largely  inter- 
ested in  real  estate  and  was  the  owner  of  a  fine 
farm,  besides  considerable  valuable  town  property. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  original  stockholders  in 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Macomb.  He  died 
October  18,  1891,  in  the  faith  of  the  Christian 
Church,  of  which  he  had  long  been  a  member. 

Mrs.  Twyman  also  holds  membership  with  the 
Christian  Church,  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in 
church  and  charitable  work.     .She  still  resides  in 


272 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Macomb,  in  the  comfortable  home  left  her  by  her 
husband,  and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances.  Al- 
most her  entire  life  has  here  been  passed,  for  she 
belongs  to  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of 
the  county. 

£  "■   d<T  ">E5~  a) 

QQlLLIAM  G.  RICH,  who  is  engaged  in 
\A/  £eneral  farming  on  section  28,  Mound 
YV  Township,  McDouough  County,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Wur- 
temberg  on  the  17th  of  June,  i860.  His  par- 
ents, Frederick  and  Catherine  (Muelberger)  Rich, 
were  also  natives  of  that  country.  The  father 
was  bora  about  1834,  and  was  reared  as  a  Ger- 
man farmer.  Throughout  his  life  he  has  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits,  and  has  met  with  good 
success  iii  his  work.  Crossing  the  Atlantic  to 
America  in  1866,  he  landed  on  the  shores  of  the 
New  World,  and  at  once  made  his  way  to  Knox 
County,  111.  Some  time  afterwards  he  removed 
to  Mercer  County,  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  has  since  added  a 
tract  of  eighty  acres.  He  now  has  a  good  farm, 
which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  and  since 
coming  to  Illinois  has  held  several  township  of- 
fices. 

In  the  Rich  family  are  eight  children,  three 
sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  William  G.  of 
this  sketch  is  the  eldest.  The  others  are  Anna, 
Frederick,  Katie,  Paul,  Mary,  Rosa  and  Carrie. 
The  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by  the 
hand  of  death,  and  the  children  younger  than  our 
subject  are  still  living  with  their  parents  in  Mer- 
cer County. 

William  G.  Rich  was  only  six  years  old  when 
he  left  the  Fatherland  and  accompanied  the  fam- 
ily to  the  United  States.  He  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  neighborhood  until  thirteen 
years  of  age,  and  then  went  to  Galesburg,  111., 
where  he  entered  a  private  German  school,  and 
pursued  a  German  and  English  course  of  study 
for  two  years.     The  succeeding  three  years  of  his 


life  were  passed  in  learning  the  business  of  a  florist 
and  landscape  gardener  under  the  direction  of 
E.  H.  Miller,  of  Galesburg.  In  1877,  he  went 
to  Elmwood,  where,  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  McCoe, 
he  learned  the  business  of  finishing  furniture. 
One  year  was  spent  in  that  place,  after  which  he 
came  to  McDonough  Count}-,  where  he  has  since 
engaged  in  farming. 

On  the  21st  of  February,  1884,  Mr.  Rich  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Ida  M.  Scott,  and  by 
their  union  have  been  born  five  children,  all  of 
whom  are  still  at  home,  namely:  Bernice  Estella, 
CardL.,  Lloyd  S.,  Harrison  R.  and  Jennie  Grace. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Rich  were  Harrison  R.  and 
Annie  M.  Scott.  They  were  numbered  among 
the  early  settlers  of  McDonough  County,  and 
here  resided  for  many  years.  The  father  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  September  4,  1889,  but  the 
mother  is  now  living  in  New  Philadelphia,  111. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rich  reside  upon  a  good  farm  of 
eighty  acres,  forty  acres  of  which  Mrs.  Rich  in- 
herited from  her  father,  while  the  remainder  was 
purchased  by  our  subject  in  1883.  He  has  placed 
the  entire  amount  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  it  yields  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return 
for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  it.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rich  are  members  of  the  Free- Will 
Baptist  Church,  in  which  they  take  an  active  in- 
terest, and  he  also  holds  membership  with  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  exercises 
his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Republi- 
can party,  with  which  he  has  affiliated  since  at- 
taining his  majority. 


S^HM 


^"HOMAS  T.  HULEN,  the  genial  and  pleas- 
I  C  ant  proprietor  of  the  Commercial  Hotel,  of 
Vy  Augusta,  was  born  in  Randolph  County, 
N.  C,  October  30,  1837.  His  grandfather,  Will- 
iam Hulen,  was  a  farmer  of  that  State,  and  reached 
an  advanced  age.  He  reared  a  family  of  three 
sons  one  of  whom,  George  P.,  became  the  father 
of  our  subject.  He  was  also  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina, and  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  After 
arriving   at  years   of  maturity,   he  married  Jane 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


273 


Hardister,  a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Elisha  Hardister,  who  was  born  in  Mary- 
land. The  last-named  served  in  the  War  of  18 12. 
By  occupation  he  was  a  hatter  and  fanner,  and 
owned  a  number  of  slaves. 

In  1S45,  George  P.  Hulen  left  the  South  and 
made  his  way  to  Illinois.  He  located  in  Elm 
Grove,  where  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land, 
to  which  he  afterward  added  a  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres.  This  farm  he  greatly  im- 
proved, continuing  its  cultivation  until  his  death 
in  1862,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  His  wife 
survived  him  about  twenty  years,  and  died  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-four.  They  were  both 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
were  highly  respected  citizens.  Their  family 
numbered  three  children,  a  son  and  two  daugh- 
ters, I  nit  the  former  is  the  only  one  now  living. 

T.  T.  Hulen  was  a  boy  of  eight  years  when, 
with  his  parents,  he  removed  to  Adams  County, 
111.,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  The  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  neighborhood  afforded  him  his 
educational  privileges.  After  he  had  attained 
mature  years  his  father  gave  him  a  start  in  life, 
and  he  began  farming  in  his  own  interest.  He 
was  married  on  the  3d  of  March,  1859.  to  Miss 
Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Jesse  and  Martha  (Shoe- 
maker) Burke,  of  Schuyler  County,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  two  children.  The  elder, 
Cora  M.,  married  Rev.  J.  F.  Homey,  a  Method- 
ist minister  of  the  Illinois  Conference,  and  died, 
leaving  a  daughter,  Mary  E.  George  B.  mar- 
ried Miss  Ida  Jones,  and  resides  in  Augusta.  The 
mother  died  November  7,  1885.  She  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  her 
loss  was  deeply  mourned,  as  she  had  many  friends 
throughout  the  community. 

On  the  22d  of  July.  1888,  Mr.  Hulen  married 
Mrs.  Hester  A.  Skelley,  widow  of  James  Skelley. 
She  was  born  in  Randolph  Count)-,  Ind.,  July  14, 
1842,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  B.  and  Mary 
(Rash)  Doty,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  the  latter  of  Maryland.  Her  father, 
however,  was  reared  in  Ohio  until  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
Randolph  County,  Ind.  Although  too'old  to  go 
to    the  war    himself,    he    raised    two   companies, 


drilled  them  for  service,  and  placed  the  first  com- 
pany in  charge  of  Capt.  William  Burroughs. 
The  second  company  was  commanded  by  Capt. 
William  Macy.  When  it  went  South,  Mr.  Doty 
was  also  determined  to  enter  the  service,  and  went 
to  Nashville,  but  was  not  accepted  on  account  of 
his  age.  He  was  numbered  among  the  honored 
pioneers  of  Randolph  County,  and  after  locating 
there  walked  forty  miles  in  order  to  enter  his  land, 
camping  one  night  with  the  Indians,  who  were 
very  numerous  in  that  locality.  His  wife  was 
fifteen  days  his  senior,  and  they  were  but  eighteen 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  their  marriage.  His 
death  occurred  June  20,  1873,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight  years,  and  Mrs.  Doty  is  still  living,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-nine.  They  were  both  members 
of  the  Christian  Church. 

In  the  Doty  family  were  five  sons  and  eight 
'daughters,  nine  of  whom  are  yet  living:  LeviM., 
of  Dallas  County,  Iowa;  Hester  Ann,  wife  of  T. 
T.  Hulen;  Sarah  Ellen,  wife  of  Allen  Yost,  of 
Randolph  County,  Ind.;  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Laban 
Tunes,  of  Kokomo,  Ind.;  Delilah,  wife  of  J.  F. 
Fulton,  of  Muncie,  Ind.;  Emma,  wife  of  James 
R.  Davidson,  of  Frankfort,  Ind.;  Melvina,  wife 
of  David  Rowe,  of  Kokomo;  John  M.,  of  Marion. 
Ind.;  and  Benjamin  F.,  of  Decatur,  111. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Hulen,  Frazy 
Doty,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  served 
in  the  War  of  181 2,  the  Mexican  War  and  the 
Indian  War,  He  also  lived  to  see  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  for  forty-eight 
years  was  a  minister  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  At  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years  he  was 
murdered  for  his  money,  having  drawn  a  pension 
of  $800  the  day  previous.  His  wife  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years,  and  died  of 
paralysis,  July  20,  1892.  The  maternal  grand- 
father of  Mrs.  Hulen,  Henry  Rash,  was  a  native 
of  Ireland,  and  at  the  age  often  years  he  came  to 
America,  having  hidden  in  the  hull  of  a  vessel, 
where  he  remained  for  three  days  without  food. 
He  grew  to  manhood  in  New  Jersey,  and  there 
married  a  lady  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Maine. 
His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty-eight. 
They  were  buried  near  Indianapolis,   Ind.      Mrs. 


274 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Hulen's  first  husband,  James  A.  Skelley,  served 
for  three  years  and  three  months  as  a  Union  sol- 
dier during  the  late  war. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  he  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  and  the  Home  Forum.  In  poli- 
tics, he  is  a  Republican,  and  served  as  Postmaster 
of  Elm  Grove,  111. ,  for  twenty  years.  He  also  has 
held  a  number  of  township  offices,  and  discharged 
their  duties 'with  promptness  and  fidelity.  For 
many  years  he  followed  farming,  and  now  owns 
two  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  valuable  land 
in  Adams  County,  which  yield  to  him  a  good  in- 
come. In  July,  1893,  he  came  to  Augusta,  and 
has  since  been  proprietor  of  the  Commercial  Hotel. 
His  house  is  well  conducted,  and  has  found  favor 
with  the  traveling  public,  whicli  gives  him  a  lib- 
eral and  well-deserved  patronage. 


gENJAMIN  GOULD,  who  is  now  living  re- 
tired, is  the  oldest  resident  of  Augusta.  He 
was  born  in  Pomfret,  Windham  County, 
Conn.,  June  2,  1808,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Olive 
(Keach)  Gould,  the  former  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  the  latter  of  Rhode  Island.  The 
father  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  followed  that 
business  through  the  winter  seasons,  while  in  the 
summer  he  worked  at  farming.  He  died  in  Pom- 
fret,  Conn.,  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years, 
and  his  wife  died  six  days  previously  at  the  age 
of  eighty-nine.  They  were  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  and  their  family  numbered 
thirteen  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  living, 
Benjamin  and  William.  The  latter  resides  in  Ox- 
ford, Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  at  the  age  of 
seventy -seven.  Their  sister  Nancy,  wife  of  John 
Griggs,  died  in  1890,  when  ninety -seven  years  of 
age.  The  Gould  family  in  America  sprang  from 
three  brothers,  natives  of  England,  who,  in  early 
Colonial  days,  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Benjamin  Gould  was  reared  in  Connecticut, 
and  in  1832  he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  by  way  of 
the  canals  and  the  lakes,  and  by  stage  and  horse- 


back. He  made  a  settlement  in  what  is  now 
Augusta  Township,  Hancock  County,  and  on 
Christmas  Day  of  1833  he  married  Miss  Rebecca 
Jones,  daughter  of  Cassandra  Jones.  Six  days 
later  the  young  couple  removed  to  Northeast 
Township,  Adams  County,  and  lived  upon  a  farm 
there  for  forty-seven  years.  Mr.  Gould  first  pre- 
empted one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres  of 
Government  land,  and  afterwards  bought  and 
sold  several  tracts.  In  his  seventy-fourth  year 
he  abandoned  farming,  and  for  the  past  twelve 
years  has  been  living  in  Augusta. 

Ten  children  were  born  to  our  subject  and  his 
wife,  four  sons  and  six  daughters.  Olive  C,  the 
eldest,  is  the  wife  of  Frank  McGinnis,  of  Cam- 
eron, Mo.;  Eliza  A.  is  now  deceased;  John  Henry 
makes  his  home  in  Obelisk,  Kan. ;  Elizabeth  has 
passed  away;  Ellen  is  the  wife  of  William  Bacon, 
of  Huntsville,  111.;  Benjamin  is  now  deceased; 
Benjamin  Leslie  is  living  in  Kansas  City,  Mo. ; 
Cynthia  has  departed  this  life;  Hattie  is  the  wife 
of  William  Edwards;  and  one  child  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  mother  of  this  family,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church,  died  in  1873. 
Mr.  Gould  afterwards  married  Mrs.  Hester 
Campbell,  widow  of  George  Campbell,  and  a 
daughter  of  Philip  Harney,  of  North  Carolina. 
Her  death  occurred  in  1884.  She  too  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church.  In  April,  1884,  Mr. 
Gould  wedded  Mrs.  Abigail  Bacon,  widow  of 
Abner  E.  Bacon,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Rhoda  (Hamilton)  Bowker,  natives  of  Vermont. 
By  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Gould  had  three 
daughters  and  two  sons:  Ann  Virginia,  wife  of 
William  Mead;  Enos,  of  Tacoma,  Wash.;  Nettie 
Almira,  deceased,  wife  of  Leander  Browning;  Eu- 
gene, deceased;  and  Carrie  R.,  wife  of  William 
Swartz,  of  Augusta  Township. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  faithful  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Christian  Church,  in 
which  he  served  as  Elder  for  man}-  years.  In 
politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig,  and  has  been  a  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  the  party.  In 
Adams  County  he  served  as  School  Treasurer  for 
thirty-seven  consecutive  years,  was  Justice  of  the 
Peace  seventeen  years,  and  during  that  time  no 
appeal  was  ever  taken  from  his  docket.     He  has 


POkTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


275 


been  Supervisor,  Assessor  and  Collector.  An 
honored  pioneer  of  Hancock  County,  he  is  fam- 
iliar with  its  history  from  the  days  of  its  early 
infancy.  He  built  the  first  cabin  in  Augusta, 
and  was  the  first  white  man  married  in  the  town- 
ship. He  is  now  nearly  eighty-six  years  of  age, 
and  is  still  remarkably  active  for  one  of  his  years. 
He  is  quietly  spending  his  declining  days  in  Au- 
gusta, where  he  is  surrounded  by  a  host  of  warm 
friends. 


=-^HHM 


gEORGE  HAVEN  EASTMAN,  who  carries 
on  general  farming  on  section  15,  Augusta 
Township,  Hancock  County,  was  born  in 
Meridian,  N.  H.,  March  3,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of 
Prosper  Lee  and  Eleanor  (Haven)  Eastman,  who 
were  also  natives  of  the  old  Granite  State.  They 
had  only  two  children,  George  and  Frank  Henien- 
way.  The  father  for  about  thirty  years  has  en- 
gaged in  dealing  in  live  stock,  and  now  makes  his 
home  in  Albany,  N.  Y.  In  early  life  he  followed 
fanning.  On  leaving  New  Hampshire,  he  re- 
moved to  New  York  City,  and  later  spent  a  few 
years  in  Wisconsin.  He  has  purchased  stock  all 
through  Ohio,  Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  other 
Western  States,  and  for  many  years  was  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother,  Timothy  C.  Eastman, 
who  died  in  September,  1893.  Many  years  ago 
be  came  to  Illinois,  and  purchased  seven  hundred 
acres  i  if  land,  which  he  gave  to  his  sons.  After- 
wards he  bought  an  adjoining  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  and  built  a  fine  residence 
upon  his  farm.  His  wife,  who  was  the  daughter 
of  a  Universalist  preacher,  died  May  5,  1874. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Joseph 
Eastman,  was  also  a  native  of  New  Hampshire, 
and  was  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  three  sons,  Timothy,  Stephen  and  Prosper, 
and  died  in  middle  life.  The  maternal  grandfa- 
ther, Moses  Haven,  was  also  born  in  the  Granite 
State,  and  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  life  to 
the  work  of  the  Gospel. 

George  Eastman  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord spent   the  first  three   years  of  his  life   in   the 


State  of  his  nativity,  and  then  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  the  Empire  State. 
The  greater  part  of  his  youth  was  spent  in  Al- 
bany, N.  Y.,  where  he  attended  the  public 
schools.  Later  he  entered  Williams  College,  of 
Williamstowu,  Mass.,  and  was  graduated  from 
that  institution  in  1886.  Soon  after  he  started 
for  the  West,  and  on  the  9th  of  July  of  that  year 
arrived  in  Augusta,  where  he  worked  under  his 
father's  instructions  until  188S,  when  the  latter 
presented  him  and  his  brother  with  their  beauti- 
ful homes. 

On  the  21st  of  October,  1889,  Mr.  Eastman  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Jennie  Estelle,  daugh- 
ter of  Nixon  and  Keziah  Lamar  (Robbins)  Bal- 
four, who  were  natives  of  North  Carolina.  The 
young  couple  hold  membership  with  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  take  an  active  part  in  its 
work  and  upbuilding,  and  contribute  liberally  to 
its  support.  Mr.  Eastman  is  now  serving  as  one 
of  the  Church  Trustees.  Socially,  he  is  a  Knight 
Templar  Mason,  and  holds  membership  with 
J.  L.  Anderson  Lodge  No.  318,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.; 
Augusta  Chapter  No.  72,  R.  A.  M.,  of  which  he 
was  High  Priest;  and  Almoner  Commandery  No. 
32,  K.  T.,  of  which  he  is  now  Past  Commander. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party  and  its  principles,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  political  preferment.  The 
cause  of  education  has  ever  found  in  him  a  warm 
friend,  and  he  is  now  the  capable  and  efficient 
President  of  the  School  Board.  The  best  in- 
terests of  the  community  ever  find  in  him  a  warm 
friend,  and  his  hearty  support  and  co-operation 
are  always  given  to  those  enterprises  which  he 
believes  will  prove  of  public  benefit. 


0RRIN  W.  CHATTERTON,  whoisengaged 
in  the  livery  business  in  Macomb,  asamem 
berofthe  firm  of  Camp  &  Chatterton,  was 
born  on  the  16th  of  April,  1864,  in  Emmet  Town- 
ship, McDonough  County.  His  parents  were 
Orrin  and  Permelia  J.  (Crabb)  Chatterton.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  and   re- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


276 

maiued  upon  a  farm  in  New  York  until  his  emi- 
gration to  the  West.  Locating  in  Illinois,  he 
purchased  a  farm  in  Emmet  Township,  Mc- 
Donough  County,  and  there  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at 
the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  He  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  the  county,  and  witnessed  much  of 
its  growth  and  development.  His  parents  were 
also  natives  of  New  York,  and  the  family  was 
probably  founded  in  America  during  Colonial 
days.  The  father  served  in  the  War  of  1812. 
Mrs.  Chatterton,  mother  of  our  subject,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  and  came  to  McDonough  County 
with  her  parents  during  the  days  of  early  maiden- 
hood. She  is  now  living  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Macomb  Township,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years. 
In  the  family  were  the  following  children:  Lucy, 
now  the  wife  of  Joseph  McGinnis,  of  Kenosha 
County,  Kan.;  Charles,  who  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  McDonough  County;  Josie,  wife  of  Riley 
Sutton,  of  this  county ;  Samuel,  also  an  agricul- 
turist of  this  county ;  and  Orrin  W. ,  of  this  sketch. 

Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  upon  the  old  homestead  farm,  remaining 
with  his  parents  until  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  which  he  attended 
through  the  winter  season,  while  in  the  summer 
months  he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  farm.  He 
inherited  from  his  father  some  land,  and  on  start- 
ing out  in  life  for  himself  began  the  further  de- 
velopment and  cultivation  of  this  tract,  which  he 
continued  to  successfully  operate  until  1893.  He 
then  sold  out  and  came  to  Macomb,  purchasing  a 
half-interest  in  the  livery  barn  with  which  he  is 
still  connected. 

On  the  15th  of  February,  1883,  Mr.  Chatterton 
led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Lydia  M.  Walker, 
of  McDonough  County,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children:  Walter  W.,  Lucian 
B.  and  Willie.  The  youngest,  however,  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  Chatterton  is  a  young  man  of  good 
business  and  executive  ability,  and  the  firm  with 
which  he  is  now  connected  receives  from  the  pub- 
lic a  liberal  patronage.  Their  barn  is  complete 
in  all  its  appointments,  and  by  their  earnest  en- 
deavors to  please  their  customers,  they  have  se- 


cured the  confidence  and  best  wishes  of  the  entire 
community.  Socially,  Mr.  Chatterton  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  belong- 
ing to  Montrose  Lodge  No.  104,  K.  P.  He  ex- 
ercises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
Democratic  party. 

HENRY  M.  HARRISON,  M.  D.,  occupies  a 
foremost  place  in  the  medical  fraternity  of 
the  ' '  Military  Tract. ' '  He  is  now  located 
in  Bushnell,  111.,  but  has  an  extensive  practice, 
which  extends  throughout  central  Illinois.  A 
native  of  Alexandria,  Licking  County,  Ohio,  he 
was  born  July  26,  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  Spencer 
and  Georgiana  (Hall)  Harrison,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Bartholomew  County,  Ky. ,  and  the  latter 
of  Greenwich,  Prince  William  County,  Ya.  The 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Gambriel  Harrison, 
removed  from  Virginia  to  Kentucky,  and  thence 
to  Ohio,  where  he  died  when  his  son  Spencer  was 
a  small  boy.  He  was  an  own  cousin  of  Gen. 
William  Henry  Harrison,  President  of  the  United 
States.  The  Harrisons  are  an  honored  family. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Carter 
Harrison,  and  the  name  of  Carter  is  frequently 
found  among  his  descendants. 

Spencer  Harrison  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and 
for  many  years  also  followed  merchandising.  In 
1853,  he  emigrated  westward  to  Cuba,  Fulton 
County,  111.,  and  the  following  year  made  a  per- 
manent location  there.  To  him  and  his  wife 
were  born  four  children,  namely:  Henry  M.,  of 
this  sketch;  George,  who  died  in  infancy;  Frank 
M.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Bryant,  111.;  and  John  R.,  a  practicing  physician 
of  Glassford,  111.  The  mother  of  this  family  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  April  4,  1866,  her  last 
days  being  spent  in  Cuba. 

Dr.  Harrison  of  this  sketch  attended  the  High 
Schools  of  Cuba  and  Canton,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  latter.  He  taught  school  in  Ohio  one 
winter,  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  he  successfully  passed  an  exami- 
nation entitling  him  to  a  first-grade  teacher's  cer- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


277 


tificate.  On  his  return  from  the  Buckeye  State 
he  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Knox  County 
until  1871,  when  he  entered  the  Missouri  Medical 
College,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  attending  the  winter 
and  spring  course.  He  embarked  in  the  practice 
of  his  chosen  profession  in  Marietta,  Fulton 
County,  where  he  remained  two  years,  and  then 
went  to  Deland,  Piatt  County.  In  the  winter  of 
1S76-77,  he  was  a  student  in  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  was 
graduated  therefrom  in  the  spring  of  the  latter 
year. 

In  August,  1877,  Dr.  Harrison  came  to  Bush- 
nell,  where  he  has  since  continued  in  general 
practice.  In  1883,  he  took  the  physician's  course 
of  study  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons of  Chicago,  and  afterwards  attended  the 
Chicago  Ophthalmic  College,  making  a  specialty 
of  the  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat, 
and  graduating  in  1S87.  In  1883  he  spent  some 
time  in  the  Illinois  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary.  He 
has  since  made  a  specialty  of  diseases  along  this 
line.  He  began  fitting  himself  for  this  branch  in 
1872  by  private  study  under  Dr.  Charles  E. 
Michel,  of  St.  Louis.  He  also  took  a  private 
course  with  Prof.  John  E.  Harper,  of  Chicago, 
and  was  his  assistant  in  1885.  In  1890,  he 
erected  the  infirmary  at  Bushnell,  of  which  he  is 
the  head.  It  was  built  at  a  cost  of  about  $8,000, 
is  heated  by  steam  throughout,  and  the  appoint- 
ments are  excellent. 

On  the  19th  of  July,  1873,  Dr.  Harrison  wed- 
ded Miss  Mary  Louretta  McCauce,  and  unto  them 
have  been  born  three  children,  Clara  Leona,  Flor- 
ence Myrtle  and  Henry  Benjamin.  The  son  was 
named  in  honor  of  President  Harrison,  who 
wrote  a  letter  of  congratulation  to  the  parents  at 
the  time.  The  young  ladies  have  been  most 
highly  educated.  Both  are  graduates  of  the 
High  School  of  Bushnell,  and  Clara  graduated  in 
music  from  the  Western  Normal  College,  at  Bush- 
nell, 111.,  having  studied  vocal  music  for  two 
years  tinder  Prof.  Phelps,  and  instrumental  music 
under  Miss  Ingersoll,  of  Chicago,  111.  The  fam- 
ily is  one  of  prominence  in  Bushnell,  and  its  mem- 
bers hold  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles. 

Dr.  Harrison   is  a  member  of  the   Masonic  or- 


der, the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  been  repeat- 
edly elected  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  "Mil- 
itary Tract"  Medical  Association,  and  has  been  a 
leader  in  promoting  the  interests  of  that  organ- 
ization. He  is  a  member  of  the  Illinois  State 
Medical  Society,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Ninth 
International  Medical  Congress,  which  con- 
vened in  September,  1887,  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
when  were  present  about  seven  thousand  dele- 
gates, the  largest  medical  congress  ever  held.  He 
is  a  recognized  leader  in  his  profession,  and  in 
practice  is  enjoying  a  well-deserved  success. 

In  politics,  Dr.  Harrison  has  always  been  a 
stalwart  Republican,  unswerving  in  his  allegiance 
to  the  party  and  its  principles.  For  two  consec- 
utive terms  of  two  years  each  he  held  the  office  of 
Mayor  of  Bushnell,  and  declined  a  renomination 
in  1893.  He  received  the  largest  majority  ever 
given  to  a  candidate  for  that  office,  and  on  ac- 
count of  his  advocacy  of  public  improvements  he 
won  the  support  of  all  progressive  and  public- 
spirited  citizens. 


(STEPHEN  L.  BABBITT,  M.  D.,  a  retired 
/\  physician  residing  in  Bushnell,  claims  Con- 
\~J  necticut  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was 
born  in  Fairfield  County,  June  29,  18 14,  and 
was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  eleven  children, 
whose  parents  were  Abiel  and  Abigail  (Sturges) 
Babbitt.  William,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  a 
prominent  attorney  and  graduate  of  Yale  College. 
When  a  young  man  he  went  to  Indiana,  and  re- 
ceived the  nomination  for  Governor  of  that  State, 
but  died  of  typhus  fever  before  the  election.  Abi- 
gail, Andrew  S.,  Eliza  M.,  Ambrose  and  Julia  A. 
are  all  now  deceased,  while  Francis  L-  is  liv- 
ing in  Arizona,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 
Edwin  was  a  General  in  the  United  States  Army 
and  a  man  of  prominence.  The  Babbitt  family 
was  founded  in  America  at  a  very  early  day,  and 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject  served  in  the  Revo- 
lution. The  Doctor's  father  was  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.      His 


278 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


death  occurred  in  the  Nutmeg  State,  when  about 
seventy-six  years  of  age.  His  wife  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut,  as  were  her  parents.  Her 
death  occurred  at  the  home  of  her  daughter  in 
Galesburg,  111.,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety-five 
years. 

Dr.  Babbitt  spent  his  early  boyhood  days  upon 
the  home  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood.  Wishing  to  acquire 
a  better  education  than  he  could  there  obtain,  he 
entered  Yale  College  at  the  age  of  seventeen  and 
later  was  graduated  from  Columbia  College,  of 
New  York.  During  the  succeeding  three  years 
of  his  life  he  traveled  quite  extensively  through 
the  West,  and  was  engaged  in  loaning  money  for 
his  father  and  others. 

The  Doctor  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Centreville,  Mich.,  where  he  spent 
about  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  Schoolcraft, 
where  he  continued  the  prosecution  of  his  profes- 
sion for  a  period  of  four  years.  His  next  place  of 
residence  was  in  Mattawan,  Van  Buren  County, 
Mich. ,  and  later  he  removed  to  Pine  Grove  Mich. , 
where  he  opened  an  office  and  soon  built  up  an 
extensive  practice.  He  there  enjoyed  a  most  ex- 
cellent business  and  for  eighteen  years  was  one  of 
the  acknowledged  leaders  of  the  medical  profession 
in  that  locality.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  came  to  Bushnell,  111.,  where  he  practiced  for 
three  years.  He  then  removed  to  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  but  in  1883  returned  to  Bush- 
nell, where  he  has  since  lived  a  retired  life. 

In  i860,  Dr.  Babbitt  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Myra  H.  Farr,  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (St.  Law- 
rence )  Farr.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  for  some  years  engaged  in  the 
jewelry  business.  His  death  occurred  when  he 
had  reached  the  allotted  age  of  three-score  years 
and  ten.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
was  distantly  connected  with  the  royal  family  of 
Great  Britain.  Mrs.  Babbitt  is  the  youngest  in  a 
family  of  eleven  children,  and  is  the  only  one  liv- 
ing. The  others  were  Mary  A.,  Joseph  G. ,  Fran- 
cis E.,  Melvin  S.,  Amanda  E.,  Harriet  H.,  Ed- 
ward, and  three  who  died  in  infancy. 

Dr.    Babbitt  and  his  wife  have  traveled   life's 


journey  together  for  about  thirty-five  years,  and 
faithfully  shared  with  each  other  the  joys  and 
sorrows,  adversity  and  prosperity  of  life.  As  the 
days  passed,  their  mutual  confidence  and  love 
have  increased,  and  the}-  have  won  the  esteem  of 
all  with  whom  they  have  been  brought  in  con- 
tact. They  possess  many  excellencies  of  char- 
acter, and  have  always  been  benevolent  and 
generous  with  the  poor  and  needy.  All  worthy 
enterprises  have  received  their  support,  and  the 
best  interests  of  the  community  always  find  in 
them  a  friend.  In  his  political  views,  Dr.  Bab- 
bitt is  a  Democrat.  He  has  now  reached  the  age 
of  eighty  years,  but  is  well  preserved,  and  we  join 
with  his  friends  in  wishing  that  he  may  yet  be 
spared  for  some  time  to  come. 


if^'T'^e 


REV.  THOMAS  AARON  CANADY  is  one 
of  the  leading  ministers  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  Illinois,  and  is  now 
serving  as  pastor  of  the  congregation  in  Augusta. 
He  has  many  friends  in  this  community,  and  we 
feel  assured  that  the  record  of  his  life  will  prove 
of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  He  was  born 
in  Clarke  Count}',  Ohio,  Jul}-  30,  1846,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Eva  (Huffman)  Canady,  the 
former  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Virginia.  Samuel  Canady,  the  grandfather, 
was  born  in  the  East,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation. He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  reached  an  advanced  age.  His  family 
numbered  nine  sons  and  two  daughters.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  Aaron  Huffman,  was  of 
German  parentage,  and  he,  too,  served  in  the 
War  of  181 2.  In  an  early  day  he  made  his  home 
in  Virginia,  but  afterward  removed  to  Ohio,  and 
spent  his  last  days  in  Cedarville,  where  his  death 
occurred  in  1865,  at  an  advanced  age. 

Thomas  Canady,  Sr. ,  also  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  He  was 
three  times  married.  His  first  wife  died  when 
our  subject  was  only  five  years  of  age.  He  after- 
ward wedded  Mrs.  Towne,  and  subsequently  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Joanna  Miner.      In 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


279 


1866,  he  emigrated  to  Missouri,  and  his  death  oc- 
curred near  Mill  Grove,  that  State,  in  1885,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  A  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church,  he  lived  an  honorable, 
upright  life,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all. 
The  children  of  Thomas  and  Eva  Canady  were 
six  in  number,  but  only  three  are  now  living: 
Joshua,  of  Mercer  County,  Mo.;  Cynthia,  wife 
of  Philip  Nagley,  of  Clarke  County,  Ohio;  and 
Rev.  Thomas  A.,  of  this  sketch. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  notice 
was  a  lad  of  twelve  years  when  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Illinois.  In  1865  he  accompanied  them 
on  their  emigration  to  Missouri.  His  education 
was  acquired  in  the  schools  of  Ohio,  and  the  Mis- 
souri University,  of  Columbia,  Mo.  A  year  after 
leaving  that  school  he  began  preaching  in  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry. 

During  the  late  war,  Mr.  Canady  was  found 
among  the  defenders  of  the  Union,  serving  for 
two  years  and  a-half  as  a  member  of  Company  F, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Chickasaw  Bluffs 
and  Arkansas  Post,  and  was  captured  at  the  battle 
of  Guntown.  For  nine  months  he  was  held  a 
prisoner  and  incarcerated  at  Andersonville,  Savan- 
nah, Milan,  Blackshear,  Florence,  S.  C,  and 
Salisbury,  N.  C.  He  was  ever  found  at  his  post 
faithfully  performing  his  duty,  and  was  a  valiant 
defender  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  and  the  cause 
which  the  Old  Flag  represented.  He  is  now  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

After  his  return  from  the  army,  Mr.  Canady 
took  up  his  residence  in  Missouri  until  his  re- 
moval to  Augusta.  He  served  as  pastor  of  the 
churches  in  Albany,  Savannah,  Maryville  and 
Brookfield,  was  presiding  Elder  of  the  Kirksville 
District,  and  was  pastor  of  the  Broadway  Church 
in  Hannibal  for  two  years.  In  1892  he  served  as 
a  delegate  to  the  General  Conference  held  in 
Omaha,  Neb.  The  degree  of  A.  M.  has  been 
conferred  upon  him. 

On  the  26th  of  March,  1875,  Rev.  Mr.  Canady 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  D. 
Ljndsey,  daughter  of  John  C.  \V.  and  Elizabeth 
(Rhea)    Lindsey,  of  Mercer  County,   Mo.     The 


wedding  was  celebrated  in  Princeton,  and  by 
their  union  have  been  born  a  son  and  two  daugh- 
ters: Laura  E.,  Eva  E.  and  Earl  L.  Mr.  Can- 
ady now  devotes  his  entire  attention  to  pastoral 
work,  laboring  untiringly  in  the  vineyard  of  the 
Master,  and  for  the  advancement  of  the  cause  upon 
earth.  He  has  the  high  regard  of  this  commu- 
nity, and  is  well  liked  by  his  congregation. 

'VSAAC  A.  OAKMAN,  a  retired  farmer,  now 
I  living  in  Macomb,  and  Treasurer  of  the 
X.  county,  claims  Pennsylvania  as  the  State  of 
his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Bedford  County 
on  the  22d  of  April,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  Ebe- 
nezer  and  Ann  (Ansley)  Oakman,  the  former  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  latter  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  Oakman  family  is  of  Irish  lineage, 
and  it  is  probable  that  all  of  the  name  in  America 
sprang  from  a  common  stem.  Leaving  the  old 
Bay  State,  Ebenezer  Oakman  went  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  became  acquainted  with  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Ansle)-,  who  was  his  second  wife.  By 
trade  he  was  a  shoemaker,  and  followed  that  pur- 
suit during  his  early  life  in  the  East.  He  re- 
moved from  Philadelphia  to  Harrisburg,  Pa. ,  and 
subsequently  traded  his  shoe  store  for  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  Bedford  County.  Locating  thereon, 
he  began  clearing  and  improving  the  same,  and  in 
that  valley  built  two  sawmills.  His  home  was 
in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  where  were  seen  few 
evidences  of  civilization  and  progress.  He  there 
died  in  1840.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  five  chil- 
dren, and  by  the  second  union  were  born  seven 
children. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Oakman, 
mother  of  our  subject,  came  to  Illinois,  and  six 
of  her  children  ultimately  located  in  Hancock  and 
McDonough  Counties.  The  journey  was  made 
by  way  of  Pittsburgh,  where  they  took  a  steamer 
for  Warsaw.  On  reaching  the  Mississippi,  they 
boarded  a  stern-wheel  boat,  thus  saving  about 
three  hours  in  starting,  but  the  other  boat  over- 
took them  and  the  two  vessels  engaged  in  a  race. 
This  was  a  rather  dangerous  affair,  and  our  sub- 


28o 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ject  thought  that  the  end  had  come.  The  only 
thing  for  the  passengers  to  do  was  to  get  their 
guns  and  command  the  officers  of  the  boat  to  stop 
putting  on  more  steam.  At  length  the}-  reached 
their  destination  in  safety.  Mrs.  Oakman  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  McDonough  County  until  her 
death,  which  occurred  at  the  home  of  her  son 
Isaac  in  i88r. 

During  his  youth,  Mr.  Oakman  of  this  sketch 
learned  the  tanning  business  in  Huntingdon  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  serving  a  four-years  apprenticeship  to 
the  trade.  He  then  followed  the  same  pursuit 
for  five  years  in  his  own  interest  near  Chambers- 
burg,  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  and  it  was  during 
his  residence  at  that  place  that  he  met  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Campbell.  The  wedding 
ceremony  was  performed  on  the  17th  of  June, 
1 85 1.  They  became  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, and  seven  of  the  number  are  yet  living. 
All  reside  in  McDonough  County,  and  five  of 
the  number  are  now  married.  Frank  is  engaged 
in  farming  near  Bushnell;  Mary  Emma  is  the  wife 
of  Nicholas  Swigert;  William  is  engaged  in  the 
furniture  business  in  Macomb;  George  is  now  edi- 
tor of  the  Blandinsville  Gazette;  Maggie  Belle  is 
at  home;  and  Bert  is  employed  in  the  Eagle  print- 
ing office  in  this  city. 

On  his  emigration  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Oakman  first 
took  up  his  residence  in  Fountain  Green,  Han- 
cock County,  where  he  arrived  on  the  12th  of 
May,  1853.  A  year  later  he  removed  to  Mc- 
Donough County,  purchased  a  farm  in  Hire 
Township,  and  turned  his  attention  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  which  he  followed  for  many  years. 
He  was  very  successful  in  the  work,  and  was  the 
owner  of  a  neat  and  well-kept  farm,  whose  thrifty 
appearance  indicated  the  careful  supervision  of 
the  owner.  Ere  leaving  his  old  home,  Mr.  Oak- 
man was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
who  died  on  the  2d  of  July,  1890. 

In  politics,  our  subject  has  always  been  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Democracy,  and  on  that  ticket  has 
been  elected  to  a  number  of  public  offices.  He 
served  for  three  terms  as  Supervisor,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  County  Board  during  the  erection 
of  the  court  house.  In  1891  he  was  elected 
County    Treasurer,  which   position  he  still  fills. 


Removing  to  Macomb,  he  has  here  since  made 
his  home.  He  at  once  entered  upon  the  duties  of 
hir  office,  and  by  his  fidelity  to  the  trust  reposed 
in  him  he  has  won  the  commendation  of  all  con- 
cerned. His  business  career  has  been  one  of  suc- 
cess, and  by  his  well-directed  efforts,  his  industry 
and  perseverance,  he  has  acquired  a  comfortable 
competence,  which  numbers  him  among  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  community. 

&~  i— ^1  <"?">&  '?       '       ^ 

0AVID  CHAMBERS,  an  attorney-at-law  of 
Bushnell,  was  born  in  Harrison  County, 
Ohio,  on  the  22d  of  November,  1846.  His 
parents,  John  and  Hannah  (Manley)  Chambers, 
were  both  natives  of  the  Buckeye  State.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  David  Chambers,  was  born 
in  Virginia,  but  died  in  Ohio,  when  his  son  John 
was  a  small  boy.  The  maternal  grandfather, 
Allen  Mauley,  was  an  Ohio  farmer,  and,  emigrat- 
ing to  Illinois,  he  located  near  New  Philadelphia, 
in  McDonough  County,  where  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days,  passing  away  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-two.  The  father  of  our  subject  carried 
on  farming  in  Ohio  until  1852,  when  he  came  to 
Illinois,  and  located  in  Harris  Township,  Fulton 
County,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
until  called  to  his  final  rest,  in  April,  1882,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-five  years.  His  wife  survived  him 
until  March,  1892,  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two.  They  were  both  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church. 

Mr.  Chambers  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  a  lad  of  only  six  summers  when  his  parents 
emigrated  to  Fulton  County.  He  remained  upon 
the  old  home  farm,  nine  miles  southeast  of  Bush- 
nell, until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  troops  and  joined  the 
boys  in  blue  of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  for  one  hundred 
days'  service.  During  that  time  he  was  captured 
and  sent  to  Castle  Morgan  Prison,  at  Cahaba, 
Ala. ,  the  old  capital.  After  the  war,  he  returned 
to  Fulton  County,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching 
school  until   1 881,  when    he  began    reading    law 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


281 


with  A.  E.  Barnes,  who  was  the  first  white  male 
child  born  in  Fulton  County.  Under  his  direction, 
Mr.  Chambers  continued  his  studies  until  he  en- 
tered the  State  University  of  Iowa,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1882.  The  following  year  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  Illinois,  and  at  once 
opened  a  law  office  in  Bushnell,  where  he  has 
since  been  engaged  in  his  profession. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1873,  Mr.  Chambers 
was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Mary  Bevans, 
daughter  of  Milton  and  Eliza  (Williams)  Bevans, 
the  former  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of 
Maryland.  Two  children  grace  the  union  of  this 
worthy  couple,  a  son  and  daughter,  Milton  J.  and 
Nellie  M.,  who  are  still  at  home.  They  have  a 
pleasant  residence  in  Bushnell,  and  their  home  is 
noted  for  its  hospitality. 

In  his  social  relations,  Mr.  Chambers  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  with  Car- 
ter Van  Vleck  Post  No.  74,  G.  A.  R.  In  his 
political  views,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  for  seven 
years  has  served  as  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  the 
city,  a  position  he  has  filled  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents,  as  is  indicated 
by  his  long  retention  in  office.  He  is  a  lawyer  of 
skill  and  ability,  a  man  of  keen  judgment  and  quick 
discernment,  and  an  able  advocate.  His  earnest 
efforts  in  the  interests  of  his  clients  have  gained 
for  him  an  enviable  reputation  and  a  liberal  pat- 
ronage. 


0ILES  C.  HAWLEY,  a  retired  fanner  of  Au- 
l_  gusta,  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and 
\^A  comes  of  an  old  New  England  family.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Gad  Hawley,  was  a  native 
of  Fannington,  Conn.,  and  the  house  in  which 
he  lived  one  hundred  and  six  years  ago  is  still 
standing.  By  occupation,  he  was  a  farmer.  His 
family  numbered  two  sons  and  two  daughters, 
one  of  whom,  Chauncey  Hawley,  became  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject.  He  removed  from  Connect- 
icut to  Ohio  in  1806,  when  the  Buckeye  State 
was  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  and,  locating 
in  Austinburgh,  purchased  land  of  the  Govern- 


ment. There  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  a  very 
devout  man,  and  aided  in  building  the  first  house 
of  worship  in  northern  Ohio.  When  this  church 
was  completed,  Mrs.  Judge  Austin  went  back  to 
Connecticut  on  horseback,  alone  through  the 
wilderness,  and  brought  back  Rev.  Giles  H. 
Cowles,  after  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
named,  who,  with  his  family,  came  all  the  way 
by  private  conveyance  in  18 13  to  Ohio,  where  he 
reared  his  family.  Alfred  Cowles,  of  the  Chicago 
Tribune,  and  Edwin  Cowles,  of  the  Cleveland 
Leader,  were  members,  all  of  whom  are  now  dead. 
Chauncey  Hawley  married  Sophia  Austin,  daugh- 
ter of  Judge  Eliphalet  Austin,  who  was  the  first 
settler  of  Austinburgh,  Ohio,  where  he  located  in 
1798.  In  1 89 1,  Giles  Hawley  and  wife  went  back 
to  the  old  place  on  a  visit,  and  brought  home  fruit 
from  the  trees  which  were  planted  by  his  grand- 
father in  1799. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chauncey  Hawley  became  the 
parents  of  eight  children,  among  whom  were  Mrs. 
John  H.  Catlin,  E.  P.,  Albert  D.  and  Erastus  A. 
Hawley,  all  of  whom  lived  in  Augusta,  and  are 
now  deceased.  Those  living  are  Ursula,  widow 
ofWilliam  M.  Dexter,  of  Augusta;  Chauncey  G., 
of  Girard,  Kan. ,  who  during  the  late  war  was 
Colonel  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Heavy  Artillery 
of  Ohio,  and  during  the  last  two  years  of  his  serv- 
ice acted  as  Brigadier-General;  and  Giles  C.  of 
this  sketch.  The  father  followed  farming  through- 
out his  entire  life,  and  died  in  Austinburgh,  Ohio, 
in  1853,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  His  wife 
survived  him  until  i860,  and  died  in  Augusta,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-nine.  She  was  a  devoted  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  took  an  act- 
ive part  in  its  work.  Her  father,  Eliphalet  Austin, 
was  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  northern  Ohio, 
and  served  in  the  Legislature  from  1812  to  18 14. 
His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven. 
He  was  a  farmer  and  Judge,  and  had  two  broth- 
ers who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  His 
family  numbered  five  sons  and  five  daughters. 

Giles  Cowles  Hawley  was  born  in  Austinburgh, 
on  the  2d  of  April,  1830,  and  there  made  his  home 
until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  emigrated 
westward  and  became  a  resident  of  Augusta,   111. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Here  he  embarked  in  merchandising  in  company 
with  his  brother,  E.  P.  Hawley,  who  was  a  lead- 
ing citizen  of  Augusta  from  1847  to  1887,  when 
he  died.  In  this  business,  which  was  carried  on 
under  the  firm  name  of  Hawley  Bros.,  our  subject 
continued  until  1856.  He  then  established  a  liv- 
er) stable,  which  he  conducted  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  late  war.  After  Ft.  Sumter  was  fired  upon, 
business  interests  no  longer  proved  attractive  to 
Mr.  Hawley,  for  his  sympathies  were  all  with  the 
Union,  and  he  enlisted  in  its  defense  as  a  member 
of  Company  L,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  under 
Capt.  Delano.  He  served  on  detached  duty  with 
Grant's  brigade  for  several  months,  traveling 
through  Missouri  and  Kentucky,  his  company 
acting  as  Gen.  Grant's  bodyguard.  On  account 
of  becoming  deaf,  however,  he  was  forced  to  leave 
the  service  after  about  a  year.  He,  with  a  num- 
ber of  others,  was  taken  prisoner  by  Jeff  Thomp- 
son in  Missouri.  After  being  robbed  of  every- 
thing but  what  they  wore  upon  their  persons,  they 
were  allowed  to  go.  In  1 862,  our  subject  returned 
to  Augusta  and  embarked  in  farming,  which  he 
followed  continuously  until  his  retirement  from 
active  life. 

On  the  9th  of  September,  1858,  Mr.  Hawley 
wedded  Miss  Mace  Fosdyck,  and  their  union  was 
blessed  with  two  children:  Sophia  and  Edwin 
Hurd.  The  former  became  the  wife  of  George 
\V.  Gardner,  of  Warsaw,  and  died  a  true  Chris- 
tian and  active  member  of  the  church,  leaving  a 
daughter,  Mace,  who  is  living  with  her  grand- 
father. For  several  years  Edwin  has  been  a 
commercial  traveler  in  the  employ  of  a  Minneap- 
olis house.  Mrs.  Hawley,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  was  called  to  the  home 
beyond  September  26,  1872.  On  the  18th  of 
April,  1878,  Mr.  Hawley  married  Miss  Harriet, 
daughter  of  Wadsworth  and  Harriet  (Ingersol) 
Mead. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and,  in  politics,  he  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party.  He  also  holds 
membership  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic. He  owns  a  pleasant  home  in  Augusta,  and 
in  addition  to  this  until  recently  owned  some 
good  land  along  the  river  bottoms   near  Warsaw. 


There  are  only  thirteen  citizens  in  Augusta  who 
were  living  here  when  Mr.  Hawley  came  to  the 
West  in  1848.  For  years  after  he  came  to  Illinois 
there  were  from  thirty  to  forty  of  his  name,  and 
now  he  is  the  only  Hawley  living  in  Augusta, 
all  but  he  having  passed  to  the  beyond.  He  has 
witnessed  nearly  the  entire  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  county,  has  seen  its  wild  lands  trans- 
formed into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  and  where 
once  roamed  the  deer  domestic  animals  are  now 
seen.  Progress  and  development  have  placed 
Hancock  County  in  the  lead  in  the  State,  and  Mr. 
Hawley  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of 
public  advancement. 

g= •5"  <=i  <■    T    >  to    *  d 

0TEREING  P.  LEMMON,  an  attorney-at- 
?\  law,  who  is  engaged  in  practice  in  Augusta, 
\~)  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illinois, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Pima  Township, 
Adams  County,  September  27,  1865.  His  par- 
ents, William  D.  and  Elizabeth  F.  (Tout)  Pem- 
mon,  were  also  natives  of  Adams  Count}'.  They 
had  a  family  of  five  daughters  and  a  son,  but 
only  three  are  now  living:  Sterling  P.,  our  sub- 
ject; Anna,  wife  of  J.  W.  Cunningham,  station 
agent  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Rail- 
road at  West  Point,  111. ;  and  Frankie,  a  young 
lady  engaged  in  teaching  in  West  Point.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  in  early  life,  but  in  later 
years  he  has  engaged  in  grain-dealing,  and  now 
makes  his  home  in  West  Point.  The  greater 
part  of  his  life  has  been  passed  in  Adams  County, 
and  he  removed  to  his  present  home  in  1891. 
His  wife  passed  away  in  1882,  in  her  thirty-ninth 
year.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church 
and  a  most  estimable  lady. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Rud- 
ieu  Pemmon,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  em- 
igrated to  Illinois  about  1823,  when  Quincy 
was  a  small  village.  He  followed  farming  as  a 
means  of  livelihood.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Adams  County,  and  there  served  as 
Collector  for  a  number  of  terms.  His  death  oc- 
curred   at    about  the   age  of  seventy-five   years. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


283 


His  family  numbered  seven  children.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  John  S.  Tout,  was  born  in 
Ohio,  and  came  to  this  State  at  an  early  day,  lo- 
cating in  Galena,  where  he  served  as  manager  of 
the  tannery  belonging  to  the  father  of  Gen. 
Grant.  When  the  General  was  a  boy,  Mr.  Tout 
three  times  whipped  him  for  disobedience,  and 
when  Grant  became  President,  whether  in  return 
for  the  favor  or  not,  we  cannot  say,  he  tendered 
Mr.  Tout  the  position  of  Postmaster  of  Quincy. 
The  latter,  however,  preferred  to  remain  upon 
his  farm,  where  he  died  of  a  cancer  in  January, 
1893,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

Sterling  P.  Lemraon  has  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  in  this  section  of  the  State.  His  school 
privileges  were  very  meagre  in  early  life,  but  he 
afterward  attended  Chaddock  College,  of  Quincy, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1884. 
His  parents  did  not  wish  him  to  become  a  lawyer, 
but  as  he  felt  that  he  could  succeed  in  this  branch 
of  business,  he  began  studying  at  home  in  1882, 
and  by  faithful  and  persistent  effort  he  fitted  him- 
self for  admission  to  the  Bar,  which  event  occur- 
red in  1.SS9.  The  date  September  11  has  been 
an  important  one  in  bis  life.  He  began  the  study 
of  law  on  that  day,  left  the  farm  on  that  day,  was 
married,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  on  that 
day. 

The  year  of  Mr.  Lemmon's  marriage  was  1887. 
He  wedded  Miss  Alice  M.  Akins,  daughter  of 
Dr.  J.  S.  and  Josephine  (McFarland)  Akins,  of 
Loraine,  111.  Two  children  grace  their  union,  a 
son  and  a  daughter,  Chester  A.  and  Edna  Marie. 

Mr.  Lemmon  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  in 
politics  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy.  In 
January,  1893,  he  embarked  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Augusta.  Prior  to  that  time  he 
was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Shannon,  Lemmon 
&  Duval,  of  Quincy.  During  that  time  he  was 
one  of  the  defenders  of  E.  J.  Sullivan,  who  was 
accused  of  the  murder  of  his  sweetheart  in  Quincy 
in  1890.  The  young  man  was  acquitted  after  a 
hotly-contested  trial.  He  was  also  connected 
with  the  celebrated  case  of  Sloniger  versus  Sloni- 
ger,   on   which    eleven    lawyers    were   employed. 


His  firm  won  the  case,  setting  aside  the  will,  and 
cutting  off  an  alleged  heir  from  any  rights  in  the 
estate.  Mr.  Lemmon  now  has  a  good  practice, 
receiving  patronage  from  Schuyler,  McDonough, 
Adams  and  Hancock  Counties.  His  office  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  May,  1893,  but  he  is  now 
nicely  located,  and  a  short  time  since  he  added 
one  hundred  and  forty-eight  new  volumes  to  his 
library.  He  is  yet  a  young  man,  but  has  steadily 
risen  in  his  profession,  and  now  occupies  a  prom- 
inent place  at  the  Hancock  County  Bar. 


(TOHX  YOUNG.  Among  those  who  have 
I  crossed  the  Atlantic,  founded  homes  in  Amer- 
\Zs  ica,  and  won  the  success  attendant  upon  ear- 
nest effort,  may  be  mentioned  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  record.  He  was  born  in  Koenigs- 
bach,  in  the  grand  duchy  of  Baden,  Germany, 
October  15,  18 10,  and  passed  the  first  twenty 
years  of  his  life  amid  familiar  home  scenes  in  his 
native  laud.  Attending  the  common  schools,  he 
obtained  a  fair  education.  Having  lost  his  father 
when  but  a  small  lad,  he  was  obliged  to  go  out  to 
service  among  strangers  as  a  shepherd.  America 
possessed  for  him  great  attractions,  and  he  gath- 
ered all  the  information  possible  relative  to  the 
country,  climate  and  advantages.  Of  money,  he 
possessed  but  little.  His  capital  stock,  as  he  says, 
"was  a  good  pair  of  arms,  a  good  body  and  a 
good  will,"  and  with  these  as  a  foundation  on 
which  to  build  a  fortune  he  left  the  Fatherland, 
and  on  the  20th  of  June,  1830,  landed  in  New 
York  City. 

The  first  work  which  Mr.  Young  did  was  as  a 
mower  on  a  farm  on  Long  Island.  He  had  been  a 
proficient  hand  at  the  scythe  in  the  Old  Country, 
but  here  he  found  the  blade  longer,  and  says  he 
spent  the  first  half-day  learning  to  "swing  the 
thing."  He  noticed  the  exchange  of  glances  be- 
tween the  others  in  the  field,  and,  although  ignor- 
ant of  their  language,  believed  they  were  laugh- 
ing at  his  awkwardness.  This  determined  him  to 
show  them  that  he  could  do  the  work,  and  in  the 
afternoon  he  accomplished  more  than  any  of  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


others.  This  little  incident  is  characteristic  of 
Mr.  Young's  whole  course  through  life.  He 
overcomes  all  obstacles  and  carries  forward  to  a 
successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 
He  remained  in  New  York  City  and  vicinity  until 
1836. 

During  this  time,  Mr.  Young  was  made  an  Odd 
Fellow,  December  26,  1834,  so  that  he  is  one  of 
the  oldest  members  of  the  order  in  the  United 
States,  and  in  all  probability  the  very  oldest  in  Illi- 
nois. His  long  connection  with  the  fraternity 
has  led  him  to  be  frequently  called  upon  to  address 
lodges  throughout  the  country,  and  he  has  spoken 
in  the  interest  of  the  order  in  New  Jersey,  New 
York,  Wisconsin,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Mis- 
souri, Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado  and  California. 

Another  important  event  occurred  during  Mr. 
Young's  residence  in  New  York.  He  there  met, 
wooed  and  won  his  wife,  Catherine  Ehrhardt,  the 
marriage  taking  place  June  20,  1835.  For  fifty- 
six  years  she  was  his  faithful  companion  and 
helpmate,  and  all  who  knew  her  held  her  in  the 
highest  esteem  for  her  exemplary  life.  She  was 
a  seamstress,  and  came  from  Alsace,  France,  in 
1833.  Her  death  occurred  March  16,  1891,  and 
was  deeply  mourned. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1836,  Mr.  Young  started 
westward  to  find  a  home,  leaving  his  wife  in  the 
care  of  a  sister.  He  traveled  by  stage  to  Phila- 
delphia, thence  by  rail  to  Columbia,  and  on  by- 
stage  to  Pittsburgh,  where  he  took  boat  to  Louis- 
ville. The  river  being  too  low  to  shoot  the  falls, 
he  had  to  transfer  to  another  boat  at  Rockford, 
fri  >m  which  place  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  on 
to  Burlington,  which  was  then  a  village  in  the 
Territory  of  Iowa.  From  that  place  he  walked 
to  Warren  County,  111.  He  had  not  a  friend  or 
acquaintance  in  the  locality.  He  hired  out  to 
John  Huston  as  a  farm  hand  at  $8  per  month,  and 
soon  afterwards  he  was  joined  by  his  wife,  who  in 
company  with  her  brother-in-law  and  sister  had 
come  west.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  enjoyed  few  of 
the  luxuries  of  life  in  those  early  years,  and  even 
were  sometimes  without  the  necessaries,  but  they 
made  the  best  of  everything  and  had  soon  acquired 
a  sufficient  sum  to  purchase  a  farm. 

In  the  spring  of  1837,  Mr.  Young  bought  fifty 


acres  of  land  at  $1.62  !/2  per  acre,  and  this  tract 
became  the  nucleus  of  his  extensive  possessions. 
Soon  after  locating  upon  that  farm,  he  made  a 
trip  to  Oquawka,  thirty  miles  distant,  with  an  ox- 
team.  The  history  of  pioneer  life  in  this  locality 
is  very  familiar  to  him.  He  hauled  the  first  rails 
across  the  Peoria  and  Burlington  stage  road,  on 
the  big  prairie  northwest  of  Greenbush,  and  broke 
the  first  forty  acres  of  land  on  that  prairie. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  were  born  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Mary,  the 
widow  of  Thomas  Lewis,  who  is  now  keeping 
house  for  her  father;  Julia  A.,  wife  of  Charles 
Hayes,  who  once  served  as  Sheriff  of  McDonough 
County,  but  is  now  living  in  South  Dakota;  John 
Frederick,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Roseville  Township,  Warren  County;  Sarah, 
widow  of  George  W.  Thomas;  and  Emma,  the 
wife  of  S.  H.  Tuttle,  of  Roseville,  111. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Young  remained  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  success  attended  his 
well-directed  efforts.  He  worked  hard,  and  as  the 
result  of  his  industry  and  enterprise  acquired  a 
handsome  competency,  which  now  enables  him  to 
spend  his  declining  years  in  retirement,  surround- 
ed by  all  the  comforts  of  life.  He  makes  his  home 
in  Bushnell  and  is  one  of  its  honored  citizens.  He 
is  a  courteous,  kindly  old  gentleman,  and  all  who 
know  him  esteem  him  highly. 

NENRY  R.  and  WILLIAM  L.  HAMPTON, 
of  Augusta,  are  the  editors  and  proprietors 
of  the  Augusta  Courier.  These  gentlemen 
were  both  natives  of  McDonough  County,  the 
former  born  on  the  3d  of  March,  1859,  and 
the  latter  on  the  2d  of  August,  1868.  Their 
parents  were  William  L-  and  Rachel  A.  (Jones) 
Hampton,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio. 
In  their  family  were  three  children,  the  two  men- 
tioned above,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  The 
father  was  an  engineer.  During  his  early  boy- 
hood he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents,  the 
family  locating  near  Macomb.  His  father,  Van 
C.  Hampton,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


285 


woolen  manufacturer.  After  his  emigration  to 
McDonough  County,  lie  built  and  operated  the 
first  woolen -mill  within  its  borders.  William  L. 
Hampton,  Sr.,  grew  to  manhood  under  the  pa- 
rental roof,  and  spent  his  remaining  days  in  Mc- 
Donough County.  During  the  late  war  he  re- 
sponded to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  and, 
donning  the  blue,  became  a  member  of  Company 
C,  Eighty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry.  While  en- 
gaged in  building  breastworks  of  logs  he  was  in- 
jured, and  on  account  of  disability  occasioned 
thereby  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  serv- 
ice. Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  were  people  whose  excel- 
lencies of  character  made  them  highly  respected. 
Mr.  Hampton  passed  away  in  Colchester  in  1884, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years.  His  first  wife  had 
died  many  years  previous,  and  he  had  married 
Mrs.  Annie  Butterfield,  widow  of  William  But- 
terfield. 

Both  Henry  and  William  Hampton  were  reared 
in  Macomb,  spending  their  early  boyhood  days 
midst  play  and  work.  They  attended  the  public 
schools  of  that  city,  acquiring  a  good  English  ed- 
ucation, and  when  quite  young  they  began  learn- 
ing the  printers'  trade.  Since  ■  that  time,  they 
have  been  connected  with  newspaper  work  in  one 
capacity  or  another,  and  they  are  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  the  work  in  all  its  departments.  In 
February,  1892,  they  came  to  Augusta  and  es- 
tablished the  Augusta  Courier,  which  they  are 
still  publishing.  The  paper  is  strongly  Republi- 
can in  politics,  and  is  a  neat  and  interesting 
journal,  which  is  meeting  with  hearty  support. 
Its  circulation  has  steadily  increased  as  its  merits 
have  become  known  to  the  people. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1882,  H.  R.  Hamp- 
ton was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  L. 
Butterfield,  daughter  of  William  and  Annie  But- 
terfield, and  to  them  has  been  born  a  son,  Harry. 
On  the  29th  of  March,  1892,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  William  L.  Hampton  and  Miss  Lizzie 
Becker,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Hannah  Becker. 
(  me  child  graces  this  union,  Edna.  The  families 
are  well  known  in  this  community,  and  rank  high 
in  social  circles. 

The  publishers  of  the  Courier  spent   ten   years 


of  their  lives  in  Colchester,  during  which  time 
the  senior  partner  of  the  firm  held  the  office  of 
Assessor,  and  also  served  as  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Health.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with 
the  Home  Forum,  as  is  his  brother,  who  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  They 
are  both  men  of  good  business  ability,  pleasant 
and  genial  in  manner,  and  have  the  high  regard 
of  many  friends  in  this  locality. 

Ir"  ,ds=c3  <'  T  ">  1=    '     =S 

EHARLES  C.  CHAIN  is  the  editor  and  pub- 
lisher of  the  McDonough  Democrat,  which 
is  published  in  Bushnell,  111.  As  he  has 
a  wide  acquaintance  throughout  this  section  of 
the  State,  we  feel  assured  that  the  record  of  his 
life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers. 
A  native  of  Fulton  County,  he  was  born  on  the 
nth  of  November,  1863,  in  Lewistown,  and  is  a 
son  of  William  H.  and  Amelia  (Smith)  Chain. 
On  the  father's  side  he  is  of  Irish  and  German 
descent,  and  on  the  mother's  side  he  is  of  Welsh 
and  New  England  extraction.  William  H.  Chain 
was  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  came  to  Illinois  about 
i860,  and  embarked  in  the  drug  business  in 
Lewistown,  where  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
grocery  trade.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  1871, 
when  he  removed  to  Lincoln,  Neb.,  and  began 
in  business  as  a  commission  merchant.  After  a 
short  time,  however,  he  returned  to  Fulton  Coun- 
ty, where  he  made  his  home  until  1881,  when  he 
came  to  Bushnell.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  real- 
estate  business  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
February,  1891.  His  wife  was  also  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  during  her  maidenhood  went  with  her 
parents  to  Fulton  County,  111.  She  is  still  liv- 
ing in  Bushnell,  where  she  has  many  friends  and 
acquaintances.  In  the  Chain  family  were  six 
children,  but  only  our  subject  and  his  sister 
Nellie  H.  are  now  living. 

Charles  C.  Chain  spent  the  first  ten  years  of 
his  life  under  the  parental  roof,  and  during  that 
time  he  made  not  a  little  money  by  selling  news- 
papers. When  a  lad  of  ten  years  he  returned 
to    Fulton   County    and    lived    with    his    grand- 


286 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


mother  upon  a  farm  for  about  ten  years.  He  be- 
came familiar  with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life,  and 
aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field  until  1881,  when 
he  decided  to  come  to  Bushnell  and  learn  the 
printer's  trade.  He  at  once  entered  upon  that 
work,  and  continued  in  the  employ  of  others  for 
about  four  years,  when,  on  the  4th  of  July  1884, 
he  established  the  McDonough  Democrat,  which 
he  has  since  published.  He  was  associated  with 
a  partner  for  about  two  years,  and  then  became 
sole  proprietor.  Since  1887,  he  has  been  alone  in 
business.  He  owns  a  well-appointed  printing  of- 
fice, and  the  McDonough  Democrat  is  a  neat  and 
well-edited  paper.  It  has  a  good  circulation,  and 
a  liberal  patronage  is  well  deserved. 

On  the  12th  of  March,  1889,  Mr.  Chain  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Anna  Oblander.  To 
them  has  been  born  a  son,  W.  H.,  who  is  now 
four  years  old.  In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Chain 
is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  unswerving  in  his  alle- 
giance to  the  party  and  its  interests.  He  takes 
quite  a  prominent  and  active  part  in  political  af- 
fairs, and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  County 
Central  Committee  and  of  the  Congressional  Com- 
mittee. Public-spirited  and  progressive,  he  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  Bush- 
nell, for  he  manifests  a  commendable  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. Mr.  Chain  may  truly  be  called  a  self- 
made  man,  for  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  at 
an  early  age  and  has  steadily  worked  his  way  up- 
ward through  his  own  efforts.  His  possessions 
are  the  just  reward  of  his  labors.  He  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  under  President  Cleveland  in 
1894. 

0ARIUS  JONES,  who  is  now  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  on  section  26,  Bushnell  Town- 
ship, is  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  settlers 
of  McDonough  County,  having  for  many  years 
made  his  home  in  this  locality.  His  farm  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  thirteen  acres  of  valuable 
land,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  well  improved  with  all  modern  accessories 
and  conveniences.     His  home  is  a  beautiful  coun- 


try residence,  and  is  pleasantly  located  within  a 
mile  of  Bushnell.  In  connection  with  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  fields,  he  also  engages  in  stock-raising, 
and  this  branch  of  his  business  has  likewise  proved 
profitable  to  him. 

Mr.  Jones  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  was  born  in 
Hocking  County  August  17,  1828,  and  comes  of 
a  family  of  English  lineage.  His  paternal  grand- 
parents were  both  natives  of  Virginia,  but  his  fa- 
ther, John  Jones,  was  born  in  the  Keystone  State. 
His  mother,  however,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Rebecca  De  Moss,  was  born  in  the  Old  Domin- 
ion. When  a  young  man,  John  Jones  left  Penn- 
sylvania, and,  emigrating  westward,  took  up  his 
residence  in  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
until  1 85 1.  That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in 
McDonough  County,  where  he  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record  is 
the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  nine 
children.  The  common  schools  afforded  him  his 
educational  privileges,  and  upon  the  home  farm 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  early  began  to 
work  in  the  fields,  plowing,  planting  and  harvest- 
ing, and  soon  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties 
of  farm  life.  At  length  he  began  to  work  in  his 
own  interest,  and  for  three  years  was  employed  as 
a  farm  hand  in  the  neighborhood.  He  then  oper- 
ated rented  land  until  1859,  when,  with  the  cap- 
ital he  had  acquired,  he  made  his  first  purchase, 
becoming  the  owner  of  a  tract  of  eighty  acres, 
which  has  served  as  the  nucleus  around  which  have 
been  gathered  his  present  extensive  possessions. 

On  the  15th  of  February,  1853,  Mr.  Jones  mar- 
ried Miss  Elizabeth  Snapp,  who  was  born  Sep- 
tember 22,  1830,  in  Washington  County,  Tenn., 
and  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Ann  (  Kep- 
ple)  Snapp,  who  were  natives  of  Tennessee.  They 
came  to  McDonough  County  in  1833,  and  here 
the  father  followed  farming  for  some  time.  His 
death  occurred  in  Missouri,  at  the  allotted  age  of 
three-score  years  and  ten.  His  wife  passed  away 
in  McDonough  County,  when  about  forty  years  of 
age.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  were  born  nine 
children,    but  three  of  the  number  are   now  de- 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


wumw  <» 1LUN0,S 

URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


291 


ceased.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Emerson  Huffman, 
a  farmer  of  McDonough  County ;  Caroline  is  the 
wife  of  David  Mowery,  also  an  agriculturist: 
John  L.  follows  farming  in  Fulton  County:  Laura 
is  at  home:  and  William  G.  and  Frank  are  still 
living  on  the  old  homestead. 

The  Republican  party  has  ever  found  in  Mr. 
Jones  a  stalwart  supporter,  who  takes  an  active 
interest  in  its  growth.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  he  contributes  liberally 
to  the  same.  The  cause  of  education  has  always 
found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  has  served 
both  as  School  Director  and  School  Trustee,  and 
is  also  Road  Commissioner.  In  addition  to  his 
other  property,  he  owns  four  hundred  and  fifteen 
acres  of  laud  in  Fulton  County.  His  possessions 
have  all  been  acquired  through  his  own  offorts, 
and  the  handsome  competence  which  he  now  1  os- 
sesses  is  but   the  just  reward  of  his  honest  labors. 

i§ c=1.<A.>,f=J  -°  ? 

fe  '"HS  <"  T  '  ">  1=   "  a) 

(JOHN    TWIDWKI.I..    a    retired    farmer  now 

I    living  in   Plymouth,  has  since    1836  been  a 

(2/  resident  of  this  section  of  Illinois.     He  has  a 

wide  acquaintance  in  this  locality,  and  we  feel  as- 
sured that  the  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  in- 
terest to  many  of  our  readers.  A  native  of  North 
Carolina,  he  was  born  in  Davidson  County  Jan- 
uary 20,  1818,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  five  sons 
and  four  daughters,  whose  parents  were  Thomas 
and  Polly  (Wayman)  Twidwell.  Only  six  of 
the  children  are  now  living,  namely:  John  and 
Solomon,  twins,  the  latter  residing  in  Macomb; 
William,  who  is  living  in  Washington,  forty 
miles  from  Olympia;  Martha,  widow  of  Josiah 
Morris,  and  a  resident  of  northern  Kansas; 
Nancy,  widow  of  Bartlet  Whittington,  of  Peoria: 
and  Absalom,  of  Kansas. 

The  father  of  this  family  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  was  a  cooper  by  trade.  In  [834,  he 
started  westward  and,  locating  in  Morgan  County, 
111.,  therespent  about  two  years.  In  1S36,  became 
to  McDonough  County,  where  he  purchased  laud 
and  improved  a  fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  three  miles  east  of  Plymouth,  upon 

'4 


which  he  made  his  home  until  called  to  his  final 
rest.  He  died  in  1SS3,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-four  years  and  two  days,  and  his  wife- 
passed  away  twenty  years  previously.  She  was 
a  native  of  Maryland.  In  early  life  they  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  but  later 
joined  the  United  Brethren  Church.  The  mater- 
nal grandfather  of  our  subject,  John  Wayman,  was 
a  native  of  Maryland  and  a  minister  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church.  Removing  to  North  Carolina,  his 
death  occurred  in  that  State  when  well  advanced 
in  years. 

John  Twidwell  was  in  his  seventeenth  year 
when  he  preceded  his  parents  on  their  emigra- 
tion to  Illinois.  After  aiding  in  building  a  cabin  for 
the  family,  he  was  left  therewith  his  sister  to  keep 
house,  and  shot  two  deer  from  the  cabin  within  a 
few  days.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  old- 
time  subscription  schools,  and  remained  at  home 
until  his  marriage.  October  10,  1839,  he  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Henrietta  E., 
daughter  of  John  A.  Shelton,  and  eight  children 
were  born  of  their  union.  John  Thomas,  the 
eldest,  married  Miss  Josie  Lantermau,  by  whom 
he  had  eleven  children,  and  they  reside  in  Hays 
County,  Tex.  Nancy  J.  is  the  wife  of  Samuel 
Myers,  of  Brown  County,  Kan.,  and  they  have 
four  children.  Sarah  E.  died  at  the  age  of  five 
years.  David  is  the  next  in  order  of  birth.  Ma- 
rion wedded  Miss  Marvin,  and  with  his  wife  and 
three  children  makes  his  home  in  McDonough 
County.  George  A.  married  Miss  Ran  Smith, 
and  with  their  two  children  they  also  reside  in 
McDonough  County.  William  F.  is  married  and 
lives  in  Iowa.  Solomon  P.  is  located  in  Wash- 
ington. The  mother  of  this  family  having  died, 
Mr.  Twidwell  afterwards  married  Mrs.  Barbara 
Keziah.  daughter  of  John  Jarvis.  They  had 
born  to  them  a  daughter,  Martha,  wife  of  Hugh 
Banks,  a  farmer  of  McDonough  County.  On  the 
4th  of  June.  1892,  Mr.  Twidwell  was  again  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  and  on  the  21st 
of  September,  1893,  he  married  Mrs.  .Sarah  J. 
Rhea. 

Throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  Mr. 
Twidwell  has  followed  farming.  In  1836,  he  be- 
came a   resident  of  Lamoine  Township.  McDon- 


292 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ough  Count}-.  He  is  a  self-made  man,  and  by 
chopping  wood  acquired  the  capital  with  which 
he  made  his  first  purchase  of  land.  He  has  pros- 
pered in  his  undertakings,  and  has  accumulated 
a  valuable  property.  He  became  owner  of  eight 
hundred  acres  of  rich  land  in  McDonough  Coun- 
ty, and  three  hundred  and  thirty -five  acres  in 
Texas,  and  has  given  to  each  of  his  children  land 
or  property  to  the  value  of  $1,000.  He  yet  owns 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  in  McDonough 
County,  and  derives  therefrom  a  good  income. 
In  connection  with  this  he  has  five  acres  in  the 
city  of  Hiawatha,  Kan.  For  many  years  he  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits,  but  in  October, 
1 89 1,  came  to  Plymouth,  where  he  has  since 
lived  retired.  He  here  owns  a  good  residence 
and  fifteen  acres  in  town  lots. 

For  the  long  period  of  forty  years,  Mr.  Twid- 
well  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  the 
promptness  and  fidelity  with  which  he  has  dis- 
charged his  duties  are  well  indicated  by  his  long 
retention  in  office.  He  is  always  just  in  his  de- 
cisions, which  are  reached  after  carefully  weigh- 
ing the  evidence.  He  has  also  served  as  Town- 
ship Supervisor  for  one  term,  and  for  thirteen 
years  was  Assessor  in  McDonough  County. 
Whether  in  public  or  private  life,  he  is  always 
true  to  everj-  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  he  has 
the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom 
business  or  social  relations  have  brought  him  in 
contact. 


(JOSEPH  BUCK,  who  is  successfully  engaged 
I  in  farming  on  section  26,  Bushnell  Township, 
(*)  McDonough  County,  was  born  in  Crawford 
County,  Pa.,  on  the  23d  of  April,  1836,  andisnext 
to  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  five  children,  whose 
parents  were  Peter  and  Polly  (Gable)  Buck.  The 
family  is  of  German  origin,  and  was  founded  in 
America  by  Jacob  Buck,  the  great-great-grand- 
father of  our  subject,  who  braved  the  dangers  of  an 
ocean  voyage  to  make  a  home  in  the  New  World. 
He  located  in  Pennsylvania  and  became  the  first 
settler  of  what  is  now  Bucks  County ,  which  was 


named  in  his  honor.  He  was  a  tinker,  and  did 
general  repair  work  along  that  line.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  family  were  all  good  mechanics. 

The  grandfather  and  father  of  our  subject  were 
born  in  Bucks  County,  and  the  latter  there  re- 
mained until  about  seventeen  years  of  age.  He 
learned  the  blacksmith's  and  gunsmith's  trade, 
and  followed  those  pursuits  until  1837,  when,  in 
company  with  his  brother  Daniel,  he  started  west- 
ward for  Illinois.  Reaching  his  destination,  he 
cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  Cuba, 
Fulton  County,  where  he  followed  the  blacksmith 
and  gunsmith's  trade  and  also  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  1855.  In  that  year  he  purchased  the  farm 
on  which  our  subject  now  resides,  then  a  tract  of 
wild  prairie  land;  but  he  at  once  began  to  improve 
and  cultivate  the  same  and  continued  its  develop- 
ment until  his  death.  He  was  killed  by  accident 
in  1865,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  Mr.  Buck 
was  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  Sallie  Foust, 
who  died  in  Pennsylvania,  leaving  a  family  of 
seven  children.  Later  he  married  Polly  Gable, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  also  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  is  still  living.  She  has  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-two,  but  is  yet  well  pre- 
served .  Her  parents  were  natives  of  the  Keystone 
State  and  were  of  German  lineage. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Joseph  Buck  remained 
until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  left  home 
and  began  working  on  the  construction  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  in  Henry 
County,  111.  After  six  months  spent  in  that  way, 
he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  followed  the  car- 
penter's trade  for  about  five  years,  when,  in  the 
spring  of  i860,  he  left  for  Pike's  Peak.  There  he 
engaged  in  mining,  and  also  worked  as  a  carpenter 
and  millwright  for  a  year.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  we  find  him  in  Leavenworth,  Kan., 
where  he  engaged  in  carpentering  until  the  fall  of 
1862. 

On  the  25th  of  September  of  that  year,  Mr. 
Buck  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops, 
enlisting  as  a  member  of  Company  F,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Third  Illinois  Infantry,  in  which  he 
served  for  two  years  and  eleven  months.  He  was 
with  Grant  in  the  Vicksburg  campaign,  and  took 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


293 


part  in  the  battles  of  Missionary  Ridge,  Marietta, 
Chattanooga  and  Atlanta.  At  the  first-named 
engagement  he  received  a  gunshot  wound  in  the 
right  jaw  and  shoulder.  Two  inches  of  the  lower 
jaw  bone  were  shot  away,  leaving  a  scar  which  he 
will  carry  with  him  through  life.  After  being 
wounded  he  was  taken  to  the  field-hospital,  where 
he  remained  for  twelve  days,  when  he  was  per- 
mitted to  return  home  on  a  furlough.  Three 
months  later  he  rejoined  his  regiment,  and  con- 
tinued in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  participated  in  twenty-three  battles,  together 
with  many  skirmishes,  and  was  ever  a  faithful  and 
valiant  soldier.  He  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Corporal,  and  was  offered  a  commission  as  Second 
Lieutenant,  but  did  not  accept  it. 

When  his  country  no  longer  needed  his  services, 
Mr.  Buck  returned  home  and  began  dealing  in 
stock,  which  enterprise  proved  very  successful. 
The  following  year  he  took  charge  of  the  home 
farm,  and  for  nine  years  he  engaged  in  operating  a 
threshing-machine.  On  the  9th  of  January,  1868, 
he  wedded  Miss  Man'  C.  McGrew,  of  Fulton 
County,  who  died  four  years  later,  leaving  a 
daughter,  Carrie  E.,  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
George  Augle,  who  resides  in  Bushnell. 

When  first  Mr.  Buck  was  married  he  removed 
to  Bushnell,  where  he  began  work  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.  A  year  later  he  removed  to  Knox 
County,  where  he  carried  on  farming  for  two  years. 
In  1 87 1,  he  purchased  the  old  homestead,  and  has 
since  engaged  in  its  cultivation.  On  the  12th  of 
March,  1875,  he  was  again  married,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Miss  Maria  Myers,  of  Bushnell, 
who  was  born  July  17,  1841.  They  became  the 
parents  of  five  children,  but  three  died  in  infancy. 
William  Allen  and  Dessie  May  are  still  with  their 
parents. 

Mr.  Buck  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  his  political 
views,  but  has  never  aspired  to  public  office.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  member  of  Van  Vleek  Post  No. 
1 74,  G.  A.  R. ,  of  Bushnell  and  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America.  He  and  his  wife  hold  mem- 
bership with  the  Christian  Church,  and  their  lives 
are  in  harmony  with  their  professions.  Mr.  Buck 
is  a  natural  mechanic,  who  can  turn  his  hand  to  al- 
most any  work.     His  privileges  in  early  life  were 


limited,  but  through  his  own  efforts  he  has  become 
a  well-informed  man  and  has  won  success  in  his 
business  dealings.  He  now  owns  one  hundred 
and  eighty-five  acres  of  land  in  the  homestead  in 
McDonough  County  and  eight  acres  in  Fulton 
County.  He  has  also  been  extensively  engaged 
in  breeding  Shorthorn  cattle  and  Norman  horses. 
His  life  has  been  an  honorable  and  upright  one, 
and  his  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity  have 
gained  for  him  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of 
all. 


LNATHAN  KEMPER  WESTFALL,  M.  D., 
'y  the  popular  and  efficient  Postmaster  of  Bush- 
„ „  nell,  and  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of 
that  city,  claims  Indiana  as  the  State  of  his  na- 
tivity. He  was  born  in  Boone  County,  on  the 
8th  of  January,  1839.  The  family  is  of  German 
origin,  and  the  paternal  grandfather,  Jacob  West- 
fall,  was  a  native  of  Westphalia.  Three  brothers 
came  to  America,  one  settling  in  the  western  por- 
tion of  Virginia,  another  in  New  York,  and  a 
third  in  New  Orleans.  Jacob  Westfall,  who  lived 
for  a  time  in  West  Virginia,  served  as  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  held  a  Colonel's  com- 
mission, was  a  son  of  one  of  these  three  brothers, 
and  was  a  child  when  he  came  to  America.  In  an 
early  day  he  removed  to  Indiana  with  his  family, 
and,  settling  in  Montgomery  County,  there  fol- 
lowed farming  throughout  his  succeeding  years. 
His  death  occurred  at  an  advanced  age.  Corne- 
lius Westfall,  father  of  the  Doctor,  was  born  on 
the  site  of  Beverly,  W.  Va  ,  when  that  was  a 
stockade  fort  011  the  extreme  frontier  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  served  as  a  Surveyor  in  the  employ  of 
the  Government  for  many  years.  His  duties  called 
him  to  Indiana,  but  he  made  his  home  in  Ohio. 
He  taught  the  first  school  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  and 
was  the  first  settler  of  Troy,  Ohio.  He  was  also 
its  first  Postmaster,  Collector  and  Assessor,  its 
first  County  Clerk,  and  for  twenty-four  years  was 
Clerk  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  For  many 
years  he  engaged  in  merchandising  and  traded 
largely  with  the  Indians.  In  1830  he  removed  to  In- 
diana, locating  on  the  present  site  of  Thorntown 


294 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


after  the  Miami  Indians  had  left  that  reservation. 
In  1854  he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Macomb, 
where  he  died  the"  following  year,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sarah  Davis,  and  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Davis,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  a  shoemaker  by 
trade,  who  removed  to  Thorntown,  Ind.,  where 
he  died  many  years  ago  at  an  advanced  age.  Mrs. 
Westfall  passed  away  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-two. The  parents  of  our  subject  were  both 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  the 
father  was  for  fifty  years  one  of  its  Ruling  Elders. 
During  the  Ft.  Wayne  campaign,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Purchasing  Commissioner  under  Gen. 
Harrison. 

Dr.  Westfall  is  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children, 
three  sons  and  six  daughters,  five  of  whom  are 
now  living:  Mary  E.,  widow  of  Dr.  A.  W.  Arm- 
strong, who  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years; 
Melissa,  wife  of  Joseph  Ottermau,  of  Adel,  Iowa; 
Louisa  M.,  widow  of  Durham  C.  Harris,  of  Bar- 
dolph;  Harriet  S.,  wife  of  George  S.  Cogswell,  of 
Saline  County,  Neb.;  and  our  subject. 

The  Doctor  remained  in  Thorntown  until  six- 
teen years  of  age,  when  with  his  parents  he  came 
to  Macomb.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war, 
he  enlisted  in  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  B, 
Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  served  for  a  year 
and  a-half,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged  on 
account  of  disability.  He  served  as  Orderly-Ser- 
geant,  and  won  promotion  to  the  rank  of  First 
Lieutenant.  Before  the  war  he  had  engaged  in 
teaching  school,  and  after  his  return  from  the 
South  lie  entered  the  office  of  his  brother,  Dr.  B.  R. 
Westfall,  of  Macomb,  with  whom  he  studied  med- 
icine for  some  time.  He  then  became  a  student  in 
the  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  of  Chicago, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  Class  of 
'67.  On  the  2d  of  May  of  that  year,  became  to 
Bushnell,  opened  an  office,  and  has  since  been  con- 
stantly engaged  in  practice  here.  From  the  be- 
ginning he  has  enjoyed  a  good  business,  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  best  physicians  of  the 
community. 

In  January,  1873,  Dr.  Westfall  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Emma  Curl,  who  died  eight 
months  later.     On  the   1 6th  of  October,  1879,  he 


wedded  Miss  Irene  Wann,  a  native  of  Pennsylvan- 
ia, of  which  State  her  parents,  Curtis  and  Eliza 
Jane  (Maxwell)  Wann,  were  also  natives.  Four 
children  have  been  born  to  them:  Mary  H. :  Clara 
E. ,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  and  a-half  years; 
Curtis  C. ;  and  Beverly  K. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Knights 
of  Honor,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  His  wife  holds 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Church.  In  pol- 
itics, he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  has  held 
several  offices.  He  served  as  Alderman  of  Bush- 
nell two  terms,  was  Supervisor  two  terms,  and 
represented  his  district  in  the  Twenty-eighth  and 
Thirtieth  General  Assemblies  of  Illinois.  In  the 
spring  of  1878  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of 
Bushnell,  and  has  filled  that  office  for  three  terms 
in  a  creditable  and  acceptable  manner.  He  is  a 
leading  and  influential  citizen  of  this  place,  and 
has  many  warm  friends  throughout  the  county  in 
which  he  has  so  long  made  his  home. 

0ANIEL  HAMILTON  SWISEGOOD,  one 
of  the  enterprising  and  progressive  farmers 
of  Augusta  Township,  Hancock  County, 
now  living  on  section  12,  was  born  in  Davidson 
County,  N.  C,  March  18,  1822,  and  is  one  of  ten 
children,  whose  parents,  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Delap)  Swisegood,  were  also  natives  of  North 
Carolina.  Of  their  two  sons  and  eight  daughters, 
only  five  are  now  living:  Daniel  H.,  of  this  sketch; 
William  Henry,  of  Birmingham,  111. ;  John  Frank- 
lin, of  Schuyler  County,  111.;  Rosanua,  widow  of 
Franklin  Collins,  a  resident  of  Floyd  County, 
Ind.;  and  Abigail,  wife  of  William  B.  Manlove, 
of  Birmingham  Township,  Schuyler  County. 
The  father  was  a  cabinet-maker  and  farmer. 
Emigrating  westward  to  Illinois,  he  landed  in 
Schuyler  County  June  22,  1846,  and  purchased 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  wild  land, 
which  he  at  once  began  to  improve  and  culti- 
vate. He  was  vers-  successful  in  his  business 
dealings,  and  accumulated  twelve  hundred  acres 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


295 


of  good  land,  which  he  divided  among  his  children. 
His  success  was  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts. 
He  made  his  home  in  that  county  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
years.  His  wife  had  passed  away  some  years 
previously. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  John 
Swisegood,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and 
he  too  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  as  a  means 
of  livelihood.  His  family  numbered  three  daugh- 
ters and  one  son.  The  maternal  grandfather, 
John  Delap,  was  a  North  Carolina  farmer,  who 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  more  than  seventy 
years. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  his  boy- 
hood days  being  quietly  passed  in  his  parents' 
home.  Soon  after  coming  of  age  he  hired  out  to 
work  on  a  farm,  receiving  $6  a  month  for  about 
a  year  and  a-half.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four 
years  he  came  to  Illinois  and  engaged  in  agricul- 
ture. He  has  lived  upon  his  present  farm  since 
1847,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  com- 
munity. His  land  is  well  improved  and  highly- 
cultivated,  and  his  home  is  pleasantly  situated 
about  three  and  a-half  miles  from  Augusta. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1847,  Mr.  Swisegood 
married  Miss  Anna  C,  daughter  of  George  and 
Sarah  (Crouch)  Haines.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  four  sons  and  six  daughters.  John  F. , 
of  Richardson  County,  Neb.,  married  Stella  Sel- 
dom and  has  mx  children;  George  P.,  who  is  living 
on  the  old  homestead,  wedded  Emma  Larkin,  and 
they  have  three  children:  Earl,  Pearlie  and  Guy; 
Thomas  Lee,  the  next  younger,  died  in  1888; 
Lurette  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  Ogle,  of  Richardson 
County,  Neb.,  by  whom  she  has  five  living  chil- 
dren; Cornelia  is  the  wife  of  Robert  White,  a 
farmer  of  Hancock  County,  and  they  have  one 
child;  Eliza  B.  died  in  1892;  Nora  is  the  wife  of 
Edgar  Spence,  and  with  their  five  children  they  re- 
side in  Putnam  County,  Mo. ;  Lenora  and  Adarine 
are  now  deceased;  and  one  child  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Swisegood  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason, 
and  in  politics  is  a  stalwart  Democrat.  He  is  num- 
bered among  the  earl\-  settlers  of  Hancock  County, 
for  when  he  located  in  this  region  there   was  not 


a  fence  or  house  for  twelve  miles  on  the  prairie 
west  of  Augusta,  and  almost  the  entire  county  was 
still  in  a  primitive  condition.  He  has  succeeded  in 
his  business,  and  after  giving  considerable  valu- 
able property  to  his  children,  he  is  still  the  owner 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  good  land, 
which  yields  to  him  a  comfortable  income.  He 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
the  county,  not  alone  because  he  has  prospered  in 
his  vocation,  but  also  on  account  of  his  genuine 
worth.  He  is  a  man  of  his  word,  modest  and  un- 
pretentious in  manner,  of  a  quiet  disposition,  and 
has-  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  many  friends 
and  acquaintances.  He  has  seen  much  of  the 
country,  having  traveled  in  twenty-two  States  of 
the  Union,  and  has  made  the  best  of  life  as  he  has 
found  it. 

6=      !        t*^) <*  T>  fa    3  -» 

HON.  RICHARD  G.  BREEDEN,  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  law  firm  of  Breeden,  Painter  & 
Switzer,  of  Macomb,  is  not  only  a  leading 
lawyer  of  this  city,  but  has  also  been  prominent  in 
the  political  history  of  McDonough  County  dur- 
ing the  past  decade,  and  will  undoubtedly  be 
found  in  the  front  rank  among  the  valued  citizens 
of  the  State  for  many  years  to  come.  His  life 
record  is  as  follows:  A  native  of  Iowa,  he  was 
born  in  Appanoose  County  on  the  28th  of  Au- 
gust, i860,  and  is  a  son  of  the  Rev.  William  and 
Damaris  E.  (Lawyer)  Breeden,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  a  minister  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  also  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  a 
remarkable  man  physically,  with  strong  traits  of 
character.  In  1839  he  decided  to  try  his  fortune 
on  the  broad  prairies  of  Illinois,  and  became  a 
resident  of  McDonough  County.  He  was  born 
February  7,  18 15,  and  came  of  an  old  Virginia 
family,  which  was  founded  in  America  by  Scotch 
ancestors,  who  left  that  land  and  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  the  New  World  prior  to  the  Revolution. 
There  were  three  brothers  who  made  the  voyage, 
and  all  served  in  the  Colonial  Army  during  the 
struggle  for  independence.      One  of    the  number 


296 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  killed,  and  the  ancestor  of  our  subject,  at  the 
close  ofthe  war,  migrated  to  Kentucky.  A  love 
for  hunting  and  fishing  has  always  been  manifest 
in  the  Breed  en  family,  and  it  is  supposed  that  it 
indicates  a  trace  of  Indian  blood.  Rev.  William 
Breeden  was  twice  married.  He  first  married 
Nancy  Driscol,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children. 
He  afterwards  married  Miss  Lawyer,  and  they  had 
seven  children.  Of  the  fourteen,  seven  were  boys 
and  seven  were  girls,  and  seven  of  the  number  are 
yet  living.  Our  subject  and  Amanda,  wife  of  H. 
N.  Post,  of  this  county,  are  the  only  ones  now  liv- 
ing ofthe  last  family  of  children.  His  mother -was 
a  woman  far  above  the  average  in  intelligence  and 
womanly  qualities. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  Richard  G.  Breeden,  for 
his  days  were  quietly  passed  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farmer  lads.  He  early  began  work  in  the  fields, 
and  became  familiar  with  the  duties  of  farm  life. 
His  primary  education,  gained  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  was  followed  by  a 
course  in  the  Macomb  Normal  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '84.  He  afterwards 
pursued  his  studies  for  a  time  in  the  Monmouth 
College,  in  the  mean  time  teaching  school  to  ob- 
tain the  means  for  securing  his  education.  He 
was  a  thorough  student,  and  in  his  early  manhood 
he  was  respected  for  his  firm  decision  of  purpose, 
his  fidelity  to  duty,  his  high  ideas  of  honor,  his 
sympathy  for  the  oppressed  or  afflicted,  his  enter- 
prise and  worthy  ambition.  While  a  boy  he  be- 
came noted  as  a  forcible  speaker  and  ready  debater, 
and  in  the  literary  societies  of  which  he  was  a 
member  he  was  considered  invincible.  When  a 
candidate  for  the  Legislature,  at  the  early  age  of 
twenty-six  years,  he  stumped  his  district  in  a  man- 
ner that  won  him  the  highest  compliments,  both 
from  his  political  friends  and  opponents. 

Mr.  Breeden  entered  on  his  political  career  in 
1886,  when  he  was  elected  from  this  district  to 
the  State  Legislature  as  the  candidate  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  was  at  this  time  the  young- 
est member  on  the  Republican  side  of  the  House. 
During  that  term  he  served  as  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Education,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Judiciary  Committee,  the  most  important  com- 


mittee in  the  House  of  Representatives.  He  was 
the  champion  ofthe  "  Coal  Screen  Bill,"  intro- 
duced in  the  interests  of  the  coal  miners  in  the 
State,  and,  although  the  measure  was  defeated,  all 
acknowledged  that  the  young  member  made  a 
gallant  fight.  So  well  did  he  fill  the  office,  that  on 
the  expiration  of  his  first  term  he  was  re-elected, 
in  1888.  During  the  Thirty-sixth  Session  of  the 
General  Assembly  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Count}'  and  Township  Organization, 
and  a  member  of  the  Judiciary  and  Appropriation 
Committees.  He  secured  the  passage  of  what 
was  known  as  the  "  Frisbee-Breeden  Pharmacy 
Bill."  He  also  took  part  in  the  senatorial  con- 
test at  the  time  of  the  election  of  Senator  Farwell, 
and  afterwards  helped  elect  Senator  Cullom.  In 
1 89 1  he  was  elected  County  Judge  of  McDonough 
County,  and  is  now  filling  that  office  with  credit 
to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents. 

On  the  22d  of  December,  1888,  Mr.  Breeden 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Grace  Gilchrist, 
daughter  of  Van  B.  and  Sarah  A.  (Robinson)  Gil- 
christ, residents  of  McDonough  County.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  three  children,  two 
sons  and  a  daughter:  Richard  Gilchrist,  Ralph 
Ballard  and  Helen.  Judge  Breeden  is  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  and  is  one  ofthe  hon- 
ored and  prominent  citizens  of  Macomb.  He  has 
won  a  foremost  place  at  the  McDonough  County 
Bar,  and,  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  County 
Judge,  he  is  enjoying  a  large  and  lucrative  law 
practice,  which  is  well  deserved,  for  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  law  and  his  skill  and  ability  have 
made  him  an  able  advocate. 


gEORGE  W.  PACE  is  one  of  the  representa- 
tive and  enterprising  business  men  of  Ma- 
comb. He  is  now  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  G.  W.  Pace  &  Sons,  dealers  in  groceries, 
and  proprietors  of  the  Williams  House  of  this 
city.  McDonough  County  numbers  him  among 
its  native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Scot- 
land Township  on  the  13th  of  May,  1835.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Langston  Pace,  was  a  native 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL,    RECORD. 


297 


of  Virginia,  and  removed  thence  to  Cumberland 
County,  Ky.,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years.  His  wife  reached  the  advanced  age  of 
one  hundred  and  four  years,  and  was  then  killed 
by  a  door  blowing  against  her.  Their  family 
numbered  three  sous  and  five  daughters,  one  of 
whom,  William  I.  Pace,  became  the  father  of  our 
subject.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer,  and  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  throughout  his  life.  Having 
resolved  to  emigrate  to  Illinois,  he  came  to  this 
State  in  1S30,  making  the  journey  from  Kentucky 
with  a  two-wheeled  ox-cart  and  a  yoke  of  cattle. 
He  was  a  half-owner  of  this  conveyance.  Before 
his  death  he  accumulated  a  handsome  property. 
Locating  five  and  a-half  miles  south  of  Macomb. 
he  there  purchased  fifty-seven  acres  of  wild  land 
at  the  Government  price  of  $1.25  per  acre,  and 
to  this  he  added  from  time  to  time  until  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  rich  land  paid  to  him  a  golden  trib- 
ute in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestowed 
upon  it.  He  served  as  Captain  of  a  military  com- 
pany in  the  early  days,  and  aided  in  arresting 
Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  also  engaged  in  peddling  clocks,  and  for 
some  time  he  served  as  Assessor  of  the  county. 

William  I.  Pace  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Sallie  Sparks  Yawter,  daughter  of  Beverly  Vaw- 
ter,  a  Kentucky  farmer,  who  on  leaving  his  na- 
tive State  came  to  Illinois,  in  1832,  and  located  on 
a  farm  nine  miles  south  of  Macomb.  There  he 
died  in  1848,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pace  were  born  nine  children,  four 
sons  and  five  daughters:  Ingram  A.,  deceased; 
Thomas  J.,  of  Scotland  Township;  Susan  E., 
wife  of  William  H.  Dameron,  of  Macomb;  George 
W.,  of  this  sketch;  Permelia  J.,  wife  of  George 
W.  Porter;  A.  J.,  of  Macomb;  Annie,  widow  of 
Joseph  T.  Adcock;  Man-  Amanda,  wife  of  Henry 
K.  Smith;  and  Fannie  Belle,  wife  of  Prof.  De 
Witt  Roberts,  of  Denver,  Colo.  The  mother  of 
this  family  died  in  1851,  and  Mr.  Pace  was  again 
married.  His  death  occurred  in  1855,  at  the  age 
of  forty-six,  and  his  second  wife  passed  away 
three  months  later. 

Upon  his  father's  farm  in  Scotland  Township, 
G.  W.  Pace  was  reared  to  manhood.  At  the  age 
of  nineteen,  he  left  the  parental  roof  and  came  to 


Macomb,  where  for  two  years  and  a-half  he  en- 
gaged in  the  postoffice  as  clerk,  under  J.  W.  Ad- 
kinson.  He  also  served  in  the  same  capacity 
with  J.  W.  Westfall  for  two  and  a-half  years. 
Later,  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business,  and 
subsequently  he  was  for  thirteen  years  a  dry- 
goods  merchant.  In  1S75,  however,  he  again 
opened  a  grocery  and  has  since  continued  in 
that  line  of  trade. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  i860,  Mr.  Pace  mar- 
ried Sallie  J.  Sweeney,  daughter  of  Milton  and 
Ann  (Clarke)  Sweeney,  who  were  natives  of 
Kentucky.  Six  children  have  been  bora  to  them, 
two  sons  and  four  daughters:  James  M.,  who  is 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume;  Henry  J., 
who  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Pace  &  Sons; 
Nettie  J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  and  a-half 
years;  Lona  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
months;  Lizzie  and  Hattie. 

Mr.  Pace  is  a  member  of  the  Universalist 
Church,  and  his  wife  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows' 
society,  and  in  politics,  he  is  a  stalwart  Republi- 
can, unwavering  in  his  support  of  the  men  and 
measures  of  that  party.  Mr.  Pace  is  a  self-made 
man,  for  he  started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  and 
has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  by  industry, 
perseverence  and  determination  to  a  position  of 
affluence. 

«  l  =j«k  V  >t=,  ■"  i 

(JACOB  L.   BAILV,    attorney-at-law   of    Ma- 

I  comb.  111.,  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  this 
Q)  State,  August  29,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Nancy  (Bottenburg)  Baily,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Virginia.  The  grandfather, 
Evan  Baily,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Old  Domin- 
ion, and  was  of  Irish  descent.  The  Botteuburgs 
came  of  Pennsylvania  stock.  The  Bailys  are 
noted  for  longevity,  and  the  daughter  of  our  sub- 
ject has  seen  four  of  her  great-grandmothers,  two 
of  whom  are  past  ninety  years  of  age.  Evan 
Baily  was  killed  by  being  thrown  from  a  car- 
riage in  Fulton  County,  111.,  in  1S77,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-nine  years.     His  wife  bore  the  maiden 


298 

name  of  Elizabeth  McHenry.  In  their  family 
were  fourteen  children,  namely:  Nancy,  deceased; 
Thomas;  Mary  A.,  deceased;  Margaret,  wife  of 
E.  D.  C.  Haines,  a  banker  of  Bushnell;  Johnson, 
deceased;  James,  who  was  a  Lieutenant  in  the 
late  war,  and  was  killed  in  battle  in  1863;  John, 
who  has  been  called  to  the  home  beyond;  Robert, 
a  merchant  of  Lewistown,  Fulton  County,  111.; 
Lizzie,  wife  of  Dr.  John  Bacon,  of  Texas;  Alex- 
ander, who  resides  on  the  old  homestead  in  Ful- 
ton County;  Sallie,  wife  of  John  Barker,  of  Gir- 
ard,  Kan.;  Mrs.  Mattie  Osborn,  of  Texas;  and 
Douglas,  a  merchant  of  Montana.  In  1S35, 
Evan  Baily  removed  with  his  family  to  Fulton 
County,  111.,  and  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  from  the  Government  in  Vermont 
Township,  for  which  he  paid  $1.25  per  acre.  He 
there  erected  a  log  cabin  and  began  life  in  true 
pioneer  style.  He  was  a  prominent  man,  and 
represented  his  district  in  the  State  Legislature 
for  two  terms.  He  also  served  as  Treasurer  of 
Fulton  County  from  1866  until  1874,  and  held 
other  local  offices.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  a  candidate  for  County  Judge  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Uni- 
versalis!:. His  business  career  was  one  of  success, 
and  he  became  a  prosperous  farmer  of  the  com- 
munity. Both  he  and  his  wife  were  laid  to  rest 
in  the  old  Baily  Cemetery,  near  the  old  home- 
stead . 

Thomas  Baily,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Virginia  June  19,  1829,  and  when  five  years 
old  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois,  where 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  Remaining  under  the 
parental  roof  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he 
then  rented  a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  which  he 
cultivated  for  three  years,  after  which  he  came  to 
McDonough  County.  After  renting  land  for  six 
years  in  Eldorado  Township,  he  purchased  a 
tract  of  sixty  acres,  mostly  covered  with  timber, 
but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  de- 
velopment and  transformed  it  into  rich  and  fertile 
fields.  In  1883,  he  sold  that  farm  and  purchased 
one  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Bethel 
Township,  which  he  yet  owns,  although  in  1892 
he  removed  to  Table  Grove,  where  he  is  now  liv- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ing  a  retired  life.  He  was  married  October  15, 
1850,  to  Nancy,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
Bottenburg.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
fifteen  children,  of  whom  fourteen  are  now  living, 
viz.:  Jacob;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  Ayres;  La- 
vina,  wife  of  Edward  Fleury;  Ella,  wife  of  Wes- 
ley Harrison;  Mattie,  wife  of  W.  H.  Foster; 
Jane,  wife  of  Alonzo  Foster;  Mary,  wife  of  Orrin 
Dunsworth;  Belle,  wife  of  Douglas  Dunsworth; 
Myrtle,  wife  of  Harry  Robinson;  Evan,  a  dentist 
of  Vermont;  William  K.,  a  school  teacher;  Quen- 
ton,  who  is  clerking;  Frederick  and  May,  at 
home;  and  Ida,  who  died  January  16,  1865.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died  December  25,  1891, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Bethel  Cemetery.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church,  as  is  Thomas  Baily.  He  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  and  has  served  as  Supervisor,  Assessor, 
Collector  and  School  Treasurer.  As  he  takes  an 
active  interest  in  all  public  enterprises,  he  is 
numbered  among  the  valued  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Jacob  L,  Baily  whose  name  heads  this  record 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  and  in  the  winter  of  1871- 
72  attended  college  in  Oberlin,  Ohio.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  a  student  in  Evanston,  111. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  embarked  in  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching,  which  he  followed  alto- 
gether for  four  years.  Wishing  to  take  up  the 
study  of  law  and  make  its  practice  his  life  work, 
he  spent  the  winter  of  1873-74  nl  fitting  himself 
for  his  chosen  profession  in  Lincoln  University. 
He  afterwards  read  law  with  W.  H.  Neece,  of 
Macomb,  and  in  1876  was  admitted  to  the  Bar. 
At  the  same  time  William  Prentiss  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar  and  the  two  gentlemen  formed  a  part- 
nership, which  continued  until  i89i,when  Mr. 
Prentiss  removed  to  Chicago.  In  October  of  the 
same  year,  Mr.  Baily  was  joined  in  business  by 
W.  H.  Holly,  and  the  firm  of  Baily  &  Holly  has 
since  had  a  continuous  existence. 

On  the  12th  of  August,  1875.  Mr.  Baily  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Lois  C.  Foster,  daughter 
of  John  N.  and  Jane  Foster,  early  settlers  of  Mc- 
Donough   County.     Their   family   now   numbers 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


299 


two  children,  Jessie  and  Frances.  They  hold 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  are  well-known  people  of  this  community. 

In  his  social  relations,  Mr.  Bail}-  is  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  Lodge,  and  is  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason.  He  cast  his  first  Pres 
idential  vote  for  Samuel  J.  Tilden,  and  has  since 
been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Democracy.  He 
takes  quite  a  prominent  part  in  campaign  work. 
In  his  profession  he  has  been  eminently  success- 
ful, having  secured  a  very  large  practice. 


6=^_ — <^_ S<?T>(=i  ^> 

~LDER  JAMES  SMITH  GASH,  ex-Post- 
T)  master  of  Macomb,  is  one  of  the  most  popu- 
__  lar  and  best  known  citizens  of  McDonough 
County,  where  for  many  years  he  has  lived,  hav- 
ing the  acquaintance  of  almost  every  individ- 
ual in  the  city  and  that  of  many  others  through- 
out this  part  of  the  State.  He  is  a  native  of  Mer- 
cer County,  Ky..  his  birth  having  there  occurred 
on  the  30th  of  May,  1833.  His  parents,  John  J. 
and  Man-  Thomas  (Jackson)  Gash,  werebothna- 
tives  of  Kentucky,  and  tradition  says  that  the 
family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage.  His  grand- 
parents, John  and  Ann  I  Wood  1  Crash,  lived  in 
Kentucky,  being  descended  from  Virginian  fami- 
lies. The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.' 
Bringing  his  wife  and  children  to  Illinois,  he  took 
up  his  residence  in  Rushville,  Schuyler  County, 
in  1835,  and  in  1852  removed  thence  to  McDon- 
ough County.  In  March,  1856,  in  connection 
with  Messrs.  Anderson  and  Strong,  he  established 
the  first  lumber-yard  in  Macomb,  but  he  did  not 
long  continue  in  that  business,  for  death  termi- 
nated his  earthly  career  in  November  following. 
He  passed  away  on  the  old  home  farm  a  mile  and 
a-half  from  the  city.  Among  the  early  settlers 
of  the  county  he  is  numbered,  and  he  was  also 
recognized  as  one  of  its  valued  citizens.  His  wife 
survived  him  for  some  years,  and  was  called  to 
the  home  beyond  on  the  9th  of  December,  1873. 
They  were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  of 
whom  seven  are  yet  living.  The  eldest,  John  J., 
is  a  resident  of  La  Grange,  111. ;  James  S.  is  the  sec- 


ond in  order  of  birth:  Henry  Wood,  George  B. 
and  Edgar,  all  make  their  home  in  Macomb;  and 
Oscar  and  Hattie  (wife  of  Samuel  Jameson)  re- 
side in  Topeka,    Kan. 

Mr.  Gash  of  this  sketch  was  but  two  years  of 
age  when  he  left  the  State  of  his  nativity  and  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  Illi- 
nois. He  acquired  his  early  education  in  a  log 
schoolhouse,  but  later  attended  the  McDonough 
College,  which  was  conducted  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  where  he  pursued  his 
studies  for  twenty  months.  He  is  now  a  well- 
informed  man,  who  keeps  versed  on  all  the  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day.  He  began  earning 
his  own  livelihood  as  a  salesman  in  a  retail  mer- 
chandising establishment,  and  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
three  years  he  became  agent  for  the  American 
Express  Company.  For  a  long  period  he  filled 
that  position,  discharging  his  duties  in  a  prompt 
and  faithful  manner,  that  won  him  the  confidence 
of  the  company  and  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact.  After  twenty-three  years'  service  he 
left  the  employ  of  the  express  company  to  ac- 
cept the  appointment  of  Postmaster  of  Macomb, 
which  was  tendered  him  by  President  Harrison. 
The  same  fidelity  to  duty  was  here  displayed  dur- 
ing his  term  of  four  years,  which  has  recently  ex- 
pired, he  being  succeeded  by  a  man  of  the  same 
political  views  as  the  present  Chief  Executive  of 
the  nation. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  1856,  Mr.  Gash  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mary  K.  Sweeney.  They 
are  both  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and 
take  a  prominent  and  active  part  in  its  work.  Mr. 
Gash  united  with  the  church  in  1866,  and  has 
since  engaged  in  preaching  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, being  an  ordained  minister  of  the  denomina- 
tion. He  has  accepted  pastorates  with  several 
different  churches,  but  other  business  duties  have 
largely  occupied  his  time,  and  his  ministerial 
work  has  been  confined  greatly  to  supplying  pul- 
pits throughout  this  part  of  the  State.  He  is  a 
great  lover  of  music,  in  which  he  is  quite  pro- 
ficient. His  voice  is  a  fine  profundo  basso  and 
he  is  a  most  excellent  choir  leader.  In  nearly  all 
public  gatherings  where  music  forms  one  feature 
of  the    entertainment    his  voice    is    heard.      For 


300 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  glee 
clubs  which  have  been  engaged  in  campaign 
work.  In  politics,  he  has  ever  been  a  Republi- 
can since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
John  C.  Fremont,  and  the  principles  of  his  party 
find  in  him  a  stalwart  advocate.  The  Odd  Fel- 
lows' society,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge,  and 
the  Patriotic  Sons  of  America  number  him  among 
their  leading  and  valued  members.  His  life  has 
been  well  spent,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  few,  if 
any,  have  more  friends  in  McDonough  County 
than  James  S.  Gash. 

1=— ^H^P=— I 


0R.  RALPH  HARRIS  is  probably  the  oldest 
physician  in  this  part  of  the  State.  He  is 
now  living  retired,  but  for  many  years  he 
was  successfully  engaged  in  practice  in  Illinois. 
He  now  makes  his  home  in  Macomb,  and  is  one 
of  its  highly  respected  and  honored  citizens.  A 
native  of  Charlotte  County,  Va. ,  his  birth  occurred 
April  6,  1812.  His  parents,  Robert  and  Mary 
(^Bailey)  Harris,  were  both  natives  of  Virginia, 
and  the  grandparents  on  both  sides  came  from 
Ireland,  though  of  Scotch  ancestry.  In  his  na- 
tive State,  Robert  Harris  followed  farming  and 
blacksmithing.  He  served  as  a  soldier  through- 
out the  Revolutionary  War,  and  held  the  rank  of 
Captain  in  the  Virginia  troops.  He  was  never 
wounded  in  battle,  but  on  one  occasion  a  bullet 
passed  through  his  queue.  At  one  time  a  num- 
ber of  men  in  his  regiment  were  taken  prisoners, 
Mr.  Harris  among  the  number,  but  he  and  two  of 
his  comrades  made  their  escape.  They  traveled 
by  night  through  the  woods,  and  slept  in  the  day- 
time, for  fear  of  detection.  For  some  days  they 
subsisted  on  nothing  but  roots  and  buds.  One  of 
the  men  fainted  from  want,  and  was  resuscitated 
with  water  that  was  caught  in  the  brim  of  the  hat 
of  one  of  his  comrades,  a  shower  having  oppor- 
tunely fallen. 

Robert  Harris  was  twice  married.  He  first 
wedded  a  Miss  Jackson,  of  Charlotte,  Va.,  by 
whom  he  had  seven  children,  and  after  her  death 
he  married  Mary  Bailey.     His  family  altogether 


numbered  eight  sons  and  six  daughters.  Two  of 
the  seven  children  born  of  the  second  marriage 
are  now  living:  Cornelia,  who  is  the  widow  of 
Philip  Anderson,  residing  with  her  daughter  in 
North  Carolina,  and  the  Doctor.  The  latter  was 
but  four  years  old  when  his  father  died,  and  he  lost 
his  mother  at  the  age  of  fourteen. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity,  Dr.  Harris  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  When  he 
was  a  lad  of  twelve  his  guardian  told  him  that  he 
had  learning  enough;  but  he  did  not  think  so. 
He  had  been  bound  out  to  learn  the  cabinet- 
maker's trade,  and  after  serving  for  five  years  he 
paid  $100  for  his  indentures.  He  then  entered  col- 
lege at  Danville,  Ky. ,  where  he  remained  for  a  little 
more  than  two  years,  when  his  health  failed  him 
and  he  was  forced  to  leave  school.  Some  years 
later,  however,  the  degree  of  A.  M.  was  conferred 
upon  him.  He  had  completed  nearly  the  entire 
course  of  Greek  and  Latin  in  two  years. 

Young  Harris  then  took  up  the  study  of  medi- 
cine at  home,  and  also  studied  theology.  He  en- 
tered upon  the  work  of  the  ministry  as  a  member 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Presbytery  in  1838,  and  was 
ordained  in  1842.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century 
thereafter  he  engaged  in  preaching.  His  health 
then  broke  down,  and  he  began  the  practice  of 
medicine.  In  1869,  he  was  graduated  from 
Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  and  was 
then  successfully  and  continuously  engaged  in 
practice  until  1884,  when  he  retired  to  private  life. 
He  also  during  that  time  filled  various  pulpits, 
but  never  accepted  a  regular  pastorate,  as  his 
health  would  not  permit  the  additional  labor. 

Dr.  Harris  first  came  to  Macomb  in  1849,  an<^ 
took  charge  of  McDonough  College.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  city  for  six  years,  as  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  as  a  teacher  in  the  col- 
lege. In  1855,  he  removed  to  Missouri,  and  set- 
tled upon  a  farm  near  Cameron,  DeKalb  County. 
He  had  charge  of  various  country  churches  in 
that  locality,  and  while  there  was  injured  in  a 
railroad  disaster,  caused  by  the  rebels  having 
burned  the  bridge  over'the  Platte  River,  nine  miles 
east  of  St.  Joseph.  Out  of  one  hundred  and  four 
persons  there  were  twenty-four  killed.  The  Doc- 
tor was   taken  from  amid  the  debris,  and  it  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


301 


thought  that  he  was  dead,  but  after  a  time  con- 
sciousness returned  to  him.  He  knew  nothing  of 
the  accident,  however,  until  it  was  all  over.  In 
1861,  he  again  came  to  Macomb,  and  in  1881  he 
made  a  permanent  location  here. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1834,  Dr.  Harris  married 
Miss  Martha  P.  Hughes,  who  lived  near  Danville, 
K.y.,  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Jane 
(Sneed)  Hughes.  They  became  the  parents  of  a 
daughter,  Ellen  Amanda,  now  the  wife  of  Ed  Ma- 
guire,  of  Macomb,  by  whom  she  has  six  children, 
namely:  Martha  Rosalind,  Mary  Rachel,  Sarah 
Isadora,  Hattie  Thomas,  James  Ralph  and  Edward 
Calvin.  On  the  31st  of  May,  1837,  the  Doctor 
wedded  Miss  Mary  P.  Wilson,  daughter  of  James 
and  Elizabeth  (Stewart)  Wilson,  of  Kentucky. 
Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Rock  Castle 
County,  and  was  blessed  with  a  family  of  six  sons 
and  four  daughters,  but  James  H.  R.  is  now  de- 
ceased. The  latter  married  Harriet  Maguire,  and 
they  had  one  child,  Frank  W.  Robert  Campbell, 
the  second  child  of  the  Doctor,  was  a  soldier  of 
the  Union  army,  and  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
guerrillas  in  Missouri,  tied  up  by  the  thumbs,  dis- 
emboweled and  thrown  into  the  Platte  River. 
William  Thomas,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  Keosauqua,  Iowa,  married  Miss 
Lottie  Herrick,  and  they  have  a  daughter,  Lenna 
Pearl;  Ralph  Erskine,  a  machinist  and  plumber 
of  Macomb,  wedded  Martha  Jackson,  and  they 
have  four  children:  Florence  Ellen,  Ralph  C, 
Mary  Isadore  and  Lela.  John  G.  is  deceased. 
Mary  E.  became  the  wife  of  William  Carter,  and 
the}-  had  four  children:  Jessie,  Dollie,  Ruby  and 
William.  After  the  death  of  her  first  husband, 
she  married  Jesse  York,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  one  son,  Harris.  Mrs.  York  died  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1892.  Sarah  C.  is  the  wife  of  J.  J.  Mc- 
Dannold,  of  Mt.  Sterling,  Congressman  from  the 
Twelfth  District,  by  whom  she  has  two  children, 
Malcolm  and  Helen.  Charles,  an attorney-at-law 
of  Galesburg,  married  Miss  Addie  Anderson,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  two  children:  Nina  and 
Lillian.  Dollie,  who  complets  the  family,  is  the 
wife  of  Ira  Pillsbury,  of  Macomb,  and  they  have 
three  sons,  George  M.,  Ira  H.  and  Walter  E. 

During  the  late  war.  Dr.  Harris  served  as  Chap- 


lain of  the  Eighty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry  for  six 
months,  and  was  then  discharged  on  account  of 
physical  disability.  His  son  Thomas  was  a  soldier 
of  the  same  regiment,  and  after  being  shot  through 
the  jaw  at  the  battle  of  Stone  River  was  mustered 
out  of  service.  In  his  political  views,  the  Doctor 
is  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  is  numbered  among 
the  oldest  residents  of  Macomb,  and  is  a  man 
whose  upright  life  and  sterling  worth  have  made 
him  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  citizens  of 
the  community. 

["RANK  H.  MAPES,  who  is  now  connected 
r3  with  the  Bank  of  Macomb,  was  born  in  Bu- 
I  reau  County,  111.,  on  the  25th  of  June,  1865, 
and  is  a  son  of  Elder  George  W.  and  Martha  E. 
(Dennison)  Mapes,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
New  York.  His  father  was  born  April  30,  1825, 
his  mother  in  May,  1827,  and  their  marriage  was 
celebrated  in  August,  1850.  They  became  the 
parents  of  a  family  of  six  children,  four  sons  and'  .- 
two  daughters,  but  one  of  its  number,  Ella,  died 
at  the  age  of  nine  years.  Wheeler  M.,  the  eldest, 
is  now  a  railroad  conductor,  and  resides  in  Des 
Moines,  Iowa.  Charles  is  a  traveling  salesman  in 
the  employ  of  a  boot  and  shoe  house,  and  makes 
his  home  in  Hutchinson,  Kan.  George  G.  is 
cashier  in  a  bank  and  proprietor  of  a  hotel  in 
Moran,  Kan.  Franchetie  is  the  wife  of  M.  A. 
Hitchcock,  a  prominent  dry-goods  merchant  of 
Macomb.      Frank  H.  completes  the  family. 

Elder  Mapes  is  largely  a  self-made  man.  He 
had  no  special  advantages  in  his  youth;  indeed, 
his  privileges  were  meagre,  and  while  following 
the  plow  he  studied  the  Bible.  He  began  preach- 
ing in  Walnut,  Bureau  County,  111.,  in  1857,  and 
later  was  pastor  of  the  Christian  Church  in 
Princeton,  111.  Subsequently,  he  preached  in 
Putnam  and  Washington,  and  then  came  to  Ma- 
comb, where  he  remained  for  five  years.  During 
this  time,  and  largely  through  his  instrumentality, 
the  present  house  of  worship  of  the  Christian 
Church  was  erected.  At  length  failing  health 
caused  him  to  resign,  and  he  removed  to  his  farm 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  Bureau  County,  whence  lie  afterward  went  to 
Clarksville,  Mo.  Later,  he  made  his  residence  in 
Montezuma,  Iowa,  and  in  1890  he  again  ac- 
cepted a  call  from  the  church  in  Macomb,  where 
he  remained  two  years.  He  is  now  pastor  in 
Fairfield,  Iowa.  Throughout  this  community  he 
has  a  wide  acquaintance,  and  by  all  who  know 
him  he  is  most  highly  respected. 

Mr.  Mapes  whose  name  heads  this  record  at- 
tended the  public  schools  in  the  different  locali- 
ties where  his  parents  resided,  and  completed  his 
literary  education  in  Painesville  Academy.  Wish- 
ing to  engage  in  the  drug  business,  he  entered 
the  store  of  John  M.  Keefer,  of  Macomb,  and  at 
length  became  a  licensed  pharmacist.  For  seven 
years  he  was  engaged  in  business  along  that  line, 
and  for  two  years  of  that  time  he  was  the  propri- 
etor of  a  drug  store. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1892,  Mr.  Mapes  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Clara  Chandler,  of  Ma- 
comb. They  are  well-known  young  people  of 
this  city  who  rank  high  in  social  circles,  and  their 
friends  are  many.  They  have  one  son,  George 
Chandler,  born  in  1893. 

After  continuing  in  the  drug  business  in  his 
own  interest  for  two  years,  Mr.  Mapes  disposed 
of  his  store  and  entered  the  Bank  of  Macomb, 
with  which  he  is  now  connected.  In  his  social 
relations,  he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  and  also 
holds  membership  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen.  Benjamin 
Harrison. 


^+^ 


HON.  JONATHAN  HASKELL  BAKER,  a 
prominent  early  citizen  of  Macomb,  who 
served  his  fellows  in  various  official  capaci- 
ties, and  was  a  leader  at  the  Bar,  was  born  in 
Walpole,  N.  H.,  May  8,  1817.  He  came  of  New 
England  lineage,  his  ancestors  having  settled  in 
that  portion  of  the  country-  at  so  early  a  date  that 
the  exact  time  is  not  now  discoverable.  When 
only  seven  years  of  age  he  was  left  fatherless,  and 
bound  out  to  a  farmer,  with  whom  he  remained  ten 


years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  his  "mas- 
ter" permitted  him  to  enter  a  dry-goods  store  in 
Walpole  as  clerk,  where  he  remained  until  he  at- 
tained his  majority. 

In  the  year  1838  he  became  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  idea  that  the  then  far  western  country 
known  as  Illinois  was  a  proper  field  for  a  young 
man  like  him,  full  of  energy  and  industry,  and 
accordingly  he  made  his  way  hither  and  settled 
in  Macomb.  The  journey  consumed  twenty-seven 
days.  He  was  not  backward  about  the  em- 
ployment which  he  might  obtain,  so  long  as  it  af- 
forded him  an  honest  maintenance  and  an  oppor- 
tunity for  advancement,  and  he  set  to  work  at  the 
first  thing  offered,  which  was  labor  in  a  brickyard, 
where  he  continued  nearly  a  year.  His  natural 
ability  and  his  business  education  brought  him  to 
the  notice  of  James  M.  Campbell,  who  offered  him 
a  position  as  clerk,  and  this  he  accepted.  He  re- 
mained with  Mr.  Campbell  two  years,  and  then 
formed  a  partnership  in  the  grocery  business  with 
Joseph  P.  Updegraff,  which  continued  a  number 
of  years. 

In  the  year  1845,  Mr.  Baker  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  Postmaster  at  Macomb,  and  held  that 
position  four  years.  He  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  with  Charles  Chandler  in  1846,  and 
during  the  remainder  of  his  term  as  Postmaster 
the  office  was  kept  in  their  store.  Mr.  Baker  re- 
mained in  this  business  nine  years,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  that  time  ( 1855)  went  into  the  real- 
estate,  or  "  land  office, "  business,  as  it  was  then 
called.  He  was  appointed  County  Clerk  in  1858, 
to  fill  a  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Isaac 
Grantham,  and  served  until  186 1.  After  the  close 
of  his  term  as  Clerk,  he  engaged  in  the  grocery' 
business  with  Joseph  Burton,  and  remained  in  that 
line  until  1865. 

Having  given  considerable  time  to  the  study  of 
law,  at  the  last-named  date  he  formed  a  co-part- 
nership with  W.  H.  Neecefor  the  practice  of  law, 
which  continued  until  1877,  at  which  time  he  was 
elected  County  Judge.  He  served  the  four-years 
term  to  which  he  was  elected,  and  was  re-elected 
in  1 88 1,  and  served  a  second  term.  He  was  out 
of  office  four  years,  but  was  again  nominated  and 
elected    in    1889   to  the  same  office,    and  served 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


303 


therein  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  the  31st  day  of  August,  1890. 

Mr.  Baker  was  married  to  Miss  Isabelle  Hemp- 
stead on  the  14th  day  of  March,  1843,  at  Macomb. 
Of  this  marriage  four  children  were  born,  who 
survive  him,  viz.:  Clara  A.,  the  wife  of  C.  V. 
Chandler,  whose  biography  will  be  found  else- 
where in  this  work;  Mary  C,  wife  of  E.  L.  Wells, 
of  Macomb;  Isabelle,  wife  of  George  A.  Tunni- 
cliff,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Macomb;  and  Joseph 
H,  who  resides  with  his  mother.  Mrs.  Baker  is 
a  daughter  of  Stephen  Hempstead  and  Mary  L- 
LeFevre,  and  was  born  in  St.  Charles,  Mo.,  to 
which  place  her  parents  had  moved  from  New 
London,  Conn.,  a  short  time  previous  to  her  birth, 
At  the  age  of  eight  or  nine  years,  she  was  made 
an  orphan  by  the  death  of  her  mother,  who  per- 
ished in  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1833.  She  was 
soon  after  sent  by  her  brother  (the  father  being 
absent)  to  McDonough  County,  where  she  made 
her  home  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  James  M.  Camp- 
bell, until  the  time  of  her  marriage. 

The  Macomb  Journal,  in  speaking  of  Judge  Ba- 
ker, pays  the  following  just  tribute  to  his  memory: 
"  He  has  always  been  a  faithful  and  efficient  offi- 
cial, and,  though  a  strong  Democrat,  never  carried 
partisanship  into  official  life.  He  was  a  useful 
member  of  society.  Industrious,  sober,  quiet  and 
unobtrusive  of  demeanor,  he  was  a  pattern  that 
young  men  may  well  follow.  His  life  was  full  of 
years.  As  husband  and  father,  neighbor  and 
friend,  he  was  a  model.  He  leaves  behind  the 
record  of  a  life  well  spent." 

Rev.  L  J.  Dinsmore,  formerly  pastor  of  the  Uni- 
versalis! Church  of  Macomb,  speaking  of  Judge 
Baker's  death,  says:  "This  comes  as  a  severe 
blow  to  the  friends  of  our  church  in  Macomb, 
where  Judge  Baker  had  been  an  honored  and  use- 
ful resident  for  more  than  fifty-three  years.  He 
was  an  honest  and  capable  business  man,  widely 
known  and  universally  respected.  He  had  held 
important  public  offices  for  many  years,  and  at  the 
date  of  his  death  was  Judge  of  Probate  for  Mc- 
Donough County.  His  name  was  intimately  as- 
sociated with  the  early  history  of  our  church  in 
that  portion  of  the  State,  and  his  personal  char- 
acter illuminated  his  Universalist  profession.     He 


was  a  thorough  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  dig- 
nified in  his  bearing,  but  kindly-hearted  and  good 
to  the  poor.  It  was  said  by  one  who  knew  what 
he  was  talking  about  that  Judge  Baker  had  done 
more  good  to  the  people  of  McDonough  County, 
for  less  money,  than  any  other  man  who  ever  lived 
in  it.  *  *  *  He  was  a  man  of  strong 
convictions,  and  fearless  in  their  expression.  He 
lived  and  died  on  the  high  grade  of  thoughtful, 
sincere  and  outspoken  Universalism." 

6"  ■        °-  1=3  <   T  *>  l=i    ;S  * 

HON.  WILLIAM  H.  NEECE  is  probably  one 
of  the  best  known  members  of  the  Democracy 
in  Illinois.  For  many  years  he  has  been 
prominent  in  politics,  not  as  a  politician  in  the 
commonly  accepted  sense  of  the  term,  but  as  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  people,  true  to  their  interests  and 
their  welfare.  He  was  born  February  26,  1831, 
near  Springfield,  in  what  is  now  Logan,  but  was 
then  a  part  of  Sangamon  County,  111.,  and  is  a 
son  of  Jesse  and  Mary  D.  (Maupin)  Neece,  the 
former  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  the  latter  of 
Virginia.  The  Neece  family  is  of  German  origin, 
but  was  founded  in  America  prior  to  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  for  Peter  Neece,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  valiantly  aided  in  the  struggle  for 
independence.  Mr.  Neece  now  has  in  his  posses- 
sion a  Continental  bill,  the  denomination  of  which 
is  .£250,  equal  to  $1,250  in  our  currency,  and 
payable  in  Spanish  milled  dollars. 

After  his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in 
Kentucky,  Jesse  Neece  removed  to  Greencastle, 
Ind.,  in  1824.  There  he  remained  for  six  years, 
and  in  1830  became  a  resident  of  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  but  after  a  short  time  he  came  to 
McDonough  County,  reaching  his  destination  in 
April,  1 83 1 .  The  journey  was  made  with  wagons, 
drawn  by  horses  and  oxen,  and  the  trip  proved  a 
laborious  one.  In  the  early  spring,  the  rich  soil 
of  Illinois  is  deep  mud,  through  which  they  had 
to  make  their  way  slowly.  The  family  bore  many 
of  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  and  became  fa- 
miliar with  all  the  experiences  of  the  frontier. 
To  Jesse  and  Mary  Neece  were  born  ten  children, 


3<H 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  whom  four  are  yet  living:  Mrs.  Icabinda  West- 
fall,  of  Beatrice,  Neb.;  Artemus  V.,  of  Colches- 
ter, 111.;  George  W.,  ofBrookfield,  Mo.;  and  Will- 
iam H.,  of  this  sketch.  The  mother  of  this  fam- 
ily died  in  November,  1837,  after  which  Mr. 
Neece  was  again  married.  By  his  second  mar- 
riage he  had  three  children.  He  became  a  well- 
known  farmer  of  McDonough  County,  and  in 
connection  with  agricultural  pursuits  he  for  many 
years  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  His 
death  occurred  on  the  16th  of  October,  1869,  when 
the  community  felt  that  it  had  lost  one  of  its  best 
citizens. 

William  H.  Neece  acquired  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  this  county,  and  in  early 
life  was  inured  to  hard  labor.  During  his  youth, 
he  engaged  in  breaking  the  prairie  with  an  ox- 
team.  Later  he  engaged  in  boating  on  the  Illi- 
nois River,  and  worked  at  pork-packing.  He  also 
added  to  his  income  by  running  a  threshing-ma- 
chine, and  during  the  gold  excitement  in  Cali- 
fornia, he  crossed  the  plains  to  the  Pacific  Slope, 
in  1853.  The  journey  was  made  with  an  ox- 
team.  After  five  months,  he  reached  Oregon,  and 
another  month  was  spent  on  the  road  to  San 
Francisco,  from  whence  he  went  to  the  Decosnus 
River.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  brother, 
George  W.  Mining,  however,  proved  an  un- 
profitable investment  for  Mr.  Neece,  and,  going  to 
Sacramento,  he  there  secured  a  position  as  cook. 
In  1854,  he  went  to  Grass  Valley,  and  engaged 
in  mining  in  the  gulches,  but  at  length  he  re- 
turned home  by  way  of  the  Panama  route  and 
New  Orleans,  having  found  that  fortunes  were 
not  always  so  easily  secured  in  California  as  rep- 
resented. At  odd  intervals  and  in  leisure  mo- 
ments in  the  mean  time,  he  had  been  reading  law, 
and  now  entered  regularly  upon  its  study  in  the 
office  of  Bailey  &  Van  Fleck.  In  1858  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar.  He  also  engaged  in  pur- 
chasing land  for  the  firm  of  Baker  &  Co. ,  secur- 
ing the  same  through  soldiers'  titles. 

On  the  3d  of  May,  1857,  Mr.  Neece  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Janette  Ingals,  daughter 
of  Thompkins  and  Esther  Ingals.  The  lady  is  a 
native  of  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.  To  them  were  born 
three  children:  Jesse  T.,  who  was  educated  in  the 


Macomb  High  School  and  in  the  Northwestern 
University  of  Chicago,  and  is  now  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  law  with  his  father;  Dr.  William 
A.,  a  dentist  of  Macomb;  and  Orson  B.,  who 
died  October  5,  1888. 

After  his  admission  to  the  Bar,  Mr.  Neece 
opened  a  law  office  in  Macomb,  and  has  since 
been  successfully  engaged  in  practice.  He  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  best  criminal  lawyers  in 
this  part  of  the  State,  and  has  won  a  reputation 
at  the  Bar  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud,  for  he 
stands  at  the  head  of  his  profession  in  this  locality. 
He  defended  Miles  Bond,  who  was  charged  with 
the  killing  of  William  H.  Randolph,  United 
States  Marshal ,  and  was  one  of  the  attorneys  for 
Tom  Johnson,  arrested  for  the  murder  of  Owen,  of 
Henderson  County.  He  was  also  retained  in  the 
defense  of  Albert  Head,  who  was  charged  with 
the  murder  of  his  cousin,  Charles  O.  Head,  and 
defended  Gick,  Payne  and  Davis,  the  murderers 
of  Thomas  Edmundson.  Dr.  Saunders  was  also 
tried  for  the  same  offense,  and  Mr.  Neece  assisted 
in  defending  him.  Gick  was  sent  to  the  peni- 
tentiary for  life,  Payne  for  eight  years,  Davis  for 
one  year,  and  Dr.  Saunders  was  cleared.  He  also 
defended  Frank  and  William  Butler,  of  Prairie 
City,  charged  with  the  murder  of  a  brother,  and 
the  decision  of  "guilty"  pronounced  by  the  Cir- 
cuit Court  was  reversed  by  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  the  defendants  discharged.  In  connection 
with  his  extensive  legal  practice  he  has  also  been 
continuously  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing, and  operates  one  of  the  largest  farms  in  Mc- 
Donough County. 

The  official  life  of  our  subject  began  in  1861, 
when  he  was  elected  Alderman  of  Macomb  from 
the  First  Ward.  In  1863  he  was  elected  to  the 
State  Legislature,  and  in  1869  was  made  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Constitutional  Convention.  Grant  had 
carried  the  county  by  a  large  majority  the  previous 
year,  but  Neece,  running  far  ahead  of  his  ticket, 
was  sent  to  the  convention.  In  1869  he  was  again 
chosen  as  Representative,  and  took  an  active  part 
in  framing  the  laws  under  the  new  constitution. 
In  1872  he  was  nominated  for  the  position  of 
State  Senator.  The  Republican  party  had  a  ma- 
jority of  about  one  thousand,  and  that  he  could 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


W.    A.    COMPTON. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


305 


overcome  this  strong  opposition  indicates  his  great 
personal  popularity  and  the  confidence  and  trust 
reposed  in  him.  In  1882  he  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress from  the  Eleventh  District,  comprising  Rock 
Island,  Mercer,  Henderson,  Hancock,  Schuyler, 
McDonough  and  Warren  Counties,  and  was  chosen 
his  own  successor  in  1884.  In  1886  he  was  again 
the  candidate  of  the  Democracy,  but  was  defeated 
by  William  Gest,  of  Rock  Island,  although  he 
ran  nineteen  hundred  and  thirty-four  votes  ahead 
of  the  Democratic  ticket  in  the  district.  In  1892 
he  was  prominently  talked  of  for  Governor.  His 
course  in  public  office  has  always  been  straight- 
forward. He  has  the  courage  of  his  convictions, 
and  one  who  cares  to  ascertain  can  easily  find  out 
011  which  side  he  stands.  He  is  a  man  of  the 
people,  in  touch  with  the  people,  and  has  their 
confidence  and  respect,  for  he  has  labored  for 
their  interests  and  done  all  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote the  general  welfare. 

Socially,  Mr.  Neece  is  connected  with  the  Odd 
Fellows'  society.  His  first  Presidential  vote  was 
cast  for  Franklin  Pierce,  and  since  that  time  he 
has  never  wavered  in  his  support  of  the  Democ- 
racy. He  is  void  of  ostentation  and  display,  be- 
ing plain  and  unassuming  in  manner — a  practical 
man,  with  a  large  amount  of  common  sense.  He 
does  not  win  friends  rapidly  to  lose  them,  but  al- 
ways retains  the  high  regard  of  those  with  whom 
he  has  been  brought  in  contact,  and  in  the  com- 
munity where  he  is  best  known  his  friends  are  the 
most  numerous  and  of  the  stanchest  kind.  His 
life  has  practically  been  passed  in  McDonough 
Count}-,  and  its  history  would  be  incomplete 
without  his  record. 


&+& 


(ILLIAM  A.  COMPTON,  an  ambitious  and 
rising  young  lawyer,  who  is  now  success- 
fully engaged  in  practice  in  Macomb,  was 
born  in  Scotland  Township,  McDonough  County, 
on  the  5th  of  March,  1864.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Sarah  J.  (Smith)  Compton,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  They  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are 


yet  living,  two  sons  and  five  daughters.  Eliza 
J.,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Starus,  of  Can- 
ton, 111.  Mary  C.  is  the  wife  of  William  E.  Har- 
vey, of  Stanberry,  Mo.  Ella  V.  is  the  wife  of 
George  A.  Walker,  who  also  resides  in  Stanberry ; 
Rosa  A.  is  the  wife  of  William  F.  Kelley,  of  Adair, 
111.  John  W.  is  located  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Ollie  M.  is  at  home.  Edward  and  Arabel  died  in 
infancy. 

The  paternal  great-grandfather  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Ireland,  about  the  year 
1750,  and  his  wife,  whose  family  name  was  Hill, 
was  born  in  Germany,  about  1757.  About  1790, 
they  emigrated  to  this  country  and  settled  in 
Hazeltown,  Ya.,  where  their  son,  Henry  Comp- 
ton, was  born  soon  afterward.  The  latter  was  a 
shoemaker,  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  a  number 
of  years  in  Virginia.  He  migrated  from  Virginia 
about  the  year  1820,  and  settled  on  a  farm  near 
Royalton,  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  where  his  son 
Henry,  the  father  of  William  A.  Compton,  was 
born  November  10,  1828. 

Mr.  Compton's  maternal  great-grandfather, 
Thomas  Delap,  was  the  son  of  a  Frenchman.  He 
was  born  in  1781,  in  Kentucky,  lived  to  a  great 
age,  and  died  in  1873,  at  his  home  near  Burling- 
ton, Iowa.  The  maternal  grandfather,  David 
Smith,  followed  both  agriculture  and  broom-mak- 
ing. He  also  reached  a  ripe  old  age,  and  his  wife 
is  still  living. 

Henry  Compton  and  his  wife,  grandparents  of 
the  subject  of  this  notice,  moved  from  Ohio  about 
1846,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Madison  County, 
111.,  where  the  balance  of  their  days  was  spent. 
In  1849,  their  son  Henry  returned  to  Ohio  and 
remained  one  year.  After  living  two  years  in 
Schuyler  County,  111.,  he  moved,  in  the  fall  of 
1852,  to  Iowa,  and  married  Sarah  J.  Smith  at 
Burlington,  in  that  State,  on  the  25th  of  Septem- 
ber of  that  year.  He  remained  in  Burlington  un- 
til the  spring  of  1856,  and  at  that  time  moved  to 
McDonough  County,  111.  After  living  one  year 
011  a  farm  near  Industry,  he  spent  a  year  on 
what  is  known  as  the  "  Milton  Knight  farm,"  in 
Scotland  Township.  From  there  he  moved  to 
Muscatine,  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  lived  until  the  spring  of  1861, 


3o6 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


when  he  finally  returned  to  McDonough  County. 
He  lived  on  the  farm  of  his  father-in-law,  David 
Smith,  until  1864,  at  which  time  he  bought  the 
eighty-acre  farm  which  he  still  owns  in  Scotland 
Township,  and  whereon  he  dwelt  up  to  March, 
[893,  when  he  laid  aside  business  cares  and  has 
since  lived  retired  in  Macomb.  He  and  his  wife 
have  for  many  years  been  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  are  highly  respected 
people. 

W.  A.  Compton  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  reared  to  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm, 
and  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools.  He  afterward  attended  the  Macomb 
Normal  College,  and  was  graduated  therefrom  in 
1885.  His  first  independent  effort  in  life  was  as 
a  school  teacher.  He  followed  that  profession  for 
five  terms,  but,  wishing  to  make  the  practice  of 
law  his  life  work,  he  studied  the  principles  and 
standards  of  that  profession,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  November  21,  1888,  in  Springfield.  Dur- 
ing the  same  winter  he  was  filling  the  position  of 
Principal  of  the  public  schools  of  Bentley,  Han- 
cock County,  111. 

On  the  close  of  the  school  year,  Mr.  Compton 
came  to  Macomb,  where  he  opened  a  law  office 
and  also  began  dealing  in  real  estate.  A  year 
later  he  was  married  to  Miss  Pearl  Shriner,  the 
second  daughter  of  Levi  and  Harriet  (Collins) 
Shriner,  of  Macomb  Township.  Their  union  was 
celebrated  on  the  5th  of  March,  1890,  on  the  twen- 
ty-sixth anniversary  of  his  birth.  Mrs.  Compton 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  is  a  most  estimable  lady,  who  has  many  friends 
throughout  the  community. 

Mr.  Compton  holds  membership  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm,  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  situated  on  sections  22 
and  28,  Lamoine  Township,  besides  his  residence 
at  No.  432  S.  Randolph  Street,  a  block  of  ground 
in  the  Simmons'  Addition,  a  house  and  lot  in  the 
Eastern  Addition,  and  three  lots  in  Twyman's  Ad- 
dition. In  politics,  he  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of 
the  Democratic  party  and  its  principles  and  is  one 
of  the  most  popular  and  useful  members  of  the 
party.     He  served  as  First  Assistant  Clerk  in  the 


House  of  Representatives  during  the  Thirty-sev- 
enth General  Assembly,  to  which  position  he  was 
nominated  by  acclamation.  When  only  twenty- 
four  years  of  age  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  State 
Convention,  took  an  active  part  in  the  delibera- 
tions of  that  body,  and  seconded  the  nomination 
of  Andrew  J.  Bell,  of  Peoria,  for  Governor.  He 
is  a  man  of  splendid  address  and  a  brilliant  talker, 
and  stumped  McDonough  and  adjoining  counties 
for  the  Democratic  ticket  in  the  campaigns  of  1888 
and  1892,  gaining  an  enviable  reputation  as  an 
orator.  He  is  recognized  as  a  leading  young  pol- 
itician of  McDonough  County.  He  was  a  candi- 
date for  the  nomination  of  County  Judge,  and  also 
for  Representative  on  two  occasions.  Though  de- 
feated, he  nevertheless  gained  a  large  following, 
and  is  recognized  as  a  leader  of  the  Democracy. 
He  possesses  more  than  ordinary  ability,  and  his 
keen  mind  and  quick  perceptive  faculties  make 
him  well  adapted  for  his  chosen  profession. 


0LIN  EMERY,  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
Augusta  Eagle,  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
and  progressive  citizens  of  Augusta,  always 
alive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  place.  He  was 
born  in  Blaudinsville,  111.,  on  the  istof  December, 
[868,  and  is  a  son  of  Dr.  James  H.  and  Rhoda  E. 
(  Hardisty  1  Emery.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Henry  Emery,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
was  a  fanner  by  occupation.  He  reared  a  large 
family,  and  lived  to  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
The  maternal  grandfather,  J.  V.  M.  Hardisty, 
was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  about  1S30  emigrated 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  McDonough  County.  He 
is  now  living  in  Blaudinsville,  and  has  reached 
the  age  of  more  than  three-score  years  and  ten. 

Dr.  Emery,  father  of  our  subject,  is  a  native  of 
Richland  County,  Ohio.  He  is  numbered  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Illinois,  whither  he  came  in 
1840.  He  located  near  Galva,  Henry  County, 
and  there  made  his  home  until  i860.  Having 
studied  medicine,  he  began  the  practice  of  his 
chosen  profession  in  1S63,  in  Blaudinsville,  and 
has  there  since  made  his  home.      He  is  a  success- 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILL 
URBANA 


Charles  J.  Scofield 


POkTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


309 


ful  physician,  who  has  a  high  reputation,  and, 
therefore  receives  a  liberal  patronage.  In  June, 
1893,  he  began  the  publication  of  the  Blandins- 
ville  Star,  which  he  has  since  edited  in  connec- 
tion with  his  other  business.  He  married  Miss 
Hardisty,  who  was  born  in  Blandinsville,  and  to 
them  were  born  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three 
daughters,  seven  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely: 
Oliti;  James  H.;  Lois  E.,  wife  of  Elmer  L.  Wise; 
Otto;  Roscoe  D. ;  Daisy  R.  and  Mamie  O. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  child  of  the  family. 
The  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  spent  in 
Blandinsville,  and  his  education  was  acquired  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  city.  He  was 
reared  upon  his  father's  farm,  but  not  wishing  to 
make  agricultural  pursuits  his  life  work,  he  turned 
his  attention  to  other  interests,  and  began  learn- 
ing the  printers'  trade.  In  the  year  1891,  he 
came  to  Augusta  and  purchased  the  Augusta 
Eagle,  a  Democratic  journal,  of  which  he  is 
both  editor  and  publisher.  This  is  a  bright  and 
newsy  sheet,  ably  edited  and  conducted,  and 
from  the  public  it  receives  a  liberal  patronage, 
which  is  constantly  increasing,  and  which  is  well 
deserved.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Emery  is  a 
Democrat,  and  warmly  advocates  the  principles 
of  that  party.  He  is  still  a  young  man,  yet  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  this 
(immunity,  for  he  is  always  found  on  the  side  of 
what  pertains  to  the  best  interests  of  the  county, 
and  to  its  upbuilding  and  advancement. 


•3  HARLES  JOSIAH  SCOFIELD  is  one  of  the 
I  C  most  prominent  attorneys  in  the  State,  and 
{.)  is  now  serving  as  Judge  of  the  Sixth  Judicial 
L  strict  of  Illinois.  Hancock  County  has  no  more 
highly-respected  citizen,  and  that  he  has  won  a 
foremost  place  among  his  professional  brethren  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  when  he  was  elected  to  his 
present  office,  he  was  the  youngest  Circuit  Judge 
in  the  country.  He  was  born  in  Carthage,  Han- 
cock County,  on  Christmas  Day,  1853,  and  is  a 
son  of  Charles  R.  and  Elizabeth  Scofield.  His 
father    was    born    in  De  Wittville,    Chautauqua 

15 


County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  a  son  of  Darius  and 
Sallie  (Glenny)  Scofield,  the  former  a  native  of 
Stamford,  Conn.,  and  the  latter  of  the  city  of 
Newry,  Ireland.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  was  of  Scotch -Irish  lineage, 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Harrison  and  Alice  Craw- 
ford. 

Charles  R.  Scofield  died  when  his  son  Charles 
was  only  three  years  of  age,  being  then  in  the 
prime  of  life.  He  had  studied  law,  and  about 
1 85 1  began  its  practice.  His  ability  and  talent 
were  rapidly  winning  for  him  prominence  in  his 
profession,  but  after  five  years  of  successful  prac- 
tice he  was  cut  off  by  the  hand  of  death.  After 
losing  her  husband,  Mrs.  Scofield  with  her  two 
children  went  to  live  with  her  father.  The  sec- 
ond son  is  Hon.  T.  J.  Scofield,  now  Assistant  At- 
torney-General of  Illinois.  He,  too,  has  won 
success  as  a  lawyer,  and  has  a  large  practice  in 
Quincy,  where  he  lives  with  his  wife  and  six 
children. 

The  Judge  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  child- 
hood and  youth  upon  his  grandfather's  farm, 
about  a  mile  from  the  city.  His  early  education 
was  acquired  in  the  common  schools,  but  he  after- 
ward pursued  a  three-years  course  in  a  college, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. When  he  was  twenty  }rears  of  age,  the  de- 
gree of  A.  M.  was  conferred  upon  him.  Soon 
after  his  literary  education  was  completed,  he  be- 
gan teaching,  and  for  three  years  had  charge  of 
the  High  School  in  Carthage.  The  profession  to 
which  his  family  had  furnished  several  repre- 
sentatives attracted  him,  and  during  vacations  he 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  the  Hon. 
Bryant  T.  Scofield,  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of 
the  Bar  of  Hancock  County.  In  the  same  office 
were  William  C.  Hooker  and  George  Edmunds. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  and  a  few  months  thereafter  was  appointed 
Master  in  Chancery,  which  office  he  held  for 
nearly  ten  years,  or  until  his  election  to  the  Bench. 
When  thirty-one  years  of  age,  he  became  one  of 
the  Judges  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  Circuit,  and  on  the 
expiration  of  his  first  term  of  six  years  was  elected 
his  own  successor.  He  has  also  held  court  at 
many  points  outside  of  his  circuit,   among  them 


31° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Chicago,  Galesburg  and  Morrison.  In  June, 
1893,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Supreme  Court 
as  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Appellate  Court  for 
the  Fourth  District. 

On  the  12th  of  September,  1876,  Mr.  Scofield 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rose  Spitler, 
an  adopted  daughter  of  Dr.  Adam  Spitler,  of 
Carthage.  Mrs.  Scofield  is  a  woman  of  more 
than  ordinary  intelligence,  and  is  an  active  worker 
in  the  cause  of  Christ.  As  President  of  the  Dis- 
trict Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions,  she 
has  done  very  efficient  and  satisfactory  work  in 
arousing  and  developing  an  interest  in  the  mis- 
sionary field. 

■  Judge  Scofield  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  in  connection  with  his  labors  as 
lawyer  and  Judge,  he  has  served  as  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Carthage  for  fifteen  years,  his  labors 
being  performed  without  remuneration.  His  time 
and  talent  he  gives  to  the  cause,  and  during  his 
pastorate  the  church  membership  has  been  in- 
creased from  fifty  to  three  hundred.  He  has  also 
engaged  to  some  extent  in  literary  work,  and  is 
the  author  of  an  able  volume,  which  was  written 
to  show  some  of  the  evils  arising  directly  and  in- 
directly from  the  liquor  traffic.  It  was  published 
in  November,  1891,  under  the  title  of  "A  Subtle 
Adversary,"  and  has  had  a  large  sale.  It  is  fre- 
quently spoken  of  as  "the  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  of 
temperance  reform, "  and  has  been  classed  with 
Dickens'  '  'David  Copperfield' '  and  Wallace's  '  'Ben 
Hur,"  as  among  the  greatest  works  of  fiction  in 
the  English  language. 

As  a  jurist,  the  Judge  ranks  among  the  best  in 
the  entire  country.  Few  decisions  of  his  are  ever 
reversed,  and  he  has  the  entire  confidence  of  the 
Bar,  not  only  in  his  own  district,  but  wherever 
known.  As  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  he  is  elo- 
quent, forcible  and  logical.  His  legal  studies 
have  helped  in  the  last  direction.  A  firm  believer 
in  the  Divine  revelation,  he  does  not  hesitate  to 
express  his  views  fearlessly  and  intelligently  upon 
disputed  points  among  the  higher  and  other 
critics.  His  Christianity  none  doubts,  and  he  has 
the  confidence  and  friendship  of  all  of  his  religious 
neighbors  without  regard  to  creed.  As  a  citizen, 
no  one  is  held  in  higher  esteem.     His  advice  and 


counsel  are  sought  by  political  friend  and  foe,  by 
rich  and  poor,  by  the  ignorant  and  learned,  be- 
cause they  know  their  confidence  will  never  be 
betrayed,  and  any  advice  given  will  come  from  an 
honest  heart.  Socially,  Mr.  Scofield  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid,  and 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  his  political  views. 
he  is  a  Democrat,  and  on  that  ticket  was  elected 
to  the  Bench,  although  he  received  the  votes  of 
many  of  other  parties. 

lILLIAM  H.  HAINLINE  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Macomb.  He  is  now  serv- 
ing as  its  Mayor,  and  is  the  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Macomb  Journal.  He  is  also 
one  of  the  honored  veterans  of  the  late  war,  and 
his  loyalty  to  his  country  is  as  manifest  in  days 
of  peace  as  it  was  when  he  followed  the  Old  Flag 
on  the  field  of  battle.  Born  in  Emmett  Town- 
ship, McDonough  County,  on  the  29th  of  July, 
1841,  he  is  a  sou  of  John  D.  and  Margaret  A. 
(Douthitt)  Hainline,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Kentucky.  The  grandfather,  George  W.  Hain- 
line, was  also  born  in  that  State,  and  the  great- 
grandfather of  our  subject  removed  from  North 
Carolina  to  Kentucky  in  company  with  Daniel 
Boone.  He  was  of  German  descent.  He  fought 
in  the  Indian  wars  with  Boone,  and  lived  to  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-five  years.  In  1838  the 
grandfather  came  to  Illinois,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred in  1867.  The  maternal  grandfather  of 
W.  H.  Hainline  was  Lewis  Douthitt.  He,  too, 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  but  because  he  was  a 
Union  man,  he  was  driven  out  of  that  State  dur- 
ing the  war,  and  came  to  McDonough  County. 
Later,  however,  he  returned  to  his  old  home, 
where  his  last  days  were  passed.  He  was  a  farmer 
and  tanner,  and  owned  about  twenty  slaves,  which 
were  freed  through  the  emancipation  proclama- 
tion. His  death  occurred  when  about  ninety 
years  of  age. 

John  D.  Hainline,  father  of  our  subject,  came 
to  Illinois  in  1838,  and  located  in  what  was  then 
known  as  the  Spring  Creek  settlement,  where  he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


3ii 


has  since  made  his  home.  Throughout  life  he 
has  followed  the  occupation  of  farming,  and  there- 
by acquired  a  comfortable  competence.  During 
the  time  of  the  Mormon  troubles  he  aided  in  driv- 
ing them  from  Nauvoo.  An  honored  pioneer  of  the 
county  for  more  than  fifty -five  years,  he  has  wit- 
nessed its  growth  and  upbuilding,  and  has  ever 
borne  his  part  in  its  development.  His  wife  died 
in  November,  1869,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one,  in  the 
faith  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church. 
They  had  a  family  of  eleven  children,  five  sous 
and  six  daughters,  but  only  six  of  the  number 
are  now  living,  namely:  W.  H.,  of  this  sketch; 
Flora  A.,  wife  of  Marcellus  Shryack,  of  Warrens- 
burg,  Mo.;  Isabel,  wife  of  Capt.  B.  A.  Griffith, 
of  Sciota;  John  Q.,  of  Hire  Township;  Andrew 
J.,  of  Macomb;  and  May,  wife  of  William  Stick  - 
lenx,  also  of  Hire  Township,  McDonough  County. 
His  eldest  brother,  George  L.  Hainline,  fell  dead 
by  his  side,  shot  through  the  head,  at  the  battle 
of  Bentonville,  N.  C,  March  21,  1865. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, we  present  to  our  readers  the  life  record  of 
one  of  the  native  sons  of  McDonough  County. 
He  was  reared  to  manhood  under  the  parental 
roof,  and  the  common  schools  afforded  him  his 
educational  privileges.  He  continued  at  home 
until  1859,  when,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
attracted  by  the  discovery-  of  gold  at  Pike's  Peak, 
he  made  a  trip  to  that  place,  returning  in  the 
autumn.  He  then  continued  to  engage  in  farm 
labor  upon  the  old  homestead  until  the  beginning 
of  the  late  war.  Scarcely  had  the  echo  of  Ft. 
Sumter's  guns  ceased  to  reverberate,  when  he 
offered  his  sen-ices  to  the  Government,  enlisting 
April  19,  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Six- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry.  After  about  three  years 
he  re-enlisted,  January  i,  1864,  and  continued  in 
the  service  until  after  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  New  Madrid,  Island 
No.  10,  the  siege  of  Corinth,  Buzzard's  Roost, 
Resaca,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree  Creek, 
Sherman's  celebrated  march  to  the  sea,  and  the 
Carolina  campaign,  ending  in  the  engagement  at 
Bentonville,  which  was  the  last  and  most  terrible 
battle  in  which  his  regiment  participated.  He 
was  captured  at  Peach  Tree  Creek,  and  was  in 


Andersonville  Prison  for  sixty  days,  but  by  a 
special  exchange  he  was  returned  to  his  regiment. 
During  the  last  three  years  of  his  service,  he  held 
the  rank  of  Corporal.  Always  faithful  to  his  duty, 
he  was  a  valiant  defender  of  the  Old  Flag  and  the 
cause  it  represented.  On  the  8th  of  July,  1865, 
he  was  mustered  out. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  serv- 
ices, Mr.  Hainline  returned  home,  and  was  soon 
afterward  elected  County  Treasurer.  The  office 
was  entirely  unsought  by  him,  and  he  was  the 
first  Republican  ever  elected  to  that  office  in  the 
county.  On  the  expiration  of  his  two-years  term, 
he  became  interested  in  the  drug  business  with 
P.  H.  Delaney,  but  after  four  years  he  sold  out, 
and  in  June,  1870,  purchased  a  half-interest  in 
the  Macomb  Journal,  owned  by  B.  R.  Hampton. 
This  connection  continued  until  188 1,  when  he 
bought  out  Mr.  Hampton's  interest.  He  was 
then  alone  in  business  until  1884,  when  a  stock 
company  was  formed,  but  Mr.  Hainline  has  con- 
tinued as  its  editor  and  publisher. 

On  the  1 6th  of  June,  1866,  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Victoria,  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Mary  CMiller)  Shleich,  of  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany.  Two  children  were  born  to 
them,  Maud  L.  and  Mildred  D.  The  former  is 
the  wife  of  Wade  W.  Meloan,  a  lawyer  of  Ma- 
comb, and  they  have  one  child,  William.  Millie 
is  the  wife  of  E.  T.  Walker,  Cashier  of  the  Citi- 
zens' Bank  of  Macomb,  and  they  have  a  daughter, 
Caroline.  Mrs.  Hainline,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  German  Reformed  Church,  died  on  the  24th  of 
February,  1S74.  Mr.  Hainline  was  again  mar- 
ried, January  24,  1879,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Catherine  L.  Vorhees,  daughter  of 
Francis  and  Jane  (Leslie)  Vorhees,  of  Kingston, 
N.  Y.  They  have  two  children,  Jean  L.  and 
Andrew  L. 

Mr.  Hainline  takes  considerable  interest  in  civic 
societies,  and  belongs  to  Macomb  Lodge,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.;  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity;  Mc- 
Donough Post  No.  103,  G.  A.  R.;  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Mutual  Aid;  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America;  and  the  Home  Forum.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Republican  party 
and  its  principles,  is  a  member  of  the  State  Cen- 


312 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tral  Committee,  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  aid 
in  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  has  been  honored  with  vari- 
ous offices.  He  served  as  Alderman  of  the  First 
Ward  in  1868  and  1869,  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  for  three  years,  and  in  1893 
was  elected  Mayor  of  Macomb,  which  position  he 
is  now  filling  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfac- 
tion to  his  constituents.  The  standing  of  the 
Nla-corah  Journal  is  well  known,  it  being  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  best  papers  in  this  part  of  the 
State.  Its  editor  is  also  well  known,  and  few- 
citizens  of  McDonough  County  have  more  friends 
than  Mr.  Hainline,  a  popular  and  genial  gentle- 
man, who  has  gained  the  respect  and  good-will  of 
all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact. 

(T  E.  LANE  is  one  of  Macomb's  well-known 
I  citizens.  He  is  now  serving  as  County  Clerk 
O  of  McDonough  County,  a  position  which  he 
has  filled  for  some  time.  His  life  record  is  as 
follows:  A  native  of  Kentucky,  he  was  born  in 
Russell  County,  on  the  1st  of  October,  1834,  and 
is  a  son  of  Gholson  and  Mary  (Janes)  Lane,  both 
of  whom  were  also  natives  of  the  same  State.  He 
was  only  one  year  old  when,  in  1836,  his  parents 
emigrated  to  Illinois,  and  took  up  their  residence 
in  Industry  Township,  McDonough  County.  The 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  quietly 
passed,  and  the  public  schools  afforded  him  his 
educational  privileges. 

Mr.  Lane  watched  with  interest  the  course  of 
events  which  threatened  to  culminate  in  war,  and 
after  Ft.  Sumter  had  been  fired  upon  and  the 
dissolution  of  the  Union  was  threatened,  he  re- 
sponded to  the  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  April, 
1 86 1,  as  a  private  of  the  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. He  served  in  the  ranks  until  1862,  when 
he  was  appointed  First  Sergeant  of  Company  A, 
and  continued  in  that  capacity  until  June  20, 
1864,  when,  his  three-years  term  having  expired, 
he  was  honorably  discharged  and  returned  to  Ma- 
comb.    He  was  a  faithful  soldier,  and   for  a  long 


period  did  arduous  service  at  the  front.  His  first 
campaign  was  in  Missouri,  and  included  many 
skirmishes,  and  the  siege  of  Bird's  Point  and  battle 
at  New  Madrid.  At  the  latter  point,  the  Tenth 
and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Regiments  captured  five 
thousand  men,  with  their  entire  equipment  and 
munitions.  The  Sixteenth  was  in  the  reserve 
forces  at  Ft.  Donelson  and  Pittsburg  Landing, 
and  marched  from  the  latter  point  to  Nashville, 
Tenu.,  where  it  spent  the  winter  of  1862-63;  it 
continued  as  a  part  of  the  Fourteenth  Army 
Corps,  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  Mr. 
Lane  was  mustered  out  at  Rossville,  Ga.,  June 
20,  1864,  having  taken  part  in  the  battles  of  Buz- 
zard's Roost  and  vicinity,  embracing  a  week's 
fighting  in  northern  Georgia. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Lane's  return,  he  was  mar- 
ried, on  the  20th  of  October,  1864,  to  Miss  Josie 
A.  Kendrick,  daughter  of  W.  H.  Kendrick,  of 
this  city.  Unto  them  has  been  born  a  son,  Frank 
A. ,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  den- 
tistry in  Macomb. 

Mr.  Lane  has  been  honored  with  various  offi- 
cial positions  since  his  residence  here.  In  May, 
1865,  he  was  appointed  City  Marshal,  Assessor 
and  Collector,  and  was  re-appointed  the  next 
year,  serving  two  years.  In  December,  1866,  he 
received  the  appointment  of  Deputy  Sheriff  under 
Col.  Sam.  Wilson,  and  continued  to  fill  that  of- 
fice two  years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1868  he  was 
elected  County  Sheriff  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
When  that  term  had  expired,  he  left  Illinois  and, 
in  the  fall  of  1870,  purchased  a  farm  in  Carroll 
County,  Mo.,  which  he  operated  until  1872.  On 
the  24th  of  December  of  that  year,  he  returned 
to  Macomb,  and  on  the  16th  of  January  following 
purchased  the  interest  of  S.  L.  Babcock  in  a  gro- 
cery store.  Having  formed  a  partnership  with 
Joseph  Updegraff,  the  firm  of  Updegraff  &  Lane 
continued  in  the  grocer)-  business  for  about  a 
year,  when  the  senior  partner  retired.  Mr.  Lane 
was  then  alone  for  about  a  year,  when  he  admit- 
ted G.  W.  Pace  to  partnership.  The  new  firm 
successfully  carried  on  operations  until  the  fall  of 
1877,  when  they  sold  out. 

In  the  spring  of  1866  Mr.  Lane  was  elected 
Constable,  and  was  re-elected,  holding  the  posi- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


3i3 


tion  continuously  until  1890,  except  during  the 
two  years  he  was  Sheriff.  In  December,  1870, 
he  was  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff  by  Fred  New- 
land,  and  was  re-appointed  in  1882  to  serve  four 
years.  He  is  now  holding  the  office  of  County 
Clerk,  to  which  he  was  elected  in  November, 
1890.  Mr.  Lane  has  a  wide  acquaintance  through- 
out McDonough  County,  and  has  many  friends 
in  Macomb. 

(TOHN  M.  DUNSWORTH.  Jr.,  deceased,  was 
I  born  in  McDonough  County,  111.,  near  Col- 
\Z/  Chester,  March  5,  1849,  and  died  May  3,  1892, 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  a  son 
of  Wesley  and  Angeline  (Vest)  Dunsworth,  his 
father  being  a  well-known  farmer,  who  settled  in 
McDonough  County  in  1830.  Our  subject  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  near  Colchester, 
no  event  of  special  importance  occurring  during 
that  period  of  his  life.  He  acquired  a  good  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Macomb,  and  when 
his  life  as  a  student  was  ended  he  embarked  in 
teaching,  which  profession  he  followed  for  years. 
His  indomitable  energy  and  perseverance  are 
shown  by  the  fact  that  he  continued  his  teaching 
for  some  time,  although  he  was  forced  to  almost 
crawl  to  the  school,  being  a  cripple.  He  also 
served  as  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  four 
years,  and  in  that  position  proved  a  capable  and 
efficient  officer,  who  by  his  faithful  discharge  of 
duty  won  the  high  commendation  of  all  concerned. 
About  18S2,  he  removed  to  Plymouth  and  estab- 
lished the  Enterprise,  an  independent  paper,  which 
he  published  for  nine  years. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1S85,  in  Bowen,  111., 
Mr.  Dunsworth  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Rosa  A.  Adams,  daughter  of  Charles  G.  and 
America  H.  (Taylor)  Adams,  who  were  natives 
of  Kentucky ,  from  which  State  they  removed  to 
Whitcomb,  Ind.,  where  Mis.  Dunsworth  was  born 
and  reared.  Two  children  graced  the  union  of 
our  subject  and  his  wife,  Leroy  and  Glen  A.,  but 
the  latter  died  at  the  age  of  eight  months. 

Mr.  Dunsworth  was  a  member  of  the    Presby- 


terian Church,  and  his  wife  holds  membership 
with  the  Methodist  Church.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association  of  Han- 
cock, McDonough  and  Schuyler  Counties,  and 
served  as  its  Secretary  for  some  time.  After  his 
death,  his  wife  filled  the  office  for  one  year.  He 
continued  the  publication  of  the  Enterprise  for 
some  time  and  met  writh  good  success  in  the  un- 
dertaking. His  paper  was  ably  edited,  and  was 
a  neat,  interesting  sheet,  which  received  hearty 
support  throughout  the  community.  Mr.  Duns- 
worth was  pleasant  and  genial  in  manner,  and  was 
a  warm-hearted,  whole-souled  gentleman,  who  had 
a  host  of  friends.  He  died  May  3,  1892,  from  an 
accidental  gunshot  wound,  at  the  age  of  forty-three 
years,  one  month  and  twenty-two  days. 

By  the  request  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Dunsworth 
has  continued  the  publication  of  the  Enterprise 
since  his  death.  She  is  a  lady  of  good  business 
ability,  and  possesses  the  necessary  qualifications 
for  a  successful  career  in  the  journalistic  field. 
She  is  now  ably  assisted  by  James  E.  Ewiug,  who 
is  serving  as  the  local  editor  of  the  paper.  He  was 
born  and  reared  in  Plymouth  and  is  well  known 
throughout  the  county. 

g=  Sl  e=J<-   ?  >Uu    s  a) 

gVRON  PONTIOUS',  of  Macomb,  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the 
McDonough  County  Bar.  For  the  past  four- 
teen years  he  has  been  engaged  in  practice  in  this 
city,  and  has  rapidly  worked  his  way  upward,  un- 
til he  now  stands  in  the  front  rank  in  his  profes- 
sion in  the  county  seat.  He  has  a  pleasant  deliv- 
ery, and  is  a  faithful,  earnest  and  able  advocate, 
who  works  untiringly  for  the  interests  of  his  cli- 
ents, and  has  therefore  won  their  confidence  and 
esteem. 

As  Mr.  Pontious  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
throughout  this  part  of  the  State,  we  feel  assured 
that  his  life  record  will  prove  of  interest  to  many 
of  our  readers.  A  native  of  the  Buckeye  State, 
he  was  born  in  Ross  County  May  25,  1851,  and 
is  a  son  of  Simon  and  Elizabeth  (Bunn)  Pontious, 
who  were  also  natives  of  Ohio.     The  Pontious 


314 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


family  originated  in  Holland.  At  an  early  day 
some  of  its  representatives  emigrated  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  later  some  of  its  members  removed  to 
Ohio.  In  1853,  Simon  Pontious  came  with  his 
family  to  Illinois,  and  located  upon  a  farm  in  Mc 
Donough  County,  where  he  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  for  a  number  of  years.  Of  his  five 
children,  Leroy,  the  eldest,  is  now  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  in  Lewist  own,  111.;  Lyman  carries 
on  merchandising  in  Adair;  Anna  M.  is  at  home; 
Byron  is  the  next  younger;  and  Austin  is  engaged 
in  farming  near  the  old  homestead. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads, 
and  early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  of 
farm  life.  In  his  younger  years  he  attended  the 
district  schools,  but  his  early  educational  privi- 
leges were  supplemented  by  study  in  Lombard 
University  of  Galesburg.  On  leaving  that  school 
in  1872,  he  engaged  in  teaching  for  a  year,  and 
then  began  clerking  in  a  store  in  Adair.  At 
length,  with  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through 
industry  and  economy,  he  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  store,  and  finally  became  sole  proprietor  and 
carried  on  business  along  that  line  for  a  period  of 
six  years.  In  the  mean  time  he  began  the  study 
of  law,  reading  under  the  instruction  of  Capt. 
Epperson  and  Maj.  Barnes,  of  Bushnell,  and  in 
March,  1880,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  In  De- 
cember of  the  same  year  he  opened  an  office  in 
Macomb. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1873,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Pontious  and  Miss  Ambrosia 
Woods,  daughter  of  Morilla  and  Martha  Woods, 
of  McDonough  County.  Two  children  were  born 
to  them,  a  daughter  and  a  son,  but  the  former, 
Arah,  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  months.  The 
latter,  Ralph  W.,  is  now  a  student  in  Lombard 
University.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pontious  hold 
membership  with  the  Universalist  Church,  and  in 
his  social  relations  he  is  connected  with  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Pontious  is  a  sup- 
porter of  Democratic  principles,  and  during  his 
residence  in  Adair  he  served  as  Township  Treas- 
urer for  four  years.  He  has  continuously  en- 
gaged in  practice  in  Macomb  since  coming  to  this 


city  in  1880,  and  is  now  doing  a  large  and  lucra- 
tive business.  In  February,  1888,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Master  in  Chancery  by  Judge  Schofield. 
In  1 89 1  he  became  associated  in  business  with  J. 
Ross  Mickey,  and  this  partnership  still  continues. 
Mr.  Pontious  is  a  pleasant  and  genial  gentleman, 
who  has  many  friends  throughout  the  community 
and  is  highly  respected  by  all. 

&        '      "*~i^<!  T  '>lsa  "'     '  e> 

61  BSALOM  G.  BOTTS  is  the  proprietor  of  a 
Ll  feedmill  in  Plymouth.  For  many  years  he 
I  I  carried  on  farming  in  Hancock  County,  and 
is  one  of  its  leading  agriculturists.  He  has  long 
been  recognized  as  one  of  its  representative  and 
valued  citizens,  and  is  numbered  among  the  hon- 
ored pioneers  who,  since  an  early  day,  have  aided 
in  the  growth  and  development  of  the  county  and 
in  the  promotion  of  the  general  welfare. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Seth 
Botts,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  throughout 
life  followed  farming.  His  death  occurred  in 
Kentucky  at  an  advanced  age.  Among  his  fam- 
ily of  five  sons  and  three  daughters  was  Joseph 
Botts,  the  father  of  our  subject.  He  too  was  born 
in  Virginia,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  life  was 
spent  in  other  States.  In  1836  he  emigrated  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  in  St.  Mary's  Township,  Hancock 
County,  where  throughout  his  remaining  days 
he  engaged  in  farming  and  preaching,  for  he  was 
also  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  Church.  His  hon- 
orable, upright  life  won  him  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  all,  and  his  death  was  mourned  by  many 
warm  friends.  He  passed  away  in  1882,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety  years  and  six  months, 
and  his  wife  died  in  187 1,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years.  The  lady  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Sabra  Wilkes,  and  was  born  in  Virginia,  as  was 
her  father.  He  was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Rev- 
olution, and  had  a  son  who  served  in  the  War  of 
18 1 2.  His  death  occurred  in  Kentucky  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Botts  were 
born  twelve  children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters, 
but  only  five  of  the  number  are  now  living:  Ab- 
salom G.;  James  D.,  of  Carthage;    Ann,    wife  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


3i5 


Ira  G.  Rhodes,  of  Brighton,  Iowa;  Jane,  wife  of 
John  Logan,  of  MeDonough  Count}-;  and  Louisa, 
wife  of  Daniel  Barielo,  of  Nebraska. 

When  a  child  of  eight  years,  A.  G.  Botts  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  Illi- 
nois, and  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  in 
Hancock  County,  remaining  at  home  until  twenty- 
four  years  of  age.  He  then  started  out  in  life  for 
himself,  and  the  occupation  to  which  he  was 
reared  he  resumed  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  His 
school  privileges  were  such  as  were  afforded  by 
the  old-time  subscription  schools. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  1852,  Mr.  Botts  wedded 
Sarah  J.  White,  daughter,  of  Joseph  and  Maria 
(Armstrong)  White,  natives  of  Ohio.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  a  family  of  four  sons  and  two 
daughters,  the  eldest  of  whom  is  Robert.  Joseph, 
who  is  living  on  St.  Mary's  Prairie,  married  Mrs. 
Gould,  widow  of  Lewis  Gould  and  a  daughter  of 
John  T.  Johnson.  Jay  married  Miss  Vernie  Can- 
non, and  lives  on  the  old  homestead.  Ira  is  the 
next  younger.  Maria  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Yates, 
of  Cawker  City,  Kan.,  by  whom  she  has  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Josie,  Ivan,  Ollie,  Inez,  Harry 
and  Belle.  Arabel  completes  the  family,  and  is 
the  wife  of  Robert  Cloud,  of  St.  Mary's  Prairie. 
The  mother  died  June  4,  1890,  and  Mr.  Botts  was 
again  married,  November  25,  1892,  his  second 
union  being  with  Mrs.  Rachel  Crump,  widow  of 
Dr.  Morris  Crump,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Maria  (Armstrong)  White.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  is  a  most  estimable 
lady. 

Mr.  Botts  holds  membership  with  the  Farmers' 
Alliance.  He  voted  the  Republican  ticket  from 
1856  to  1892,  since  which  time  he  has  affiliated 
with  the  People's  party.  Helms  served  as  Town- 
ship Assessor  and  Treasurer,  was  Justice  of  the 
Peace  two  terms,  and  is  now  one  of  the  Village 
Trustees.  Prompt  and  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  his  public  duties,  he  has  proved  an  efficient 
officer.  For  fifty-seven  years  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Hancock  County.  When  he  came  here 
one  could  ride  for  miles  across  the  prairie,  with  no 
fences  to  intercept  his  progress.  Much  of  the 
land  was  still  in  possession  of  the  Government, 
and  the  work  of  progress  and   advancement   was 


largely  a  labor  of  the  future.  Mr.  Botts  has 
always  borne  his  part  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
county,  and  well  deserves  mention  among  its  hon- 
ored pioneers. 

1H      ■      ,°-s^~t"'>  Eir*         — m 

(Tames  Alexander  Anderson,  dealer 

I  in  hardware  and  agricultural  implements  of 
(2/  Hamilton,  was  born  in  Botetourt  County, 
Va.,  August  11,  1840,  and  is  descended  from  old 
Scotch,  Irish,  Holland-Dutch  and  English  fam- 
ilies. He  comes  of  good  old  Revolutionary  stock, 
as  no  less  than  eight  of  his  ancestors  served  the 
Colonies  as  soldiers  in  their  struggle  for  independ- 
ence. On  his  mother's  side  he  traces  his  ancestry 
back  to  James  Paxton,  of  County  Armagh,  Ire- 
land, whose  ancestors  were  English,  and  whose 
son,  Samuel  Paxton,  emigrated  to  America  in 
early  Colonial  times,  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania, 
but  afterward  removed  to  Virginia.  The  latter's 
son,  Thomas  Paxton,  married  Betsy  McClung 
for  his  first  wife,  and  after  her  death  wedded  Polly 
Woods.  William  Paxton,  a  son  of  Thomas  and 
Betsy  Paxton,  was  the  great-grandfather  of  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  notice.  He 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  married  Jean 
Grigsby.  The  Grigsby  family  removed  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Rockbridge  County,  Va.,  in 
1680.  They  were  of  Irish  lineage.  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  William  and  Jean  (Grigsby)  Paxton, 
was  the  grandmother  of  Mr.  Anderson.  She 
married  Alexander  McClure,  whose  parents  came 
from  old  Scotch  families,  the  McClures  and  Trim- 
bles, who  settled  in  Virginia  prior  to  the  Revolu- 
tion. Mary  Ann,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  was 
a  daughter  of  Alex  and  Elizabeth  (Paxton)  Mc- 
Clure, and  was  born  in  Rockbridge  County,  Va., 
three  miles  from  the  famous  Natural  Bridge,  in 
1813,  while  her  father  was  serving  as  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812. 

On  his  father's  side,  Mr.  Anderson  traces  his 
ancestry  to  James  Anderson,  who  emigrated  from 
Scotland  and  settled  in  Lancaster,  Pa.,  about 
1750.  In  1787  the  family  removed  to  Botetourt 
County,  Va.     About   1790,  James  Anderson,  son 


3i6 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  the  above,  married  Ann  Shirkey,  daughter 
of  Patrick  and  Ann  (Pogue)  Shirkey,  the  former 
a  native  of  Ireland,  and  the  latter  of  Holland. 
Patrick  Shirkey  served  in  the  War  for  Independ- 
ence James  and  Ann  ( Shirkey)  Anderson  had  a 
family  of  ten  children,  namely:  James,  who  was 
drowned  in  1839,  in  Craig's  Creek,  near  where 
that  stream  empties  into  the  James  River;  Mar- 
garet, who  became  the  wife  of  Elisha  Bollinger, 
both  being  deceased;  John,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  years;  Elizabeth,  who  married  W.  A. 
Williamson,  and  both  are  deceased;  George  R., 
who  died  near  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine;  Sallie,  who  became  the  wife  of  a 
Mr.  Moten,  and  both  died  in  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.; 
Amelia,  who  is  the  widow  of  Thomas  Paxton, 
and  is  living  near  Troy,  Iowa;  William,  who  died 
in  the  Confederate  service  during  the  Civil  War; 
Ann,  who  is  the  widow  of  Joseph  Lane,  of  Abing- 
don, Va.;  and  Matthew,  who  died  November  22, 
1876.  The  last-named  was  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject. On  the  5th  of  October,  1839,  he  wedded 
Mary  Ann  McClure,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  seven  children:  James  Alexander:  William  P., 
a  lumber  dealer  and  farmer  of  Norcatur,  Kan.; 
Elizabeth  A.,  the  wife  of  John  Daw,  a  farmer  of 
Montebello  Township,  Hancock  County;  Sallie 
G.,  who  died  in  1861,  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years;  Mary  A.,  who  died  in  1874,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight;  Emma  F.,  the  widow  of  Harrison 
C.  Miunick,  of  Hamilton;  and  George  A.,  an 
attorney-at-law,  of  Quincy,  and  a  member  of  the 
Fiftieth  Congress. 

When  a  lad  of  thirteen  years,  James  A.  Ander- 
son left  Virginia  with  his  parents,  the  family  emi- 
grating to  Pendleton,  Ind.,  where  they  remained 
one  year.  In  1 854,  they  came  to  Hancock  County, 
settling  near  Basco,  where  the  father  purchased  a 
farm.  The  educational  advantages  which  our 
subject  received  were  limited  to  those  afforded 
by  the  district  schools.  He  pursued  his  studies 
during  the  winter  season,  and  in  the  summer 
months  worked  on  a  farm,  aiding  in  the  develop- 
ment and  cultivation  of  the  land.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  he  began  clerking,  which  he  followed  for 
a  year,  but  at  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  re- 
turned to  the  farm,  where  he  continued  until  the 


spring  of  i860.  Attracted  by  the  discovery  of 
gold  at  Pike's  Peak,  he  determined  to  make  an 
expedition  to  that  place,  and  with  two  yoke  of 
oxen  started  on  the  journey.  He  arrived  in  Den- 
ver on  the  23d  of  May  of  that  year,  and  thence 
went  to  Fair  Play,  to  the  gold  mines,  where  he 
remained  until  the  1st  of  October.  He  then  went 
to  New  Mexico,  and  spent  the  winter  near  Taos. 
On  the  nth  of  May,  1861,  in  company  with  three 
other  men,  he  packed  all  his  possessions  on  the 
back  of  a  Mexican  burro,  and  walked  back  to 
Fair  Play,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  ninety 
miles,  arriving  there  nine  days  after  leaving  Taos. 
On  the  way  back  he  met  with  other  men  who 
were  also  returning,  but  although  they  had  not  a 
dollar,  they  had  plenty  of  provisions,  and  these 
they  shared  between  them,  so  that  when  they 
reached  Fair  Play  they  had  neither  money  nor 
food,  only  their  camp  utensils.  Mr.  Anderson  then 
began  to  work  for  other  miners  who  had  their 
claims  opened  up,  and  was  thus  employed  until 
he  had  saved  enough  to  go  to  work  on  his  own 
claim,  of  which  he  had  obtained  possession  the 
year  previous. 

There  Mr.  Anderson  continued   until  August, 

1862,  when  he  abandoned  mining,  and,  going  to 
a  place  near  Denver,  became  a  cow  boy.  On  the 
back  of  a  bronco  he  lived  for  about  sixteen 
months,  and  at  length,  on  the  29th  of  December, 

1863,  started  home  on  a  visit,  reaching  his  desti- 
nation on  the  3d  of  February,  1864.  At  several 
places  on  the  way  home  he  could  see  evidences  of 
Indian  hostilities,  graves  of  victims,  smoking 
wagons,  etc.  This  was  the  outbreak  of  the  Sioux, 
Cheyenne  and  Arrapahoe  War.  After  remaining 
at  home  for  a  short  time  and  seeing  old  friends, 
Mr.  Anderson  returned  to  the  West,  and  through 
the  influence  of  William  Paxton,  the  Omaha  mil- 
lionaire, then  a  poor  man,  he  took  charge  of  a 
mule  train  across  the  plains.  He  made  several 
trips,  and  at  one  time  went  as  far  as  Ft.  Laramie. 
On  the  24th  of  June,  1865,  he  returned  to  Omaha, 
abandoned  frontier  life,  and  again  went  home. 
He  then  took  up  farming,  which  he  continued 
until  1875,  when  he  purchased  a  half-interest 
in  Doty  &  Gordon's  store  at  Basco,  succeeding 
Mr.  Dotv  in  the  business.      He  retained  his  inter- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


3i7 


est  until  December  20,  1877,  when,  on  the  death 
oi' his  lather,  lie  purchased  the  home  farm,  selling 
his  share  in  the  store  to  his  brother  William  P. 
With  good  success  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  August,  188 1,  when,  in  connec- 
tion with  John  Daw,  he  bought  out  Alex  Watt, 
of  Elvaston,  and  carried  on  general  merchandising 
until  February  5.  1SS9,  when  he  sold  out  and 
came  to  Hamilton.  Here  he  embarked  in  business 
as  a  dealer  in  hardware  and  agricultural  imple- 
ments, and  still  continues  the  same.  In  1890 
he  built  his  fine  residence  in  Hamilton,  and  re- 
moved into  it  on  the  3d  of  December  of  that  year. 

Mr.  Anderson  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
5th  of  October,  1875,  he  wedded  Mary  E.,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Lyons)  Mourning,  who 
were  natives  of  Adair  County,  Ky.,  but  removed 
to  this  State  in  1854.  The  union  of  the  young 
couple  was  blessed  with  four  sons,  namely:  Matt 
Mourning,  George  Clyde,  Frank  James  and  John 
Carroll,  all  of  whom  are  at  home.  The  mother 
died  August  12,  1885.  On  the  1st  of  January, 
1889,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Ander- 
son and  Miss  Nellie  Jolidon,  daughter  of  Francis 
J.  and  Dorcas  (Thompson)  Jolidon,  who  emi- 
grated to  Illinois  in  1S47.  Her  father's  people 
were  from  France,  and  her  mother's  from  Tennes- 
see. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  has  been  born 
a  son,  Burns  Jolidon,  born  October  27,  1892. 

In  his  political  views,  our  subject  is  a  stanch 
Democrat.  He  has  been  honored  with  a  number 
of  local  offices,  having  served  as  Supervisor  of 
Bear  Creek  and  Prairie  Townships.  He  was 
Chairman  of  the  County  Board  of  .Supervisors 
while  representing  the  latter  township  in  1885. 
He  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Hamilton  in 
February,  1894,  and  on  the  19th  of  March  his 
appointment  was  confirmed,  and  he  is  now  per- 
forming the  duties  of  that  office.  He  was  made 
a  Mason,  December  10,  1867,  in  Basco  Lodge  No. 
618,  A.  !•'.  &  A.  M.,  in  which  he  served  as  Wor- 
shipful Master  for  several  years,  a  position  which 
he  also  filled  in  the  lodge  at  Elvaston  while  he 
affiliated  there.  He  also  belongs  to  Tecumseh 
Chapter  No.  152,  R.  A.  M.;  Damascus  Commaud- 
ery  No.  5,  K.  T.,  of  Keokuk;  Montebello  Lodge 
No.   697,    I.   O.   O.    P.;   Puckechetuck    Encamp 


ment  No.  7,  of  Keokuk;  and  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America;  and  he  is  a  charter  member  of 
Rapid  City  Lodge  No.  286,  K.  P.  In  religious 
belief,  he  is  a  Presbyterian.  In  his  various  busi- 
ness pursuits  he  has  won  success,  and  by  a  straight- 
forward, upright  course  has  gained  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


(TOHN  BLAZER,  who  for  many  years  followed 
I  fanning  in  McDonough  County,  is  now  liv- 
(2/  ing  retired  in  Macomb,  resting  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He  began 
life  in  limited  circumstances,  but  by  well-directed, 
efforts,  energy  and  perseverance,  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward  and  acquired  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. 

Mr.  Blazer  was  born  in  Washington  County, 
Pa.,  May  12,  1814,  and  is  a  son  of  David  and 
Sarah  (Hoy)  Blazer.  His  father  was  born  on  the 
old  homestead,  which  came  into  possession  of 
George  Blazer,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
who  obtained  it  before  the  Revolution  from  the 
Government.  The  last-named  participated  in  the 
Indian  wars,  and  erected  what  was  known  as  Dil- 
lon's Fort,  an  old  blockhouse,  which  was  built  for 
protectiou  against  the  red  men. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1836,  John  Blazer  and 
his  brother  Charles  left  the  old  homestead  and 
made  their  way  to  Steubenville,  where  they  took 
a  flatboat  to  Wheeling.  At  the  latter  place  they 
boarded  a  steamer  for  St.  Louis,  and  thence  went 
up  the  Illinois  River  on  the  "Helen  Marr"  to 
Beardstown,  where  they  landed  on  the  15th  of 
January.  Making  their  way  to  Rushville,  they 
staid  for  a  time  with  Dr.  Teal,  an  old  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  and  then  worked  on  the  farm  of 
William  J.  Frazer,  a  pioneer  preacher  of  Mc 
Donough  County.  As  soon  as  they  aecpiired  a 
sufficient  capital,  the  Blazer  brothers  purchased  a 
farm  of  Saunders  Campbell,  and  the  following 
year  the  father  brought  the  other  members  of  the 
family  to  the  new  home.  He  survived  the  re- 
moval only  six  weeks,  however,  his  death  here 
occurring  in  February,  1837.      His  wife  survived 


3i8 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


him  for  sometime,  and,  with  two  of  her  children, 
removed  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  where  her  death 
occurred  just  after  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 
Charles  Blazer,  who  accompanied  John  to  Illinois, 
afterward  went  to  New  Mexico,  where  he  died  in 
the  month  of  June,  1879. 

More  than  half  a  century  has  passed  since  John 
Blazer  became  a  resident  of  McDonough  County, 
and  with  its  history  he  is  familiar  from  almost  the 
beginning.  He  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
union  being  with  Mary  Montgomery.  The  wed- 
ding was  celebrated  February  15,  1852,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  two  children.  The  elder, 
James  M.,  was  born  March  1,  1854,  was  reared 
on  the  home  farm,  and  in  1874  was  graduated 
from  the  Illinois  Western  University,  at  Bloom- 
ington.  For  two  years  thereafter  he  continued 
to  aid  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home 
farm,  and  in  1875  began  the  study  of  law.  In 
June,  1877,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  successfully  engaged  in  law  prac- 
tice in  Macomb,  but  is  now  engaged  in  the  real- 
estate  and  insurance  business  in  Chicago.  He 
was  married  November  20,  1878,  to  M.  Ada 
Laughlin,  of  Bloomington,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Mary  L-  Charles  H.,  the  second  son,  is 
now  living  in  East  Liverpool,  Ohio.  The  mother 
died  when  Charles  was  only  six  months  old. 
He  was  then  reared  by  an  aunt  in  the  Buckeye 
State.  Our  subject  was  again  married,  on  the  19th 
of  February,  1857,  his  second  union  being  with 
Mary  Ann  Phillips.  Her  father,  William  Phil- 
lips, of  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  was  a  repre- 
sentative of  a  pioneer  family  of  that  region.  He 
was  born  in  England,  and  when  a  child  of  twelve 
years  came  to  America  with  his  mother  and  step- 
father, the  latter  purchasing  land  where  the  town 
of  East  Liverpool  now  stands.  Mrs.  Phillips  was 
a  member  of  the  Granville  family,  and  was  cast 
off  because  she  married  out  of  the  nobility. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blazer  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  their  lives  have 
been  in  harmony  with  their  professions.  They 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm,  and  for 
many  years  the  husband  gave  his  time  and  atten- 
tion exclusively  to  agricultural  pursuits.  His 
land  was  always  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 


the  fields  well  tilled,  and  excellent  improvements 
indicated  to  the  passer-by  that  the  owner  was  a 
thrifty  and  enterprising  farmer.  At  length  he 
left  the  old  home,  and,  in  1889,  came  to  Macomb, 
where  he  has  since  lived  retired.  He  has  a  pleas- 
ant residence  on  South  Randolph  Street,  and  still 
owns  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  valuable  land 
in  Industry  Township.  His  possessions  have  all 
been  acquired  through  his  own  efforts,  and  he 
may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man. 

In  early  life,  Mr.  Blazer  was  an  Abolitionist, 
and  voted  for  James  G.  Birney.  Upon  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Republican  party  he  supported  Fre- 
mont, and  continued  to  affiliate  with  that  party 
for  some  time,  but  is  now  a  Prohibitionist.  He 
served  as  School  Director  for  many  years,  and 
was  also  Trustee,  but  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker.  The  cause  of  education,  however,  has 
always  found  in  him  a  friend,  and  he  gave  a  cor- 
ner of  his  farm  on  which  to  build  a  schoolhouse. 
He  is  a  typical  and  honored  pioneer  citizen,  a  man 
of  integrity  and  sterling  worth,  and  it  with  pleas- 
ure that  we  present  to  our  readers  this  record  of 
his  life. 

WILLIAM  HUEY,  a  representative  farmer 
and  valued  citizen  of  Hancock  County,  re- 
sides on  section  14,  St.  Mary's  Township. 
He  was  born  in  Boone  County,  Ky.,  October  19, 
1832,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Matilda  (Rice) 
Huey,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  same  locality. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  in 
1834  emigrated  to  Illinois,  accompanied  by  his 
family.  He  located  in  Schuyler  County,  near 
Rushville,  where  he  made  his  home  for  three 
years,  and  then  came  to  Hancock  County,  pur- 
chasing eighty  acres  of  laud  on  section  18,  St. 
Mary's  Township.  To  the  original  tract  he  added 
from  time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources  were 
increased,  until  at  the  time  of  his  death  his  landed 
possessions  aggregated  six  hundred  and  fifty  acres. 
The  greater  part  of  this  was  richly  improved,  and 
yielded  to  him  a  good  income.  He  lived  in  St. 
Mary's  Township  throughout  his  remaining  days, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


3i9 


his  death  occurring  in  1872,  when  more  than  sixty 
years  of  age.  His  wife  passed  away  a  short  time 
previous.  They  held  membership  with  the  Mis- 
sionary Baptist  Church,  and  for  many  years  Mr. 
Huey  served  as  one  of  its  Deacons,  filling  the  of- 
fice at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  aided  in  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  Mormons  from  the  county,  and  held 
a  number  of  township  offices.  He  was  one  of  the 
honored  pioneers  and  had  the  confidence  and  high 
regard  of  all  who  knew  him. 

In  the  Huey  family  were  ten  sons  and  two 
daughters,  and  nine  of  the  number  are  now  living, 
namely:  Erastus;  William;  Frances  Jane,  wife  of 
Dr.  Turner;  Robert;  Agnes,  wife  of  Reuben  Gar- 
uett;  James;  George;  Perry  and  Frederick. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Samuel 
Huey,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  removed 
thence  to  Kentucky,  becoming  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Boone  County.  His  death  was  occas- 
ioned by  injuries  caused  by  a  tree  falling  upon 
him.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  always  followed  farming  as  his  life  work. 
The  maternal  grandfather,  Ezekiel  Rice,  was  a 
southern  gentleman,  and  for  many  years  followed 
farming  in  Boone  County,  Ky.,  where  he  died  at 
a  ripe  old  age. 

Our  subject  was  only  eighteen  months  old  when 
he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois.  He  was 
reared  in  St.  Mary's  Township,  acquired  his  ed- 
ucation in  its  common  schools,  and  remained  at 
home  with  his  parents  until  after  he  had  attained 
his  majority.  By  his  first  purchase  of  land  he  be- 
came the  owner  of  a  tract  on  section  14,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  His  farm  formerly  was 
quite  extensive,  but  he  gave  eighty  acres  to  his 
son  and  has  sold  a  considerable  portion,  but  still 
retains  possession  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres. 
This  is  a  valuable  tract,  which  is  highly  cultivated 
and  improved,  being  supplied  with  all  accessories 
and  conveniences  of  a  model  farm. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1855,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Huey  and  Miss  Margaret, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Cynthia  (Johnson)  Tal- 
bott,  natives  of  Champaign  County,  Ohio.  Seven 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  as  follows: 
Miriam  M.,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  F.  Foley,  a  Baptist 
minister,    by    whom  she   had  two   children,  one 


yet  living,  William.  Mrs.  Foley  is  now  deceased. 
L,ucy  A.,  Sylvester  and  Cynthia  have  also  passed 
away.  Sheridan  married  Miss  Lula  Scott,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  two  children,  one  yet 
living,  Blanche.  For  his  second  wife  he  married 
Leona  Ruggles,  and  they  make  their  home  in  St. 
Mary's  Township.  Alfred  Pearlie  completes  the 
family. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huey  and  their  two  sons  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  in  politics  he 
is  a  stalwart  Republican.  A  representative  of  an 
honored  pioneer  family,  he  has  witnessed  almost 
the  entire  development  of  this  county  and  is  one  of 
its  best  citizens.  He  is  plain  and  unostentatious 
in  manner,  but  possesses  a  noble  mind,  and  his 
example  is  well  worthy  of  emulation.  Such  men 
are  of  inestimable  value  to  a  community. 

t>  ~i"  c=J  <"'  T  '">  is  '!  — S) 

(JOHN  W.  SHAFFER  is  one  of  the  enterpris- 
I  ing  and  progressive  citizens  of  Plymouth, 
\Z/  and  occupies  a  prominent  position  in  busi- 
ness circles.  He  has  been  connected  with  the 
commercial  interests  of  this  town  since  1855,  and 
since  1869  he  has  been  proprietor  of  the  drug 
store  which  he  still  carries  on.  He  is  also  owner 
of  the  brick  and  tile  works  of  this  place,  and  his 
energy  and  well-directed  efforts  have  done  not  a 
little  for  the  advancement  and  prosperity  of  his 
adopted  city. 

Mr.  Shaffer  was  born  in  Page  County,  Va., 
near  Luray,  October  15,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  A.  and  Mary  Catherine  (Woods)  Shaffer, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
State,  was  of  German  descent,  and  was  a  black- 
smith and  farmer  by  occupation.  He  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  181 2,  reared  a  large  family, 
and  lived  to  an  advanced  age.  The  maternal 
grandfather,  Benjamin  Woods,  was  a  forger  in  a 
large  iron  foundry.  He  also  attained  a  ripe  age. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
but  in  an  early  day  removed  to  Ohio,  where  for 
many  years  he  followed  farming.  His  death  there 
occurred  in    1888,    at  the  age   of  seventy-seven 


320 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1889.  He 
held  membership  with  the  Lutheran  Church,  and 
she  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Their 
family  numbered  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
yet  living:  John  W.;  Sarah,  wife  of  Fletcher 
Furrow,  of  St.  Paris,  Ohio;  Rebecca,  wife  of 
James  Largent,  of  Shawnee  County,  Kan.;  Mary 
Catherine,  wife  of  John  Brown,  of  Champaign 
County,  Ohio;  Abram,  who  is  living  in  the  same 
county;  Allen,  of  Clarke  County,  Ohio;  and 
Philip,  of  Champaign  County. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  in  his  thirteenth  year  at  the  time  of  his  par- 
ents' emigration  to  Ohio.  In  that  State  and  in 
Virginia  he  acquired  his  education.  When  a 
young  man  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  some  years,  doing  contract  work. 
With  the  hope  of  bettering  his  financial  condi- 
tion, he  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  the  autumn  of 
1855,  and  located  in  Plymouth,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  continuously  since,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  months  spent  in  Galesburg.  He 
embarked  in  the  lumber  business,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  some  years,  and  in  1869  bought  out  the 
interest  of  James  Carl  in  the  drug  firm  of  Carl  & 
Wade.  Subsequently  he  purchased  his  partner's 
interest,  and  has  since  been  sole  proprietor  of  the 
store.  He  is  doing  a  good  business,  and  receives 
a  fair  share  of  the  public  patronage.  He  is  also 
engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  brick  and  tile  fac- 
tory, and  employs  from  five  to  ten  men. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1854,  Mr.  Shaffer  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Ann 
Proctor,  daughter  of  William  and  Phcebe  (Allen) 
Proctor,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia.  Ten  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  them,  five  sons  and  five 
daughters:  Arthur  E.,  who  married  Abbie  Cor- 
field;  Edgar,  now  deceased;  Theodore,  of  Wy- 
oming, 111.,  who  married  Florence  Hoagland,  by 
whom  he  has  a  daughter,  Grace;  Elnora,  wife  of 
David  Wade,  of  Plymouth,  by  whom  she  has  a 
daughter,  Florence;  Mary  and  Lillie  Florence, 
both  deceased;  MortC,  who  married  Nellie  Mi- 
chaels, and  has  a  son,  Randolph  Clinton;  Melvin, 
at  home;  Blanche,  deceased;  and  Cecelia,  still 
at   home,   who  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  Shaffer  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order 


W 


of  United  Workmen,  and  his  wife  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  Church.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter 
of  the  Democracy,  and  his  fellow-townsmen,  ap- 
preciating his  worth  and  ability,  have  called  upon 
him  to  fill  various  offices.  He  has  served  as  As- 
sessor, Collector,  Town  Clerk  and  Village  Trus- 
tee, and  is  now  serving  as  Township  School 
Trustee.  He  owns  a  good  home  and  other  vil- 
lage property,  and  in  his  business  dealings  has 
met  with  excellent  and  well-merited  success.  He 
.  has  been  identified  with  the  best  interests  and 
prosperity  of  Plymouth  since  1855,  and  is  one  of 
its  most  substantial  citizens. 

p>,6)ESLEY  WALTON,  Sr.,  who  for  many 
years  has  engaged  in  farming,  but  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  Plymouth,  claims 
Kentucky  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was 
born  in  Boone  County,  September  20,  1831,  and 
is  a  son  of  Frederick  M.  and  Emily  (Rice)  Wal- 
ton. This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  of 
whom  the  following  are  yet  living:  Wesley;  John, 
of  Latimer,  Kan.;  Frances,  wife  of  Charles  O. 
Walton;  Matilda  A.,  wife  of  S.  E-  Harnest;  and 
Simeon  M.,  of  Plymouth.  William  C,  of  Har- 
mony Township,  Hancock  County,  died  February 
16,  1894.- 

The  father  of  this  family  was  born  in  Virginia. 
After  residing  for  some  time  in  Kentucky,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  in  the  autumn  of  1835,  and  spent 
one  winter  in  Adams  County.  He  then  located 
two  and  a-half  miles  west  of  Ptymouth,  where  he 
purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land, 
subsequently  placing  the  same  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  He  also  extended  the  boundaries 
of  his  farm  until  it  comprised  three  hundred  acres, 
and  to  his  children  he  gave  a  considerable  amount, 
helping  them  all  to  start  in  life  comfortably.  He- 
was  a  generous  and  kind-hearted  man,  and  the 
many  excellencies  of  his  character  won  him  high 
regard.  He  held  a  number  of  local  offices,  served 
as  Supervisor  several  terms,  and  was  also  County 
Commissioner.     He    held  membership    with  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  3.ECORD. 


321 


Missionary   Baptist   Church   of    Plymouth,    and 

passed  away  April  10,  1880,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one  years.  His  wife  still  survives  him.  and  is 
now  living  on  the  old  homestead,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two.  She  is  also  a  member  of  the  Mission- 
ary Baptist  Church.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
William  Walton,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
one  of  the  honored  heroes  of  the  Revolution.  He 
reared  a  large  family,  and  followed  farming  as  a 
means  of  livelihood.  His  death  occurred  at  the 
age  of  four-score  years.  The  maternal  grand- 
father, Ezekiel  Rice,  was  also  a  Virginian  farmer, 
and  lived  to  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

Wesley  Walton  whose  name  heads  this  record 
is  one  of  the  honored  and  highly  respected  citizens 
of  Plymouth.  He  was  a  child  of  only  four  years 
when  his  parents  came  to  Illinois,  and  in  this 
State  he  has  since  made  his  home.  Reared  in 
Hancock  County,  its  public  schools  afforded  him 
his  educational  privileges.  He  remained  on  the 
old  homestead  until  twenty -three  years  of  age, 
and  then  continued  farming  in  his  own  interest, 
following  that  pursuit  throughout  his  business 
career.  He  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  pleasantly  located  six  miles  west 
of  Plymouth,  on  section  31,  St.  Mary's  Township, 
but  in  1886  ill  health  forced  him  to  abandon  the 
farm,  and  he  has  since  lived  retired  in   Plymouth. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1854,  Mr.  Walton  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  L.  Brown- 
ing, daughter  of  Absalom  and  Nancy  (Davis) 
Browning.  The  lady  was  to  him  a  faithful  com- 
panion for  many  years,  but  at  length  they  were 
separated  by  death,  Mrs.  Walton  being  called  to 
the  home  beyond  on  the  10th  of  May,  1893,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-six  years.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  a  most  estimable  lady. 

Mr.  Walton  is  also  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Christian  Church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  Elder 
for  about  twenty  years,  and  is  one  of  its  active 
and  untiring  workers.  His  life  has  always  been 
an  honorable  and  upright  one,  and  whatever  tends 
to  elevate  humanity  receives  his  support.  The 
cause  of  temperance  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend, 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Good  Templars.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican, 
and   has  served  as  Tax  Collector  for  one   year. 


He  is  numbered  among  Hancock  County's  hon- 
ored pioneers,  having  for  fifty-eight  years  resided 
within  its  borders.  When  a  little  boy  he  was  one 
day  found  playing  with  young  wolves,  thinking 
they  were  puppies,  for  those  wild  animals  were 
very  numerous  in  the  locality.  He  has  seen  deer 
in  great  herds,  and  all  kinds  of  wild  game  could 
be  obtained  in  abundance  in  his  y/outh.  Much  of 
the  land  was  still  in  possession  of  the  Government, 
and  the  work  of  progress  and  civilization  seemed 
scarcely  begun  in  this  locality.  In  the  work  of 
development,  Mr.  Walton  has  ever  borne  his  part, 
and  has  felt  a  commendable  interest  and  just  pride 
in  the  growth  and  upbuilding  of  the  county.  He 
is  plain  and  unostentatious  in  manner,  kind- 
hearted  and  true,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his 
neighbors  and  many  friends  throughout  the 
county. 


IJJEHEMIAH  FRANKUN  NEWMAN,  who 
rY  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Plymouth, 
I  fo  claims  New  York  as  the  State  of  his  nativ- 
ity, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Delaware  Coun- 
ty on  the  7th  of  May,  1824.  He  comes  of  an 
old  family  of  the  Empire  State,  his  grandfather, 
Abner  Newman,  having  been  a  New  York  farm- 
er. The  latter  reared  a  large  family,  and  there 
died  at  the  age  of  seventyr-eight  years.  On  the 
maternal  side,  our  subject  is  of  French  descent, 
his  great-grandfather,  a  native  of  France,  being 
the  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  His  grand- 
father, Jesse  Palmer,  who  was  born  in  New  York, 
made  farming  his  life  occupation,  and  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  In  1824,  he 
was  called  to  the  home  beyond,  passing  awav  at 
the  age  of  sixty-six. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Jonas  Newman,  was 
born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and  he,  too,  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  After  arriving  at 
mature  years,  he  wedded  Rebecca  Palmer,  a  na- 
tive of  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters. 
Our  subject  is  now  the  only  surviving  member  of 
the  family.     The  father  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 


322 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


two  years,  while  visiting  relatives  in  Michigan, 
and  the  mother,  who  survived  him  two  years, 
passed  away  in  New  York,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  N.  F.  New- 
man spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 
in  the  Empire  State.  His  parents  died  before  he 
was  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  learned  thecooper's- 
trade  in  his  youth,  but  did  not  long  follow  it, 
turning  his  attention  to  other  pursuits.  Having 
acquired  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools, 
he  engaged  in  teaching  through  the  winter  sea- 
son, and  in  the  summer  months  worked  upon  a 
farm.  In  1848,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
four,  he  emigrated  westward.  He  went  to  Chi- 
cago to  see  the  western  country,  but  after  a  time 
he  returned  to  New  York,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1 85 1.  In  that  year  he  again  came  to  this 
State,  and  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  in 
Adams  County  until  the  autumn  of  1855.  In  the 
following  spring,  he  went  to  California,  for  it 
seemed  that  he  was  threatened  with  consumption, 
and  he  hoped  that  the  western  trip  would  prove 
beneficial  to  his  health.  After  six  months  spent 
upon  the  Pacific  Slope,  he  returned  to  Illinois. 

Mr.  Newman  was  married  October  14,  1858, 
to  Miss  Mary  R.,  daughter  of  William  and  Mar- 
garet (Kellough)  Maxwell.  Six  children  were 
born  to  them,  but  only  one  is  now  living,  Wal- 
lace Maxwell.  The  mother  passed  away  June  6, 
1867,  and  Mr.  Newman  was  again  married,  April 
14,  1869,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Alida 
Chamberlain,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
(Doau)  Chamberlain,  natives  of  New  York. 
There  were  born  to  them  three  children,  only 
one  of  whom,  Jennie  P.,  the  wife  of  John  W. 
Ralston,  now  survives.  The  son,  Wallace,  mar- 
ried Miss  Laura  E.  Carr,  and  is  a  stenographer. 
Four  children  grace  this  union,  Mary  M., 
Florence  A.,  Carl  M.  and  Sarah  Louise. 

About  1858,  Mr.  Newman  whose  name  heads 
this  record  embarked  in  the  livery  business,  and 
later  engaged  in  farming  west  of  Plymouth  for  a 
short  time.  He  then  purchased  fifty  acres  of 
land  in  McDonough  County,  but  subsequently  re- 
turned to  Plymouth,  where  he  again  engaged  in  the 
livery  business,  and  for  a  year  or  more  carried  on 
general  merchandising.     His  next  venture  was  as 


a  lumber  dealer,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he 
successfully  carried  on  operations  along  that  line, 
but  in  1 88 1  he  laid  aside  business  cares,  and  is 
now  living  a  retired  life,  enjoying  the  rest  which 
he  has  so  truly  earned  and  so  richly  deserves.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newman  are  held  in  the  highest  re- 
gard throughout  the  community,  where  they 
have  many  friends  and  acquaintances. 

[TSTA  BIDWELL,  who  is  now 
jO  business  as  a  dealer  in  agricultural  imple- 
I  ments  at  Plymouth,  has  for  thirty-nine  years 
been  a  resident  of  this  locality,  and  has  therefore 
witnessed  the  greater  part  of  Hancock  County's 
development.  He  was  born  in  Madison  County, 
Ohio,  on  the  19th  of  December,  1830.  His  grand- 
father, Joseph  Bidwell,  was  a  native  of  New  York, 
and,  having  studied  medicine,  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  near  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  for  many  years.  His  death  occurred  in 
that  locality  at  an  advanced  age.  Russell  Bid- 
well,  father  of  our  subject,  was  also  born  in  the 
Empire  State,  and  became  a  stock-dealer.  In 
an  early  day  he  removed  to  Ohio,  locating  near 
Cleveland,  and  in  1837  he  entered  Government 
land  in  Illinois.  Subsequently,  however,  he  re- 
turned to  the  Buckeye  State,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred soon  after.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mar}-  Blout,  survived  him  less  than  a 
year.  She  was  probably  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 
Their  family  numbered  seven  children,  five  sons 
and  two  daughters,  but  our  subject  is  now  the 
only  survivor.  One  son  died  in  the  Mexican 
War,  and  one  in  the  late  Civil  War. 

Esta  Bidwell,  the  well-known  and  highly-re- 
spected citizen  of  Plymouth,  was  reared  on  a  farm 
in  his  native  State,  and  acquired  his  education  in 
its  public  schools.  Believing  that  better  oppor- 
tunities were  afforded  in  the  West,  he  came  to  Ill- 
inois in  1848,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  Canton,  Fulton  County,  where 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


323 


he  made  his  home  until  1855,  when  he  came  to 
Plymouth.  Here  he  has  since  resided,  and  with 
the  best  interests  of  the  community  he  has  always 
been  identified.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  began 
learning  the  blacksmith's  trade,  and  in  the  years 
which  have  since  come  and  gone  has  steadily  fol- 
lowed that  vocation.  Being  an  expert  workman, 
and  slighting  no  task  entrusted  to  him,  he  soon 
secured  a  liberal  patronage,  which  has  constantly 
increased  and  yielded  to  him  a  good  income.  Be- 
fore coming  to  Plymouth,  he  was  for  several  years 
connected  with  the  Canton  Plow  Manufacturing 
Company,  and  after  his  arrival  in  this  village, 
he  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  plows  at  this  place  for  some  years.  He  now 
carries  a  full  line  of  plows  and  agricultural  imple- 
ments, and  enjoys  a  fine  trade. 

In  185 1  Mr.  Bidwell  married  Miss  Hannah 
Whaley,  and  by  their  union  have  been  born  nine 
children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters.  Mary 
Effie  became  the  wife  of  Erasmus  Ellis,  and  to 
them  were  born  two  children,  but  both  the  chil- 
dren and  the  father  are  now  deceased.  William 
H.  and  Thomas  L.  have  also  passed  away.  Liz- 
zie B.  is  the  wife  of  Mort  Monk,  of  Plymouth. 
Ann  Eliza  became  the  wife  of  George  Ralston,  by 
whom  she  had  a  son,  Blaine,  and  after  the  death 
of  her  first  husband  she  married  Samuel  Talbot, 
by  whom  she  has  two  children.  John  J.  married 
Emma  Mourning,  and  they  have  one  son,  Hugh. 
Homer  L.  is  now  studying  medicine  in  Chicago. 
Hattie,  twin  sister  of  Homer,  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
McLaren,  of  Macomb,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren. Charlotte  completes  the  family. 

Hannah  (Whaley)  Bidwell,  wife  of  Esta  Bid- 
well,  was  born  in  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Henry  Whaley  and  Effie  Ramsay. 
Her  paternal  grandfather  was  a  Scotchman.  On 
the  mother's  side  she  is  connected  with  the  G  rants, 
and  is  a  distant  relative  of  the  hero  of  Appomat- 
tox. She  came  to  Illinois  at  two  years  of  age, 
and  resided  at  Canton,  Fulton  County,  until  her 
marriage. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bidwell  are  faithful  and  consist- 
ent members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in  which 
he  has  served  as  an  Elder  for  many  years.  They 
have  a  pleasant  home  in  Plymouth,  and  in  addi- 


tion to  this  he  owns  several  business  houses  here, 
and  eighty-five  acres  of  good  farming  land  in  Mc- 
Donough  County.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Village 
Board  for  several  terms.  Ever  alive  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  town,  and  ready  to  aid  in  its  pro- 
motion, he  has  done  all  in  his  power  to  bring  it 
back  from  the  dilapidation  into  which  it  had  fallen 
during  Mormon  times.  He  is  recogniztd  as  one 
of  its  valued  and  substantial  citizens,  well  worthy 
of  representation  in  this  volume. 


^+^ 


(TAMES  M.  PACE,  proprietor  of  the  Williams 
I  House  of  Macomb,  is  so  well  known  through - 
Q)  out  MeDonough  County  that  he  needs  no 
special  introduction  to  our  readers.  He  was 
born  in  Scotland  Township,  on  the  29th  of  June, 
1 86 1,  and  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Sallie 
(Sweeney)  Pace,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  else- 
where in  this  work.  His  parents  removed  to  Ma- 
comb when  he  was  only  a  year  old.  When  he 
attained  a  sufficient  age  he  entered  the  public 
schools,  and  there  continued  his  studies  until  he 
graduated  from  the  High  School  of  this  city  in 
1879.  Mr.  Pace  then  took  up  the  study  of  med- 
icine under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Garretson,  of  Ma- 
comb, but  abandoning  this  he  turned  his  attention 
to  school  teaching,  which  profession  he  followed 
for  fourteen  years,  being  Principal  of  the  Prairie 
City  Schools  for  seven  consecutive  years.  He 
was  a  capable  instructor  and  very  successful,  as  is 
shown  by  his  long-continued  service  in  the  above- 
mentioned  place. 

In  1S92,  our  subject  came  to  Macomb  and 
joined  his  father  and  brother  Henry  in  the  groc- 
ery business.  He  still  owns  an  interest  in  their 
store,  which  is  one  of  the  leading  establishments 
of  the  kind  in  the  county  seat.  On  the  6th  of 
March,  1893,  he  and  his  father  and  brother  leased 
the  hotel  known  as  the  Williams  House,  and  he 
is  now  acting  as  its  landlord.  This  is  the  most 
popular  hotel  in  the  city,  and  is  a  favorite  with  the 
traveling  public.     Mr.  Pace  looks  after  the  inter- 


324 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ests  and  comfort  of  his  guests,  and  has  therefore 
secured  a  liberal  patronage,  which  is  well  merited. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1883,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  our  subject  and  Miss  Lyde  Jennings, 
daughter  of  James  M.  and  Catherine  (Davis) 
Jennings.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Ohio,  and 
her  father  is  now  deceased.  One  child  blesses 
this  union,  a  daughter,  Lona  Zoe.  They  have  a 
pleasant  home  in  Macomb,  and  are  both  widely 
and  favorably  known,  their  friends  being  many  in 
the  community. 

Mr.  Pace  also  has  other  city  property.  He 
has  made  his  own  way  in  life,  and  his  success 
therefore  is  the  just  reward  of  his  own  labors. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the 
Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  quite  in- 
terested in  civic  societies,  and  is  a  leading  member 
of  these  various  organizations.  In  politics,  he  is 
a  Republican,  and  is  now  serving  as  clerk  of  the 
City  School  Board.  The  cause  of  education  has 
always  found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  one  ever 
ready  to  aid  in  its  advancement  and  progress. 


0AYID  P.  COFFMAN  is  one  of  the  prominent 
and  influential  citizens  of  Augusta,  and  the 
high  position  he  occupies  in  business  and  so- 
cial circles  is  well  merited,  for  his  life  has  been  an 
upright  and  honorable  one.  He  is  now  serving 
as  Supervisor,  and  is  successfully  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandising.  Being  both  widely  and  fav- 
orably known  in  Hancock  County,  we  feel  as- 
sured that  the  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  in- 
terest to  many  of  our  readers. 

Mr.  Coffman  is  a  native  of  Jacksonville,  111., 
born  December  4,  1835.  On  the  father's  side  he 
comes  of  an  old  Virginian  family,  which  was 
founded  in  that  State  at  an  early  day.  His  grand- 
father died  in  the  Old  Dominion  at  an  advanced 
age.  His  father,  Philip  Coffman,  was  born  in 
Virginia,  and  throughout  his  business  career  fol- 
lowed general  merchandising.  In  1828  he  came 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  Jacksonville,  where  he 
opened  a  store  and  carried  on  business  for  many 


years..  His  death  occurred  in  that  city  in  1869, 
at  the  age  of  seventy.  He  married  Miss  Susan 
Eckels,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  whose  father  spent 
his  entire  life  in  that  .State.  Mrs.  Coffman  died 
many  years  previous  to  the  death  of  her  husband. 
Both  were  faithful  and  consistent  members  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  the  father  served  as  one  of 
its  Elders  for  twenty  years.  Their  family  num- 
bered eight  children,  four  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, but  only  two  are  now  living:  our  subject 
and  Catherine,  wife  of  Robert  C.  Bruce,  of  Jack- 
sonville. 

David  P.  Coffman  made  his  home  in  his  native 
city  until  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  In  its  pub- 
lic schools  he  acquired  a  good  education,  and  re- 
ceived good  business  training  in  his  father's  store, 
where  he  acted  as  clerk.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  he  was  married,  on  the  1st  of  October,  i860, 
the  lad)-  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Helen  M.  Stark, 
daughter  of  James  and  Man-  Jane  (York)  Stark, 
of  Augusta.  They  have  became  the  parents  of 
six  children:  Joseph  H.,  who  married  Miss  Fan- 
nie Leach;  Susan,  wife  of  James  Working,  of 
Grant  City,  Mo.,  by  whom  she  has  two  children, 
Sarah  Helen  and  James  Paul;  James  S. ;  Mary  H. ; 
Anna  K.  and  David  P.,  all  of  whom  are  still  at 
home. 

Mr.  Coffman  has  been  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising in  Augusta  since  February,  1864,  at 
which  time  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
J.  &  G.  Stark.  In  1889  he  bought  out  his  part- 
ners and  associated  with  him  his  sons,  Joseph  H. 
and  James  S.,  under  the  firm  name  of  D.  P.  Coff- 
man &  Sons,  and  now  carries  on  a  growing  and 
prosperous  business.  In  1 842  James  Stark  came  to 
Augusta  and  founded  what  is  probably  the  oldest 
store  in  the  county.  Mr.  Coffman  also  owns 
good  farming  land  in  Hancock  County,  and  a 
pleasant  home  and  business  property  in  Augusta. 
Prosperity  has  attended  his  well-directed  efforts, 
and  he  is  now  numbered  among  the  substantial 
citizens  of  the  community. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Coffman  is  a  Repub- 
lican. Socially,  he  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason, 
and  for  many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  Both  Mr. 
and   Mrs.    Coffman   hold    membership   with   the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


325 


Christian  Church,  and  in  church  and  benevolent 
work  take  an  active  interest.  He  has  served  as 
Elder  for  many  years,  and  does  all  in  his  power 
for  the  growth  and  upbuilding  of  the  church. 
His  life  is  in  harmony  with  his  profession,  and 
he  is  recognized  as  one  of  Augusta's  most  highly  - 
respected  citizens. 

2— ^+##— S 


0AVID  KEMP,  who  follows  general  farming 
on  section  9,  Chili  Township,  Hancock 
County,  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Washington  County 
on  the  10th  of  May,  [844.  His  parents  were 
Matthew  and  Nancy  ( Peoples  1  Kemp,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Ireland.  On  the  Emerald 
Isle  the  father  spent  the  days  of  his  childhood, 
and  when  a  young  man,  bidding  adieu  to  friends 
and  native  land,  sailed  for  the  New  World.  Set- 
tling upon  a  farm  in  Pennsylvania,  he  there  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1853,  when  he 
came  to  the  West,  hoping  thereby  to  improve  his 
financial  condition.  He  took  up  his  residence 
upon  a  farm  in  Adams  Count)-,  where  he  made 
his  home  until  1S66,  when  he  went  to  Iowa.  His 
death  occurred  in  the  Hawkeye  State  at  the  age 
ot  sixty-two,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  Penn- 
sylvania at  the  age  of  forty  years. 

David  Kemp,  our  subject,  was  reared  upon  the 
"Id  home  farm  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  but  on 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  he  was  no  longer 
content  to  follow  the  plow,  for  he  felt  that  his 
country  needed  him  at  the  front.  Bidding  adieu 
to  home  and  friends,  he  enlisted,  and  was  assigned 
to  Company  B,  Fiftieth  Illinois  Infantry,  in  which 
he  served  for  about  four  years,  or  after  the  South 
had  laid  down  its  arms.  He  participated  in  the 
engagements  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth, 
Ft.  Henry,  Ft.  Donelson  and  Beutonville.  He 
escaped  without  being  wounded  or  taken  pris- 
oner, but  on  several  different  occasions  the  bullets 
penetrated  his  clothing. 

After  being  mustered  out,   Mr.    Kemp  came  to 
Hancock   County,    and  went   to  work  by  the  day 
in  the  harvest  fields.     During  the  succeeding  win- 
16 


ter  he  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1866  he  began  farming  for  him- 
self on  rented  land.  At  length,  when  he  had  ac- 
quired sufficient  capital,  he  purchased  a  partially 
improved  farm  in  Chili  Township.  That  he  af- 
terwards sold,  and  in  1890  bought  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides.  It  is  a  valuable  tract  of 
land  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  well  improved  with  good 
buildings  and  with  all  modern  accessories  and 
conveniences.  In  connection  with  general  farm- 
ing he  carries  on  stock-raising,  making  a  specialtv 
of  fine  hogs. 

On  the  5th  of  April,  1866,  Mr.  Kemp  wedded 
Miss  Mary  J.  Cannon,  a  native  of  Brown  County, 
III.  Seven  children  have  been  born  to  them: 
Eva  A.,  at  home;  Aldo  L. ,  a  farmer  of  Chili 
Township,  Hancock  County;  Thomas  R.,  Melvin 
D.,  Elbert  William,  Clarence  C.  and  Marcus  E., 
all  of  whom  are  still  with  their  parents. 

On  all  epiestions  of  national  importance,  Mr. 
Kemp  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  by  his  ballot 
supports  that  party,  but  at  local  elections  where 
no  issue  is  involved  he  votes  independent  of 
party  affiliations.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with 
Tobias  Cutler  Post  No.  428,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Bowen. 
He  and  his  estimable  wife  hold  membership  with 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  are  highly  respected 
people  of  the  community,  who  have  a  large  circle 
of  warm  friends. 


e^+^i 


SEORGE  WASHINGTON  YETTER  owns 
and  operates  a  valuable  farm  of  four  hundred 
acres  on  section  15.  Carthage  Township, 
Hancock  County.  As  he  is  both  widely  and  fa- 
vorably known  in  this  community,  we  feel  assured 
that  the  record  of  his  life  will  be  interesting  to 
many  of  our  leaders,  and  therefore  gladly  give  it 
a  place  in  this  volume.  He  was  born  in  Lancas- 
ter County,  l'a.,  on  the  26th  of  January,  1835, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  G.  Yetter,  who  was  also  a 
native  of  the  Keystone  State,  and  of  German  de- 
scent. The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maid- 
en name  of  Lydia  Rock.      In  the  family  were  nine 


326 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


children,  three  sons  and  six  daughters:  Caroline, 
widow  of  James  Booze;  Samuel,  a  farmer  of 
Carthage;  Mary  A.  and  Amanda,  both  deceased; 
Calvin,  a  resident  of  California;  George  W.;  Sa- 
rah, wife  of  J.  R.  Goodrich,  of  this  township; 
Margaret,  the  widow  of  James  Russell,  now  re- 
siding in  Carthage;  and  Matilda, who  died  in  child- 
hood. 

Mr.  Yetter  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  was 
only  two  years  old  at  the  time  of  the  emigration 
of  his  parents  from  Pennsylvania  to  Illinois.  The 
trip  westward  was  made  by  water  and  team. 
Amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  frontier  George  W. 
was  reared  to  manhood,  and  early  became  famil- 
iar with  the  hardships  and  difficulties,  as  well  as 
the  pleasures,  known  only  to  pioneer  life.  His 
education  was  acquired  in  the  subscription  schools, 
which  were  held  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  to  which 
he  had  to  walk  a  distance  of  three  miles.  He 
continued  his  studies  at  various  intervals,  mostly 
in  the  winter  season,  until  sixteen  years  of  age. 
During  the  summer  months  he  was  always  em- 
ployed at  farm  work,  for  he  began  his  labors  in 
the  fields  as  soon  as  old  enough  to  handle  the 
plow.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  working 
in  his  own  interest,  but  continued  at  home  for  a 
year  as  a  farm  hand.  He  then  began  learning 
the  carpenter' s  trade,  but  followed  this  for  only 
about  six  months,  when,  tiring  of  his  new  voca- 
tion, he  returned  to  farm  work  and  was  employed 
by  the  month  for  a  year. 

On  the  22d  of  December,  1862,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Yetter  and  Miss  Mary  Briley. 
To  them  have  been  born  five  children,  and  the 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by  the  hand  of 
death.  Calvin  and  Louis  follow  farming  in  Han- 
cock County;  William  is  at  home;  Elizabeth  is 
the  wife  of  Ashford  Perry,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Carthage  Township;  and  Stella  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Kimbrough,  a  farmer  of  Carthage  Town- 
ship. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Yetter  rented  land  and 
engaged  in  farming  in  his  own  interest.  He  made 
his  first  purchase  in  1865,  when  he  bought  eighty 
acres  of  the  farm  on  section  1 5  where  he  yet  re- 
sides. To  this  he  has  added  from  time  to  time, 
until  the  farm  now  comprises  four  hundred  acres, 


and  elsewhere  he  owns  a  tract  of  fifty  acres.  This 
is  all  valuable  land,  and  the  greater  part  of  it  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  his  pleasant 
home  being  situated  in  the  midst  of  well-tilled 
fields,  which  indicate  to  the  passer-by  the  thrift  and 
enterprise  of  the  owner.  Mr.  Yetter  also  engages 
in  stock-raising,  and  has  found  this  branch  of  his 
business  likewise  profitable. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Yetter  is  a  stalwart 
Republican,  who  warmly  advocates  the  principles 
of  his  party,  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues 
of  the  da>r.  He  has  served  as  Commissioner  of 
Highways,  and  for  twenty-one  years  has  filled  the 
office  of  School  Director.  The  cause  of  education 
has  found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  has  done 
effective  service  in  its  interest.  He  is  always 
found  in  the  front  rank,  ready  to  aid  in  the  promo- 
tion of  all  worthy  enterprises.  Socially,  he  is 
connected  with  the  Mutual  Aid  Society,  and,  re- 
ligiously, with  the  Methodist  Church. 

1        ■  g^-Hfr— S 


(Tames  rupple  Goodrich,  who  carries 

I  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising  on  sec- 
\Zs  tion  23,  Carthage  Township,  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, was  born  on  the  30th  of  August,  1830,  in 
Greenbrier  County,  Va.  His  father,  Misheck 
Goodrich,  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  and  was  of 
English  descent.  He  married  Rebecca  Ruddle, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  fourteen  children, 
five  sons  and  nine  daughters,  all  of  whom  grew 
to  mature  years.  They  were:  Diana,  who  mar- 
ried Christopher  Artz,  and  is  deceased;  Susanna 
and  Sarah,  who  reside  in  California;  George, 
Elizabeth,  Tirzah  and  Marilla,  who  are  deceased ; 
James  R. ,  the  next  in  order  of  birth;  Amanda,  the 
wife  of  William  Raleigh,  of  Chicago,  111. ;  Har- 
riet, deceased;  Robert  and  John,  residents  of  San 
Francisco,  Cal. ;  Ellen,  who  is  dead;  and  Charles, 
the  youngest,  who  is  fanning  in  Carthage  Town- 
ship. 

The  father  of  this  family  emigrated  westward 
in  1839,  making  the  journey  by  team,  and  located 
on  a  part  of  the  farm  upon  which  our  subject  now 
resides.       He  had  purchased  this  tract  in   181 8 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


327 


from  a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1S12,  paying  for  it 
$1.25  per  acre.  It  was  located  on  section  23, 
Carthage  Township,  and  was  wild  prairie  land,  no 
improvements  having  been  made  thereon.  After 
a  time  Mr.  Goodrich  built  a  log  cabin  upon  his 
farm,  and  in  true  pioneerstyle  began  life  in  the 
West.  He  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  his  land,  and  made  his  home  upon 
his  farm  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the 
24th  of  December,  1880,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-six  years.  He  was  laid  to  rest  in  Frank- 
lin Cemetery.  With  the  Christian  Church  he 
held  membership,  and  in  politics  he  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat. His  wife,  who  was  born  in  1797,  survived 
him  fur  a  few  years  and  died  in  188S.  She  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  was  buried  in  the  same  cemetery  as 
her  husband. 

James  R.  Goodrich  was  only  in  his  ninth  year 
at  the  time  the  family  came  to  Hancock  County. 
On  the  journey  he  walked  across  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  and  carried  a  rifle.  The  history  of 
pioneer  life  in  this  locality  is  familiar  to  him.  He 
grew  to  manhood  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the 
frontier,  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  old- 
time  subscription  schools,  which  were  held  in  a 
log  schoolhouse.  There  he  pursued  his  studies 
at  intervals  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  but  his 
advantages  were  not  of  the  best,  and  he  is  largely 
a  self-educated  man.  He  aided  in  the  arduous 
duties  of  opening  up  a  new  farm,  breaking  prairie, 
and  cultivating  hitherto  unimproved  fields.  To 
his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  un- 
til twenty-three  years  of  age,  when  he  rented  a 
part  of  the  old  homestead.  This  he  operated  for 
a  few  years,  when,  with  the  capital  he  had  ac- 
quired as  the  result  of  his  industry  and  persever- 
ance, he  purchased  fort}-  acres  of  land,  a  part  of 
his  present  farm.  He  now  has  eighty-two  acres 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved. 

In  March,  1854,  Mr.  Goodrich  married  Miss 
Sarah  Yetter,  and  by  their  union  have  been  born 
ten  children,  namely:  William,  who  lives  in  Car- 
thage; Mary,  deceased;  Matilda,  wife  of  William 
White;  Eliza,  wife  of  Silas  Stowe;  Lydia,  wife  01 
Alvin   Swing;    George,    a    farmer   of    Harmony 


Township;  John,  who  is  farming  in  St.  Mary's 
Township;  Harvey,  who  is  farming  with  his 
brother  George;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Edward  Fletch- 
er, a  farmer  of  Harmony;  and  Susie,  who  is  with 
her  parents. 

Mr.  Goodrich  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  church 
and  benevolent  work.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat, and  has  served  as  School  Director.  For 
about  fifty-five  years  he  has  resided  in  Hancock 
County,  and  has  witnessed  the  greater  part  of  its 
upbuilding.  He  has  seen  the  wild  lands  trans- 
formed into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  towns  and 
villages  spring  up,  and  has  aided  the  progressive 
civilization  which  has  made  this  one  of  the  lead- 
ing counties  of  the  State.  In  the  work  of  up- 
building and  development  he  has  ever  borne  his 
part,  and  well  deserves  mention  among  the  hon- 
ored pioneers  who  were  the  founders  of  the  coun- 
ty and  to  whom  much  of  her  prosperity  is  due. 

&         '      "^  c=j  <*  T  ">  B   '  B 

gENJAMIN  BURWELL  BUTLER,  who  car- 
ries on  general  farming  and  stock-raising  on 
section  34,  Harmony  Township,  Hancock 
County,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a  good  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  ten  acres,  was  born  in  Todd 
County,  Ky.,  February  7,  1824.  His  father, 
Collier  Butler,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  of 
Irish  descent.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Nancy  Hale.  Both  parents  died  in  Kentucky, 
and  our  subject  is  the  only  surviving  member  in 
the  family  of  ten  children.  Those  who  have 
passed  away  are  James,  Martha,  Lucy,  Sarah, 
Needham,  Poll)-,  Elliott,  Andrew  and  Rebecca. 
Midst  play  and  work  our  subject  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  his  native 
State.  The  subscription  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood afforded  him  his  educational  privileges.  His 
was  not  "the  flowery  path  of  learning,"  for  he 
had  to  walk  about  four  miles  to  school,  and  then 
could  attend  only  through  the  winter  season,  for 
his  sen-ices  were  needed  at  home  through  the 
summer  months.  He  early  began  work  in  the 
fields,  plowing,  planting  and  harvesting,   and  ere 


328 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


many  years  no  department  of  farm  work  was  un- 
known to  him.  He  began  life  for  himself  on  at- 
taining his  majority,  but  remained  at  home  until 
1850,  when  he  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  native 
State  and  in  April  of  that  year  came  to  Illinois. 
The  trip  was  made  by  team.  On  reaching  Han- 
cock County,  he  settled  in  Pilot  Grove  Township, 
where  he  rented  land  for  two  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  removed  to  Harmony 
Township,  where  he  rented  land  until  1865,  when 
with  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through  his  la- 
bors he  purchased  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  Later  he  purchased  two  hundred 
acres,  upon  which  he  lived  until  1869,  when  he 
removed  to  his  present  farm,  buying  a  tract  of 
two  hundred  acres  on  section  34,  Harmony 
Township. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1850,  Mr.  Butler  married 
Miss  Amanda  Black,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary 
(Martin)  Black,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Virginia.  In  early  life,  however,  they  removed 
to  Kentucky.  On  the  paternal  side  the  family  is 
of  German  and  Irish  origin.  Mrs.  Butler  was 
one  of  eight  children,  namely:  William,  of  Cali- 
fornia, who  formerly  engaged  in  prospecting, 
mining  and  stock-raising,  but  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life;  Amanda,  wife  of  our  subject;  Joseph,  a 
resident  farmer  of  Brown  County,  111.;  John,  de- 
ceased; Esther,  who  died  in  infancy;  Henry,  who 
is  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business  in  the  city 
of  Oklahoma;  Charlie,  an  agriculturist  of  Ottawa 
County,  Mo. ;  and  Barbara,  now  deceased.  Mr. 
Black  came  to  Hancock  County  in  1850,  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  spent  their  last  days  in  this  lo- 
cality. 

Four  children  have  been  born  of  the  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butler,  as  follows:  Mary,  wife  of 
D.  C.  Barber,  a  resident  of  Denver,  111.;  Henry, 
who  died  in  Newton,  Kan.,  November*2g,  1893; 
Nancy,  wife  of  Paul  Bowen,  Principal  of  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Alameda,  Cal. ;  and  Eva,  wife  of 
Charlie  Davis,  a  farmer  of  Chili  Township. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Butler  has  always 
been  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles,  and 
has  held  the  offices  of  Road  Commissioner  and 
School  Director.  He  and  his  wife  hold  membership 
with   the  Christian  Church,   and  are  actively  in- 


terested in  its  work  and  upbuilding.  His  busi- 
ness career  has  been  one  of  success,  and  although 
he  started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy,  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward,  and  now  occupies  a  posi- 
tion among  the  substantial  farmers  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity, 
and  those  who  know  him  esteem  him  highly. 


y  HO  MAS  HARDY,  who  resides  on  section  9, 
f  C  Harmony  Township,  is  one  of  the  extensive 
\2)  land-owners  of  Hancock  County,  his  pos- 
sessions aggregating  between  six  hundred  and 
seven  hundred  acres.  This  has  all  been  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts,  and  the  improvements 
thereon  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  en- 
terprise. He  is  a  type  of  a  self-made  man,  who 
through  energy  and  well-directed  efforts  has  ac- 
quired a  handsome  property,  and  won  a  place 
among  the  wealthy  citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 
Mr.  Hardy  was  born  near  Mendou,  Adams 
County,  111.,  June  11,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Bap- 
tist and  Tamer  (Pallerson)  Hardy.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  was  of  Ger- 
man descent;  and  his  mother,  who  was  born  in 
North  Carolina,  was  of  Irish  lineage.  By  occu- 
pation the  former  was  a  farmer.  He  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  State,  was  there  married, 
and  continued  to  make  his  home  in  Tennessee 
until  1829,  when  he  emigrated  with  his  family  to 
Illinois,  making  the  journey  by  team.  He  lo- 
cated in  Morgan  County,  but  in  the  spring  of  1830 
removed  to  Adams  County.  The  following  year 
he  entered  from  the  Government  a  tract  of  prairie 
and  timber  land,  and  upon  the  farm  which  he 
there  developed  he  made  his  home  throughout 
his  remaining  days.  He  was  very  successful  in 
his  business  dealings,  and  his  prosperity  is  well 
deserved.  At  an  early  age  he  was  thrown  upon 
his  own  resources,  and  began  to  earn  his  own  live- 
lihood. He  lived  frugally,  was  industrious  and 
enterprising,  and  by  his  well-directed  efforts  he 
not  only  won  a  comfortable  home,  but  became 
the  owner  of  extensive  landed  possessions.  He  is 
numbered  among  the  honored   pioneers  of  that 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


329 


locality,  for  he  came  to  this  State  when  the  Indi- 
ans were  still  in  the  neighborhood,  and  when 
Quincy  was  the  nearest  trading-post.  In  politics, 
he  was  a  Democrat,  and  served  as  the  first  Super- 
visor of  Keene  Township,  Adams  County.  He 
also  held  other  local  offices.  In  his  religious  be- 
lief he  was  a  Baptist.  His  death  occurred  in  1872, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  his  wife  passed 
away  in  1875,  when  about  the  same  age. 

The  Hardy  family  numbered  nine  children,  four 
sons  and  five  daughters:  Sarah,  wife  of  Jackson 
Witt;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Joseph  Fletcher;  Thomas, 
of  this  sketch ;  Nancy,  wife  of  Henry  W.  Strick- 
ler;  Joseph,  who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Adams  County;  Frank  M.;  Louisa,  wife  of  Jack- 
son Harris;  Mary  M.,  wife  of  William  Felder; 
and  Baptist.  All  are  yet  living  and  have  families 
of  their  own. 

Mr.  Hard\-  whose  name  heads  this  notice  was 
reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  Adams  County,  and 
attended  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  thus  acquiring  a 
good  English  education.  When  twenty-two  years 
of  age  he  began  business  for  himself,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  through  the  two  succeeding 
winters.  He  then  took  up  the  occupation  to 
which  he  had  been  reared,  and  carried  on  farming 
in  other  localities  until  the  spring  of  i860,  when 
he  located  upon  the  farm  which  has  since  been  his 
home.  His  first  purchase  comprised  a  quarter- 
section  of  land,  but  only  fifty  acres  had  been 
broken,  and  a  small  house  constituted  the  im- 
provements upon  the  place.  He  at  once  began 
the  development  of  the  farm,  and  as  his  financial 
resources  were  increased  he  extended  its  bound- 
aries from  time  to  time.  He  owns  nearly  seven 
hundred  acres,  and  with  the  exception  of  about 
ten  acres  the  entire  amount  is  in  Harmony  Town- 
ship. The  improvements  upon  the  farm  have  all 
been  placed  there  by  Mr.  Hard)-.  These  include 
a  good  residence,  barns  and  outbuildings,  and  all 
the  accessories  and  conveniences  which  go  to  make 
up  a  farm  that  meets  the  requirements  of  modern 
civilization. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1858,  Mr.  Hardy  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  S.  Rog- 
ers, a  native  of  the  Empire  State.     To  them  have 


been  born  twelve  children,  four  sons  and  eight 
daughters:  Zuleika,  Margaret  T.  (who  died  in 
infancy),  Emma  F.,  Clement  V.,  Baptist,  Sarah 
E.,  Delia,  Mary  J.,  Thomas,  Martha  E.,  Joseph 
and  Louisa.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hardy  has  always 
been  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles.  He 
has  served  as  Assessor  of  his  township,  and  for 
many  years  has  been  a  School  Director.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  his  well-spent 
life  has  gained  for  him  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact.  He  is  widely  known 
throughout  Hancock  County,  and  his  friends  and 
acquaintances  are  many. 

(TAMES  M.  GROVES,  a  blacksmith  and  dealer 
I  in  agricultural  implements  in  Plymouth,  was 
(2/  born  in  Licking  County,  Ohio,  November 
27,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Richard  T.  and  Susan 
(Evans)  Groves,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia. 
The  paternal  grandfather  was  also  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812,  as  did  the  maternal  grandfather.  He,  too, 
was  born  in  Virginia,  and  there  engaged  in  hotel- 
keeping  for  some  time.  Richard  T.  Groves  was 
one  of  a  family  of  eight  sons  and  two  daughters. 
In  an  early  day  he  removed  to  Ohio,  and  in  1858 
emigrated  to  Mercer  County,  Mo.,  settling  near 
Princeton,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  His  death  occurred  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-two years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  only  a 
few  days  previous.  They  were  both  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  their  lives 
were  in  harmony  with  their  professions.  Mr. 
Groves  served  as  one  of  the  church  officers  for 
several  years,  and  while  living  in  Ohio  he  served 
as  Deputy  Sheriff.  In  the  family  were  three  sons 
and  two  daughters:  John  C,  of  Richland  County, 
111.;  Mary  Jane,  wife  of  William  Bridge,  of  Mer- 
cer County,  Mo.;  James  M.,  of  this  sketch;  Dan- 
iel H.,  of  Mercer  County;  and  Leah  C,  wife  of 
Charles  Booth,  of  the  same  count). 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject 
spent  the  days  of  his   boyhood   and   youth.      His 


33° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


educational  privileges  were  those  afforded  by  the 
common  schools.  He  was  reared  as  an  agricul- 
turist, but,  not  wishing  to  follow  that  pursuit,  he 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  at  which  he 
worked  until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late 
war.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  his  country's  service 
as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Seventy-eighth  Illi- 
nois Infantry',  aiding  in  the  defense  of  the  Union 
until  June,  1865,  when,  the  war  having  closed, 
he  was  honorably  discharged.  He  was  twice 
slightly  wounded  in  skirmishes,  and  at  the  battle 
of  Chickamauga  he  received  a  very  severe  wound. 
He  took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Kennesaw 
Mountain,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Rome, 
Jonesboro,  Chickamauga  and  Bentonville,  and 
went  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march  to  the 
sea.  He  also  participated  in  the  Grand  Review  in 
Washington,  and  received  his  discharge  in  the 
Capitol  City. 

Before  entering  the  service,  Mr.  Groves  was 
married  to  Miss  Elmira  B.  Myers,  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Harriet  (Wagle)  Myers,  the  former  a 
native  of  New  York,  and  the  latter  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  have  become  the  parents  of  seven 
children.  James  Madison  married  Miss  Clara 
Black,  and  with  their  two  children,  Ida  and  Pearl, 
they  are  now  living  in  Plymouth.  Ida  May  and 
Freddie  both  died  when  about  two  years  of  age. 
Hattie,  Maude,  Charles  and  Ernest  complete  the 
family. 

On  his  return  from  the  South,  Mr.  Graves  lo- 
cated in  Birmingham,  Schuyler  County,  111.,  pur- 
chasing a  farm  of  eighty -five  acres,  to  the  devel- 
opment and  cultivation  of  which  he  devoted  his 
energies  until  1876.  He  then  embarked  in  busi- 
ness as  a  bridge  contractor,  and  carried  on  business 
along  that  line  for  about  eight  years.  He  is  now 
doing  business  in  Plymouth  as  a  blacksmith  and 
dealer  in  agricultural  implements,  and  along  both 
lines  of  trade  receives  liberal  patronage,  which  is 
well  deserved.  In  addition  to  his  business,  he 
owns  a  good  residence  in  Plymouth.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  Plymouth  Lodge  No.  246,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.;  the  Odd  Fellows'  society;  and  Augusta 
Post,  G.  A.  R.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stalwart 
Republican,  and  while  in  Birmingham  served  as 
Constable,  Commissioner  and  Collector.      His  suc- 


cess in  business  is  due  to  his  own  efforts.  He 
started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  but  by  industry, 
perseverance  and  enterprise  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward,  securing  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence. 

a  i-c)  ■<  T  S  i^= s  08 

"TRASTUS  HUEY  now  follows  farming  on 
'j  section  17,  St.  Mary's  Township,  Hancock 
__  County.  The  name  of  Huey  is  inseparably 
connected  with  the  history  of  this  community,  for 
the  family  of  our  subject  came  here  in  early  pio- 
neer days,  and  its  members  have  borne  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  work  of  advancement  and  public 
improvement.  His  parents,  John  and  Matilda 
(Rice)  Huey,  were  both  natives  of  Boone  County, 
Ky.,  and  came  of  old  southern  families,  of  whom 
further  mention  is  made  in  connection  with  the 
sketch  of  William  Huey,  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  The  father  was  one  of  twelve  children, 
and  was  reared  as  a  farmer.  Throughout  life  he 
followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  for  main- years 
was  a  leading  farmer  of  this  locality.  He  came 
to  Illinois  in  1833,  and  after  three  years  spent  in 
Schuyler  County,  took  up  his  residence  in  Hancock 
County,  where  his  remaining  days  were  passed. 
All  who  knew  him  respected  him  for  his  sterling 
worth  and  excellencies  of  character,  and  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years, 
was  deeply  mourned  by  many  friends.  His  wife, 
a  most  estimable  lady,  passed  away  four  years 
previous,  dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  Of 
their  family  of  ten  sons  and  two  daughters,  the  fol- 
lowing are  yet  living:  Erastus;  William;  Frances, 
wife  of  Dr.  James  H.  Turner;  Robert,  of  Mc- 
Donough  County;  Agnes,  wife  of  Reuben  Garnett; 
James,  of  St.  Mary's  Township;  Perry  C.  and 
George,  who  also  live  in  the  same  township;  and 
Frederick  Gilmore,  of  Clarke  County,  Mo. 

Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  six  summers  when, 
with  his  parents,  he  became  a  resident  of  this  lo- 
cality. Upon  the  old  Huey  farm  he  was  reared, 
and  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  within  four 
miles  of  his  present  home.  When  a  young  man 
he  studied  medicine,  but  never  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  preferring  to  follow  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


33i 


pursuit  with  which  he  had  been  familiar  from 
earliest  boyhood.  After  arriving  at  years  of  ma- 
turity, he  began  farming  in  his  own  interest,  and 
his  well-directed  efforts  have  been  crowned  with 
success,  for  he  is  now  owner  of  two  hundred  acres 
of  valuable  land,  constituting  one  of  the  finest 
farms  of  the  township. 

Mr.  Huey  was  joined  in  wedlock  February  1, 
1858,  with  Martha  Susan  Dale,  daughter  of  Luns- 
ford  Dale,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Seven  children 
have  been  born  to  them.  Ida  is  the  wife  of  I.  N. 
Jeffries,  by  whom  she  has  two  children,  Ormer 
and  Ray.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jeffries  make  their  home 
with  her  father.  John  R.,  who  married  Miss 
Helen  Holbert,  by  whom  he  has  three  children, 
resides  near  Colmar,  in  McDonough  County. 
William  E.  married  Miss  Ryle,  and  is  located  in 
Hancock  County.  Fannie  is  the  wife  of  Walter 
Cannon,  and  they  live  on  a  farm  in  St.  Mary's 
Township  with  their  daughter  Nellie.  Walter  and 
Olivia  are  yet  at  home;  and  one  child  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  mother  died  June  10,  1891,  in  the  faith 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  she  was  a  member. 
Mr.  Huey  belongs  to  the  same  church,  as  do  his 
brother  and  three  of  his  children.  In  politics,  he 
is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker. 
He  came  to  Hancock  County  fifty-seven  years  ago, 
when  it  was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  and  when 
there  were  only  three  houses  between  his  father's 
home  and  Carthage.  He  has  taken  a  just  pride 
in  the  growth  and  development  of  his  adopted 
county,  and  by  his  support  and  co-operation  he 
has  aided  in  its  advancement  and  upbuilding. 


-##+£#* 


(ILLIAM  FIELDING  BAYNE,  M.  D.,  has 
for  nearly  half  a  century  been  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Macomb,  and 
for  many  years  has  been  numbered  among  the 
most  prominent  physicians  of  McDonough  Coun- 
ty. He  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  Ky.,  on  the 
2d  of  January,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Barbara  (Blankenbaker)  Bayne,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Culpeper  County,  Va.,  and  the  latter  of 
Bourbon    County,    Ky.     His   maternal   grandfa- 


ther, Nicholas  Blankenbaker,  was  one  of  the 
heroes  of  the  Revolution  who  served  under 
Washington  during  the  struggle  for  indepen- 
dence. The  Bayne  family  was  founded  in  Amer- 
ica about  1660,  by  five  brothers  of  that  name, 
natives  of  Scotland,  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  and 
settled  along  the  Potomac.  The  representatives 
of  the  family  in  America  are  their  descendants. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject  bore  the  name  of 
George  Bayne. 

The  Doctor's  father,  William  Bayne,  followed 
the  vocation  of  farming  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  his  life,  and  was  quite  successful  as  an 
agriculturist.  At  length  he  left  Kentucky  to  be- 
come a  resident  of  the  new  State  of  Illinois.  The 
journey  hither  was  made  by  wagon,  and  the 
territory  through  which  they  passed  was  so  un- 
improved that  in  order  to  cross  the  streams  they 
had  to  build  rafts  on  which  to  float  their  goods 
across.  They  first  took  up  their  residence  in 
Adams  County,  and  thence  removed  to  Han- 
cock County,  settling  near  Augusta,  where  the 
father  died  in  1854.  In  the  family  were  nine 
children,  of  whom  six  grew  to  mature  years, 
while  three  of  the  number  are  yet  living,  the  Doc- 
tor and  two  sisters. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  William  F. 
Bayne  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 
He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority,  when,  wishing  to  engage  in 
some  other  pursuit  than  that  of  farming,  he  be- 
gan working  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  With 
a  view  to  entering  the  medical  profession  and 
making  its  practice  his  life  work,  he  began  study- 
ing with  Dr.  G.  H.  Young,  of  Adams  County, 
and  when  he  had  become  quite  proficient  he 
opened  an  office  in  Barry,  Pike  County.  This 
was  in  March,  1854.  In  the  following  September 
he  came  to  Macomb,  where  he  has  since  engaged 
in  practice,  with  the  exception  of  that  period 
which  he  spent  among  the  boys  in  blue  during 
the  late  war. 

Dr.  Bayne  has  been  twice  married.  He  first 
wedded  Martha  Herndon,  who  survived  their 
marriage  a  little  less  than  a  year.  On  the  24th 
of  October,  1854,  he  wedded  Lydia  J.  Fream, 
who  has  been   to  him  a  faithful  companion  and 


332 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


helpmeet  on  life's  journey.  They  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  but  only  two  are  now 
living,  George  Grant,  and  Nellie  May,  wife  of 
Frank  Knight,  who  follows  farming  near  Ma- 
comb. 

After  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  the 
Doctor  expressed  a  wish  to  enter  the  sen-ice,  and 
his  wife  loyally  responded  that  if  he  felt  his  coun- 
try needed  him,  and  that  it  was  his  duty  to  go, 
she  would  put  forth  no  effort  to  prevent  it.  He 
enlisted  on  the  2d  of  August,  1861,  and  became 
Captain  of  Company  B,  Tenth  Missouri  Infan- 
try. He  was  engaged  in  service  in  Missouri, 
Arkansas,  Mississippi  and  Louisiana,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Corinth,  Iuka,  Jackson, 
Champion  Hill,  Thompson  Hill  and  Vicksburg. 
At  the  battle  of  Corinth  a  piece  of  his  ear  was 
shot  away.  On  the  26th  of  June,  1863,  Capt 
Bayne  resigned  on  account  of  failing  health,  and 
crossed  the  mountains  in  the  hope  of  being  bene- 
fited thereby.  He  was  greatly  improved,  and 
during  his  western  trip  his  weight  was  increased 
from  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  to  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-four  pounds.  He  returned  home 
in  the  fall  of  1864. 

Dr.  Bayne  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens 
of  Macomb,  and  has  been  closely  identified  with 
its  upbuilding  and  development  for  half  a  cen- 
tury. He  has  aided  in  the  promotion  of  a  num- 
ber of  its  leading  enterprises,  and  thus  added 
materially  to  the  prosperity  of  the  city.  He  was 
one  of  the  leading  factors  in  the  organization  of 
the  Tile  and  Sewer  Pipe  Works,  and  is  now  Presi- 
dent of  the  company,  which  position  he  has  held 
for  eleven  years,  having  been  elected  in  1883. 
This  is  an  important  industry,  which  constantly 
employs  from  forty  to  sixty-five  men.  Shipments 
are  made  chiefly  to  the  West,  from  Manitoba  to 
Kansas  City,  Denver  and  other  points.  The 
largest  shipments,  however,  are  made  to  St.  Paul 
and  Minneapolis. 

In  politics,  the  Doctor  has  taken  an  active  in- 
terest. In  the  campaign  of  i860,  he  labored  un- 
tiringly in  the  interest  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  was  Captain  of  a  company  of  Wide- Awakes. 
He  was  well  fitted  for  the  drill  work  connected 
therewith,  for  he  had  studied  tactics  with  his  fa- 


ther, who  was  a  leader  of  militia  in  Kentucky. 
The  Doctor  continued  to  vote  with  the  Republi- 
can party  until  1884,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  a  Prohibitionist,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the 
National  Prohibition  Convention  of  1892.  He 
served  as  Mayor  of  Macomb  for  one  term.  For 
about  twelve  years  he  has  filled  the  office  of  Alder- 
man, and  for  many  years  has  been  a  member  of 
the  School  Board.  Socially,  he  is  connected 
with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and 
is  a  faithful  and  consistent  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church. 


ARKIN  SCOTT,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers 
I  C  of  Hancock  County,  now  living  on  section 
l_2?  31,  Harmony  Township,  has  since  1835  been 
a  resident  of  this  community.  Almost  sixty  years 
have  since  passed,  and  during  this  long  period  he 
has  not  only  witnessed  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  community,  but  has  also  aided  in  its 
advancement  and  progress.  The  community  rec- 
ognizes in  him  a  valued  citizen,  and  it  is  there- 
fore with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers 
this  record  of  his  life  work. 

Mr.  Scott  is  a  native  of  Ashe  County,  N.  C.  He 
was  born  January  3,  1812,  and  comes  of  a  family 
of  Scotch  origin.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and 
Mary  (Edwards)  Scott,  both  natives  of  North 
Carolina.  In  their  family  were  ten  children,  five 
sons  and  five  daughters:  Levi,  John,  Solomon, 
Larkin,  Sibert,  Sallie,  Frances,  Susan,  Nancy  and 
Margaret. 

Our  subject  is  now  the  only  surviving  member 
of  the  family.  He  spent  the  first  four  years  of 
his  life  in  North  Carolina,  and  then  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Kentucky.  A 
year  later  they  came  to  Illinois,  making  the  jour- 
ney by  team  in  the  autumn  of  1 8 1 7 .  This  State  had 
not  been  admitted  to  the  Union,  and  it  was  con- 
sidered in  the  far  West.  The  father  located  in 
Madison  County,  but  after  two  years  removed  to 
Morgan  County,  in  1820.  The  land  was  not  then 
surveyed,  but  he  made  a  claim  near  where  the 
city  of  Jacksonville  now  stands,  and  when  it  came 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


333 


into  market  purchased  it  from  the  Government. 
He  erected  thereon  a  log  cabin,  16x16  feet,  and 
they  lived  in  true  pioneer  style.  They  had  been 
in  Morgan  County  for  three  months  before  Larkin 
Scott  saw  a  white  person  save  the  members  of  his 
own  family.  The  Kickapoo  and  Pottawatomie 
Indians  still  lived  in  the  neighborhood,  but  they 
were  usually  peaceable,  occasioning  the  settlers 
little  trouble.  Thus  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the 
frontier,  surrounded  by  few  of  the  evidences  of 
progress  and  civilization,  our  subject  was  reared 
to  manhood. 

Two  and  a-half  miles  from  his  home  was  the 
subscription  school  which  Mr.  Scott  attended. 
His  educational  privileges,  however,  were  meagre. 
He  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  when  his  father 
died,  and  much  of  the  farm  work  devolved  upon 
him.  He  continued  to  engage  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  old  homestead  and  remained  with  his  mother 
until  about  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  rented 
land  in  Morgan  County  and  began  farming  for 
himself.  There  he  continued  until  1S35,  when 
he  came  to  Hancock  County,  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  laud  on  section  31,  Harmony  Township, 
paying  the  usual  Government  price  of  $1.25  per 
acre.  He  erected  a  log  cabin,  16x18  feel,  but  the 
primitive  home  has  long  since  been  replaced  by  a 
commodious  and  substantial  residence,  and  other 
good  improvements  have  been  made.  The  farm 
now  comprises  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  acres 
of  valuable  land  and  is  one  of  the  best  in  the 
neighborhood. 

On  the  4th  of  December,  1831,  Mr.  .Scott  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  .Sarah  Foreman,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  eleven  children,  namely: 
William  \V. ;  Samuel;  Rebecca,  deceased;  Louisa; 
Hettie;  Mary,  who  died  January  23,  1894;  Lark-in; 
John  A.;  Sarah,  deceased;  Joshua  V.,  and  Walter, 
also  deceased.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  the  community,  and  its  members  have  many 
warm  friends.  The  parents  are  both  members  of 
the  Second  Adventist  Church,  and  Mr.  Scott 
served  as  a  local  preacher  of  the  same  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century.  In  politics,  he  has  been  a  stanch 
Republican  since  the  organization  of  the  party. 
He  has  served  as  Overseer  of  the  Poor  and  High- 
way Commissioner,  discharging   his  duties   with 


promptness  and  fidelity.  He  enlisted  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War  in  1831,  and  did  service  as  Corporal 
during  that  struggle.  Mr.  Scott  is  one  of  the 
oldest  residents  of  Illinois,  having  since  Territorial 
days  been  numbered  among  its  citizens.  He  lived 
within  its  borders  before  many  of  the  leading  cities 
of  the  State  had  sprung  into  existence,  when  Chi- 
cago was  known  only  as  Ft.  Dearborn,  and  when 
the  State  was  thought  to  be  on  the  extreme  western 
frontier.  He  has  seen  the  advent  of  the  railroad, 
the  telegraph  and  telephone  and  has  witnessed  the 
onward  march  of  progress  which  has  brought  with 
it  an  advancement  and  prosperity  which  make 
Illinois  one  of  the  leading  States  of  the  Union. 


S^H^E 


^lACOB  KRIEG,  who  carries  on  general  farm- 
I  iug  on  section  16,  Carthage  Township,  is 
(2/  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Han- 
cock County.  He  has  here  resided  since  1856, 
and  during  all  these  years  has  made  his  home 
upon  his  present  farm.  He  now  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  two  acres  of  good  land,  and  is  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  The  place 
is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  and  the  practical 
and  progressive  spirit  of  the  owner  has  made  him 
one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  commu- 
nity. 

Mr.  Krieg  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Euphrates,  Lancaster 
County,  on  the  i6thof  March,  1815.  He  is  a  son 
of  John  Krieg,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  was  of  German  descent.  The  mother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Gorgas.  In  the  Krieg 
family  were  eleven  children:  Cyrus  and  John, 
both  of  whom  are  now  deceased;  Jacob,  our  sub- 
ject; Allen,  who  is  extensively  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Miami  County,  Ind. ;  Mary,  deceased;  Sam- 
uel, a  retired  farmer,  now  living  in  Manchester, 
Ind.:  Martin,  who  has  also  passed  away;  Levi, 
a  mechanic  residing  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.;  Will- 
iam, deceased;  Benjamin,  who  follows  agricultu- 
ral pursuits  near  Disco,  Ind.;  and  Philip,  a  farm- 
er of  the  same  locality. 


334 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  Jacob  Krieg.  He  spent 
his  early  days  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads, 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  which  he  attended  at  vari- 
ous intervals  until  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  con- 
tinued upon  the  old  homestead  until  the  age  of 
nineteen,  when  he  began  working  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  serving  a  two-years  apprenticeship. 
He  followed  that  business  in  the  Keystone  State 
until  1836,  when  he  removed  to  Stark  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  carpentering  until 
1839.  In  that  year  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  but 
remained  only  a  short  time  in  that  city.  Going 
to  Seven  Mile,  Butler  County,  Ohio,  he  there  con- 
tinued until  1856,  during  which  time  he  followed 
carpentering  and  farming. 

In  the  mean  time,  Mr.  Krieg  was  married.  On 
the  13th  of  October,  1842,  he  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Jane  Ray,  a  native  of  Ohio.  Six 
children  have  been  born  of  their  union,  namely: 
Laura  M.,  wife  of  Francis  M.  Haines,  a  farmer 
residing  near  Colchester,  111.;  Francis  R.,  who  is 
proprietor  of  the  Carthage  Flouring  Mills,  and  a 
leading  business  man  of  that  city;  John  C,  who 
is  still  living  on  the  old  home  farm;  Thomas  B., 
an  agriculturist  of  McDouough  County;  Charles 
O.,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Hancock  Coun- 
ty; and  Elanor  S.,  who  completes  the  family. 

As  before  stated,  the  year  1856  witnessed  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  Krieg  in  Hancock  County.  He 
has  seen  much  of  the  growth  and  progress  made 
in  this  locality,  and  has  always  aided  in  its  devel- 
opment, for  he  takes  a  warm  interest  in  every 
thing  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community. 
He  has  always  followed  farming,  and  in  his  un- 
dertakings has  met  with  a  well-merited  prosper- 
ity. When  he  started  out  in  life  he  determined 
to  secure  for  himself,  if  possible,  a  comfortable 
home  and  property.  He  began  making  his  own 
way  in  the  world  empty  handed,  but  he  has  stead- 
ily pressed  forward,  overcoming  the  difficulties 
and  obstacles  in  his  path,  until  he  reached  the 
goal  which  was  before  him.  He  is  now  in  comfort- 
able circumstances,  and  is  supplied  not  only  with 
the  necessities,  but  with  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
life.     He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Will- 


iam Henry  Harrison,  and  was  an  advocate  of  the 
Whig  party  until  its  dissolution,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  Republican 
principles. 


ISAAC  S.  BARTHOLOMEW,  one  of  the  rep- 
resentative and  leading  agriculturists  of  Han- 
cock County,  who  resides  on  stction  20, 
Prairie  Township,  is  a  native  of  Adams  County, 
111.  He  was  born  near  Camp  Point,  on  the  21st 
of  October,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Gillead  and  Sa- 
rah (Roseberry)  Bartholomew.  His  father  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  was  of  English  descent. 
By  trade  he  was  a  millwright.  Emigrating  west- 
ward in  an  early  day,  he  became  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Adams  Count}',  and  there  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  passed  away  in 
March,  1861,  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him 
about  twenty-three  years,  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  in  1883.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  namely:  Lemuel  and  Eliz- 
abeth, both  deceased;  Martha,  wife  of  Joseph 
Hanks,  a  farmer  of  Adams  County;  Isaac  S.,  of 
this  notice;  and  Emma,  Gillian  and  Johnnie,  also 
deceased. 

Mr.  Bartholomew  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord is  a  self-educated  and  self-made  man.  His 
school  privileges  were  quite  limited,  and  his  ad- 
vantages in  other  directions  were  also  meagre. 
Much  of  his  boyhood  was  spent  at  work  in  his  fa- 
ther's flouring  and  saw  mill,  and  he  became  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  the  milling  business.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two  he  left  home  and  began  life 
for  himself.  After  his  father's  death  he  took 
charge  of  the  mills,  which  he  operated  until  the 
spring  of  1865,  when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to 
Hancock  County,  locating  in  Durham  Township, 
where  he  purchased  a  farm.  For  two  years  he 
devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  the  cultivation  of 
that  land,  and  then  purchased  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  lives,  an  eighty-acre  tract  on  section  20, 
Prairie  Township.  Here  he  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock-raising. 

Mr.  Bartholomew  has  been  twice  married.     In 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


335 


1S61,  he  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Annie 
Adams,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  two  daughters:  Annie,  who 
is  now  deceased;  Gillead,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Prairie  Township;  Isaac,  a  minister  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  who  is  now  located  in 
Eivermore,  Iowa;  Mattie,  wife  of  Otis  French, 
who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Bear  Creek 
Township,  Hancock  County;  and  Addie,  who  is 
now  deceased.  The  mother  of  this  family  passed 
away  April  i,  1872,  and  for  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Bartholomew  chose  Miss  Sarah  J.  Gibson,  a  most 
estimable  lady.  Three  children  grace  this  union, 
namely:  Josie,  who  is  still  living  at  home;  Ed- 
ward and  Grace,  who  are  also  under  the  parental 
roof.  The  family  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  this 
community,  its  members  rank  high  in  social  cir- 
cles, and  the  home  is  noted  for  its  hospitality. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Bartholomew  is  a 
Democrat,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  the 
honors  or  emoluments  of  public  office,  his  time 
being  devoted  to  the  enjoyments  of  the  home  and 
to  his  business  interests.  He  is  a  thrifty  and 
progressive  farmer,  who  always  keeps  abreast 
with  the  times  and  has  a  well-developed  and 
highly-cultivated  tract  of  land.  His  place  is  well 
improved  with  good  buildings,  and  its  neat  ap- 
pearance indicates  the  careful  supervision  of  the 
owner.  Although  Mr.  Bartholomew  has  led  a 
busy  life  he  has  yet  found  time  to  devote  to  pub- 
lic interests,  and  his  support  is  ever  given  to  those 
enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  pub- 
lic benefit. 

to  '        s'   (=J  <*"T  '">  &=j  ai 

ELAYTON  McGILL,  a  representative  farmer 
of  Chili  Township,  Hancock  County,  resid- 
ing on  section  34,  is  one  of  the  worthy  citi- 
zens that  Ohio  has  furnished  to  this  community. 
He  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  of  the  Buckeye 
State,  December  17,  1842,  and  is  the  only  child 
of  Alexander  and  Sarah  (Carpenter)  McGill. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  when 
a  young  man  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  followed 
agricultural  pursuits.     After  his  marriage  he  em- 


igrated with  his  family  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Adams  County,  four  and  a-half  miles  northwest 
of  Camp  Point.  This  was  in  1852.  There  he 
remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years.  He  was  of  Irish  descent,  for 
his  parents  were  both  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Cler- 
mont County,  Ohio,  and  there  died  at  the  early 
age  of  twenty-two. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject we  present  to  our  readers  the  life  record  of 
one  of  the  well-known  and  highly-respected 
farmers  of  this  locality.  He  was  a  lad  of  only 
eight  years  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Adams 
Count}',  111.,  and  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  that 
county  he  remained  until  the  nth  of  August, 
1S62.  Although  he  had  not  then  attained  his 
majority,  he  could  no  longer  resist  the  impulse  to 
enter  his  county's  service,  and  enlisted  among  the 
boys  in  blue  of  Company  G,  Seventy -eighth  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  He  followed  the  Old  Flag  until 
its  supremacy  was  acknowledged  throughout  the 
South,  when,  the  war  having  closed,  he  was 
honorably  discharged,  on  the  7th  of  June,  1865. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Mission  Ridge, 
Resaca,  Rome,  Ga.,  and  Atlanta,  and  at  the  last- 
named  received  a  wound  in  the  right  leg,  which 
caused  him  to  be  taken  to  the  hospital,  where  he 
was  confined  for  four  months.  After  the  battle 
of  Nashville,  he  returned  to  his  regiment  and 
served  as  a  private  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Adams  County,  Mr. 
McGill  engaged  in  farming  with  his  father  until 
1869,  when  he  came  to  Hancock  County  and  pur- 
chased the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides.  He 
has  placed  his  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  has  one  of  the  valuable  farms  in  the 
neighborhood.  He  owns  altogether  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  rich  laud  in  Hancock  and  Ad- 
ams Counties,  and  the  well -tilled  fields  yield  to 
the  owner  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care 
and  labor  bestowed  upon  them. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1869,  Mr.  McGill  mar- 
ried Miss  Sophrona  A.  Gay,  of  Adams  County, 
and  by  their  union  were  born  nine  children. 
With  the  exception  of  one  who  died  in  infancy, 
all  are  still  under  the  parental  roof  and  in  order 


336 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  birth  are  as  follows:  Sidney  A.,  Lola  V.,  Ettie 
and  Hattie  (twins),  Vienna,  Eunice,  Ava  and  Fay. 
In  his  political  views,  Mr.  McGill  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican and  takes  an  active  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  party  and 
its  upbuilding,  being  always  well  informed  on  the 
issues  of  the  day.  He  has  been  honored  with 
several  local  offices,  having  served  as  Road  Com- 
missioner for  two  terms  and  as  School  Director, 
while  at  this  writing,  in  the  spring  of  1894,  he  is 
serving  his  fifth  year  as  Supervisor  of  Chili 
Township.  He  is  a  member  of  Tobias  Butler 
Post  No.  428,  G.  A.  R. ,  of  Bowen,  and  though 
not  a  member  of  any  church  he  contributes  to  the 
support  of  the  same  and  to  all  worthy  public  en- 
terprises calculated  to  advance  the  general  wel- 
fare. Aside  from  his  agricultural  interests  Mr. 
McGill  has  other  business  connections,  and  is 
now  the  efficient  President  of  the  Farmers'  Bank 
of  Bowen,  in  which  he  is  a  stockholder.  The 
greater  part  of  his  possessions  has  been  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts.  He  is  a  man  of  good 
business  and  executive  ability,  and  his  keen  judg- 
ment and  sagacity,  supplemented  by  an  enter- 
prising spirit,  have  brought  him  prosperity  and 
made  him  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Han- 
cock County. 

e_  .     t=1^"l   n   .^^    ■>  9 

U  '  c=J"<   T   ">C~3  3) 

(3 IMEON  B  WALTON,  one  of  the  progressive 
Ny  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Hancock 
Q)  County,  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Den- 
ver. As  he  is  so  widely  known  in  this  commun- 
ity we  feel  assured  that  the  record  of  his  life  will 
prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers,  and 
therefore  gladly  give  it  a  place  in  this  volume. 
Mr.  Walton  was  born  in  Mason  County,  Ky.,  in 
the  year  1818,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Bar- 
bara Walton,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. The  Walton  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish 
lineage.  His  mother's  people  were  among  the 
first  families  to  locate  in  Mason  County,  Ky., 
settling  there  when  the  Indians  still  lived  in  the 
neighborhood.  When  a  young  man  William 
Walton    removed  to   Kentucky,    and    was  there 


married.  He  served  as  a  private  in  the  War  of 
1 8 12.  As  a  means  of  livelihood  he  followed 
farming  during  the  greater  part  of  his  business 
career,  and  he  also  practiced  medicine  to  a  limi- 
ted extent  in  his  own  neighborhood.  On  leaving 
Mason  County,  Ky.,  he  removed  to  Boone  Coun- 
ty, that  State,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1864, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  1838. 

This  worth}-  couple  were  the  parents  of  thir- 
teen children,  namely:  John,  Meredith,  Fred- 
erick, Mary,  Ann,  Susan,  Tabitha,  Simeon  B., 
Amanda,  Eliza,  William,  Missouri  and  Lucy. 
Our  subject  is  now  the  only  one  living.  No  event 
of  special  importance  occurred  during  his  child- 
hood. He  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm,  and 
attended  the  subscription  schools,  which  were  held 
in  the  old-time  log  schoolhouse,  with  its  slab  seats, 
puncheon  floor  and  huge  fireplace.  The  school 
was  four  miles  from  his  home,  so  that  the  path  of 
learning  did  not  always  seem  to  him  a  flowery 
one.  He  remained  at  home  and  to  his .  father 
gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self and  began  working  for  $9  per  month.  He 
was  thus  employed  for  two  years. 

Mr.  Walton  continued  to  make  his  home  in 
Kentucky  until  1840,  when  he  started  on  horse- 
back for  Illinois.  With  the  exception  of  two  days 
when  a  companion  rode  with  him,  he  traveled  the 
entire  distance  alone.  At  length  he  arrived  in 
Hancock  County,  and  worked  in  Augusta  Town- 
ship for  his  brother  the  first  summer.  After  his 
marriage  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Harmony 
Township.  For  one  season  he  worked  by  the 
month  as  a  farm  hand,  and  then  on  horseback 
he  returned  to  his  native  State;  but  after  a  short 
time  he  fitted  up  a  wagon  and  team  and  again 
came  to  the  West.  This  time  he  made  a  perma- 
nent location.  He  purchased  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land  in  Harmony  Township,  part 
timber  and  part  prairie,  and  began  opening  up  a 
farm.  The  land  was  all  wild,  and  the  only  im- 
provement upon  the  place  was  a  small  log  cabin. 
From  sunrise  to  sunset,  Mr.  Walton  in  those 
early  days  could  be  found  in  the  fields,  clearing 
and  developing  his  land,  which  in  course  of  time 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


337 


was  placed  under  the  plow.  The  new  and  fer- 
tile soil  yielded  a  ready  return  for  his  labors,  and 
his  financial  resources  were  thereby  greatly  in- 
creased. He  made  many  excellent  improve- 
ments upon  his  farm,  and  it  became  one  of  the 
valuable  and  desirable  places  of  the  neighborhood. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmeet  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  Walton  chose  Miss  Elizabeth  Stark,  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Jessie  (Drone)  Stark.  Their 
marriage  was  celebrated  January  20,  1842.  The 
lady  was  born  in  Auchtermechty.  Scotland, 
March  24,  1823,  and  came  to  America  with  her 
parents  in  1836  on  a  sailing-vessel,  which  after  a 
voyage  of  seven  weeks  dropped  anchor  in  the  har- 
bor of  New  York.  They  at  once  came  west  to 
Illinois,  and  the  father  made  a  claim  near  Au- 
gusta, Hancock  County,  entering  land  from  the 
Government.  His  death  occurred  in  July,  1837, 
and  his  wife  died  when  Mrs.  Walton  was  only 
eleven  years  of  age.  There  were  no  schools  in 
the  neighborhood  when  Mrs.  Walton  came  here, 
and  the  nearest  trading-point  was  at  Rusliville. 
She  well  deserves  mention  among  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  the  county,  for  since  a  very  early  day  she 
has  watched  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
entire  community. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walton  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren. William,  George  and  David  are  all  engaged 
in  farming  in  Harmony  Township;  Ezekiel  is  now 
living  on  the  old  homestead;  Margaret  is  the  wife 
of  Dr.  Ray  burn,  a  practicing  physician  of  Den- 
ver, 111.;  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  William  Black, 
a  farmer  of  Harmony  Township;  and  Ella  is  the 
wife  of  Joel  H.  Todd,  a  practicing  physician  of 
Maryville,  Mo. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Walton  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising.  His  landed  pos- 
sessions now  aggregate  three  hundred  acres,  in- 
cluding the  old  homestead.  He  continued  upon 
the  farm  until  1890,  when  he  removed  to  Denver, 
where  he  has  since  lived  a  retired  life.  He  and 
his  wife  are  both  members  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  their  many  excellencies  of  character 
have  gained  for  them  the  high  regard  of  all  with 
whom  they  have  been  brought  in  contact.  Their 
friends  are  many  throughout  the  community,  and 
all  who  know  them  respect  them.     Mr.   Walton 


cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  William  Henry 
Harrison,  and  since  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  has  been  one  of  its  stalwart  sup- 
porters. He  started  out  in  life  for  himself  with 
about  a  thousand  dollars  given  him  by  his  father 
and  a  determination  to  succeed.  That  he  has 
succeeded  is  due  not  to  favorable  circumstances, 
but  to  industry  and  enterprise.  He  has  made  the 
most  of  his  opportunities,  and  in  his  declining 
years,  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  life,  he  is 
enjoying  a  rest  which  he  has  so  truly  earned  and 
richly  deserves. 


(ILXIAM  A.  VANCE,  deceased,  was  born 
in  Washington  Count}-,  Pa.,  on  the  18th 
of  April,  1835,  and  died  on  his  farm  in  Han- 
cock County,  in  June,  1884,  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  He  was  a  leading  citizen  of  the  com- 
munity, and  his  sterling  worth  and  excellencies 
of  character  won  him  the  high  regard  of  all. 

Mr.  Vance  was  a  son  of  Joseph  Vance,  and  was 
reared  on  his  father's  farm.  His  school  privileges 
were  somewhat  limited,  but  through  experience, 
reading  and  observation  he  gained  a  practical 
business  knowledge.  He  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  on  attaining  his  majority,  and,  bidding 
good-bye  to  his  old  home  in  the  Keystone  State, 
he  emigrated  westward  to  Illinois,  taking  up  his 
residence  in  Hancock  County.  Locating  in  Chili 
Township,  he  purchased  between  three  and  four 
hundred  acres  of  partially  improved  land.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  began  its  cultivation  and 
development,  and  continued  the  operation  of  that 
land  until  1871,  in  which  year  he  removed  to 
Harmony  Township.  Here  he  purchased  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good  land,  upon 
which  he  made  his  home  until  his  death.  He  was  a 
successful  farmer,  who  thoroughly  understood 
his  business,  and  by  close  attention  to  all  details, 
combined  with  industry  and  good  management,  he 
won  a  well-deserved  and  comfortable  competence. 

On  the  18th  of  May,  1863,  Mr.  Vance  was  uni- 
ted in  marriage  with  Miss  Lydia  Dick,  and  by 
their   union   were   born   five    children,    namely: 


338 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Joseph,  who  died  on  the  21st  of  August,  1864; 
Sherman  D.,  who  carries  on  general  fanning  in 
Harmony  Township,  Hancock  County;  Adeline, 
whe  died  in  infancy  on  the  7th  of  January,  187 1; 
Thomas,  at  home:  and  James  H.,  who  died  on 
the  9th  of  May,  1877. 

Throughout  life,  Mr.  Vance  was  a  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party  and  its  principles,  and  al- 
though never  an  office-seeker  he  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  what  pertained  to  the  welfare  of  his  party, 
and  did  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its  growth  and 
insure  its  success.  He  was  ever  a  valued  and  pub- 
lic-spirited citizen,  and  the  best  interests  ever 
found  in  him  a  warm  friend.  His  loyalty  to  the 
Government  was  manifested  during  the  late  war 
by  a  vear's  service  in  the  Union  army.  He  was 
a  prominent  and  influential  citizen  of  Harmony 
Township,  and  all  who  knew  him  esteemed  him 
highly,  for  his  life  was  a  straightforward  and  hon- 
orable one.  He  passed  away  in  June,  1884,  and 
his  death  was  deeply  mourned  by  many  friends. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Vance  was 
again  married,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Jacob  F. 
Sliger.  They  reside  on  the  old  home  farm  in  Har- 
mon y  Township,  and  are  well-known  and  repre- 
sentative people  of  the  community. 


IT  NOCH  RAMSEY,  one  of  the  wealthy  farm- 
re)  ers  of  Hancock  County,  has  largely  through 
I  his  own  efforts  won  his  well-deserved  pros- 
perity. He  now  lives  on  section  34,  Harmony 
Township,  where  he  moved  about  1 85 1 .  He  then 
owned  only  a  quarter-section  of  land,  but  to  this 
he  has  since  added  until  his  landed  possessions 
now  aggregate  about  two  thousand  acres.  Young 
men  would  do  well  to  study  the  methods  which 
he  has  pursued,  and  his  habits  of  diligence,  in- 
dustry and  enterprise. 

Mr.  Ramsey  was  born  near  Charleston,  Clarke 
County,  Ind.,  January  30,  1824,  and  is  a  son  of 
Samuel  and  Eleanor  (Kime)  Ramsey,  who  were 
natives  of  Kentucky.  The  father  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent,  and  his  mother  was  of  German 
lineage.     Nine  children  blessed  their  union:  Han- 


nah, who  is  now  the  widow  of  George  Browning, 
a  resident  farmer  of  Harmony  Township;  Enoch, 
of  this  sketch;  Henry,  who  died  October  1,  1875; 
Betsy  A.,  who  died  March  8,  1830;  James  M.,  who 
died  July  17,  1834;  Samuel  F.,  who  passed  away 
September  8,  1886;  Sarah  J.  and  Eleanora,  who 
are  still  living;  and  Adeline,  who  died  August 
27,  1847. 

On  leaving  his  native  State  Samuel  Ramsey 
removed  to  Clarke  County,  Ind.,  where  he  was 
married  and  made  his  home  until  1836.  He  then 
removed  to  Logan  County,  but  in  the  autumn  of 
that  year  he  came  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  and 
settled  in  Chili  Township.  Here  he  purchased 
sixty  acres  of  land,  but  after  a  year  he  removed 
to  Harmony  Township,  and  bought  a  partially 
improved  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on 
section  25.  He  at  once  began  opening  up  a  farm, 
and  soon  furrows  were  turned  upon  the  hitherto 
unbroken  land,  and  fertile  fields  took  the  place  of 
the  once  wild  prairies.  He  continued  to  engage 
in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death.  A  man 
of  excellent  business  and  executive  ability,  he  was 
highly  successful  in  his  undertakings,  and  al- 
though he  started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy  he  became 
one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  his  adopted 
count)'.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Democrat  until  the 
campaign  of  i860,  when  he  supported  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  continued  to  affiliate  with  the  Re- 
publican part}-  throughout  his  remaining  days. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  Supervisors  of  Harmony 
Township,  aided  in  organizing  the  school  districts, 
and  took  a  prominent  part  in  everything  that 
pertained  to  the  welfare  of  the  community  and  its 
upbuilding.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  the  poor  and  needy 
found  in  them  faithful  friends.  Mr.  Ramsey,  who 
was  born  Novembers,  1797,  died  on  the  old  home- 
stead on  the  23d  of  March,  1861,  and  his  wife, 
who  was  born  October  5,  1800,  was  called  to  her 
final  rest  December  19,  1873. 

The  family  to  which  Enoch  Ramsey  belongs 
was  one  of  prominence  in  the  community. 
He  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Hancock 
County,  and  has  seen  much  of  its  growth  and  up- 
building, for  he  was  a  lad  of  thirteen  years  at  the 
time  of  the  emigration  westward.     Upon  the  old 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


339 


homestead  farm  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  and  in 
the  subscription  schools  he  acquired  an  education. 
He  had  to  walk  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  a-half  to 
the  schoolhouse,  which  was  a  log  structure  and  was 
furnished  in  the  primitive  manner  of  those  days. 
He  early  began  work  in  the  fields,  and  soon  be- 
came familiar  with  farm  life  in  all  of  its  details. 
He  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  twenty-seven 
years  of  age,  and  then  began  life  for  himself,  hav- 
ing received  very  liberal  assistance  from  his  father, 
who  gave  each  of  his  children  a  good  start  in  life. 
He  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
on  section  34,  Harmony  Township,  a  tract  of  raw 
prairie,  and  with  the  exception  of  one  year  has 
since  made  his  home  thereon.  The  farm  when  it 
came  into  his  possession  was  entirely  unimproved, 
but  he  at  one  began  its  development  and  soon  had 
placed  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
placed  upon  it  good  buildings,  divided  it  into 
fields  of  convenient  size  by  well-kept  fences,  and 
all  the  accessories  of  a  model  farm  were  there  sup- 
plied. His  efforts  were  attended  with  success,  and 
as  his  financial  resources  were  increased  the  bound- 
aries of  his  farm  were  extended,  until  it  now  com- 
prises six  hundred  acres.  He  has  altogether  in 
Harmony  Township  thirteen  hundred  and  sixt3- 
acres,  and  is  the  owner  of  nineteen  hundred  and 
ninety  acres  in  the  county,  the  greater  part  of 
which  is  highly  improved.  In  connection  with 
its  cultivation  he  has  also  been  extensively  en- 
gaged in  stock-raising. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1853,  Mr.  Ramsey  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Bettisworth, 
daughter  of  Evan  and  Rosalia  Bettisworth,  and  a 
native  of  Virginia.  To  them  have  been  born 
seven  children:  Samuel,  who  died  September  20, 
1855:  Enoch  M.,  a  farmer  residing  in  Hutchinson, 
Kan.;  Eleauora  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Henry 
J.  Butler,  and  died  December  10,  1879,  leaving  a 
daughter,  Jennie;  Tazwell  T.,  who  died  May  22, 
1864;  Hattie  R.,  at  home;  Mary  J.,  who  died  Au- 
gust 27,  1866;  and  Mattie  H.,  who  is  still  under 
the  parental  roof.  The  granddaughter,  Jennie 
Butler,  is  also  living  with  them. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Ramsey  has  always  been  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  served 
his  township  as  Supervisor,  Treasurer,   Collector 


and  Road  Commissioner.  A  prompt  and  efficient 
officer,  he  has  ever  discharged  his  duties  in  a  faith- 
ful manner,  that  has  won  the  commendation  of  all 
concerned.  In  his  business  career  he  has  pros- 
pered greatly,  his  success  coming  to  him  as  the 
result  of  judicious  management,  industry  and  en- 
terprise. He  has  always  been  generous  with  his 
means  in  support  of  public  interests  which  are 
calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit,  and  is  re- 
cognized as  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. Almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  Hancock  County,  where  he  has  many  friends, 
and  in  its  history  he  well  deserves  mention  as  one 
of  the  honored  pioneers. 


6~  *    =J<'f">  G 

("JOSEPH  MOCK,  who  carries  on  general  farm- 
I  ing  on  section  4,  Chili  Township,  is  a  native 
\~)  of  Kentucky,  his  birth  having  occurred  on 
the  5th  of  April,  1835,  in  Bourbon  County.  His 
parents,  Abraham  and  Cynthia  (Wilson)  Mock, 
were  also  natives  of  that  State,  and  the  father  was 
of  German  and  French  descent.  Their  family  num- 
bered six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters: Emily,  now  the  wife  of  E.  Rice;  Samuel,  who 
died  in  1859;  Joseph,  of  this  sketch;  Henry;  Mar- 
garet, wife  of  John  Robinson;  and  Cynthia,  wife  of 
Cain  Hummel.  The  father  of  this  family  followed 
the  vocation  of  farming,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
always  resided  in  their  native  State. 

Joseph  Mock  was  reared  under  the  parental  roof 
in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads.  Through  the 
winter  he  attended  the  subscription  schools, 
which  were  held  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  three  miles 
from  his  home.  In  the  summer  he  worked  upon 
the  farm.  He  was  only  eleven  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  father's  death,  and  thus  early  in  life 
he  was  cast  adrift  upon  the  world  to  make  his  own 
way  as  best  he  could.  He  began  earning  his  live- 
lihood by  work  as  a  farm  hand,  receiving  $5  per 
month  for  his  sendees.  He  continued  his  resi- 
dence in  Kentucky  until  1851,  when  he  came  to 
Adams  County,  111.  During  the  succeeding  eleven 
years  of  his  life  he  engaged  in  fanning  in  that  lo- 
cality, and  in  1862  he  came  to  Hancock   County, 


34° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


locating  upon  land  in  Chili  Township,  which  he 
had  previously  purchased.  This  was  an  eighty- 
acre  tract  on  section  4,  and  though  wild  and  unim- 
proved he  soon  transformed  it  into  rich  and  fertile 
fields.  He  now  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  valuable  land,  and  his  place  is  well  im- 
proved with  all  modern  accessories  and  conven- 
iences. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Mock  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Eleanora  Kennedy,  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Cornelia  (Gates)  Kennedy.  The  lady  was 
born  in  Ohio,  on  the  23d  of  January,  1834.  Three 
children  graced  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mock, 
namely:  Elmer,  who  now  carries  on  farming  in 
Chili  Township;  Ona,  at  home;  and  Wilson,  who 
died  July  28,  1884.  The  first-named  married 
Theresa  Cunningham. 

Since  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Mock  has  been 
a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party  and  its  prin- 
ciples, but  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  atten- 
tion has  been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits,  in 
which  he  has  met  with  good  success.  Though 
he  has  not  amassed  wealth,  he  has  won  a  comfort- 
able competence  and  a  pleasant  home,  and  is  now 
numbered  among  the  substantial  and  representa- 
tive citizens  of  the  community. 

(t)6JlLLIAM  WILSON,  a  farmer  residing  on 
\  A  /  section  9,  Carthage  Township,  Hancock 
VV  County,  was  born  in  Rock  Castle  County, 
Ky.,  near  Mt.  Vernon,  November  22,  1835.  The 
Wilson  family  is  of  Irish  origin,  and  was  founded 
in  America  during  Colonial  days.  The  father  of 
our  subject,  James  Wilson,  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia. After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Stewart,  a 
native  of  Kentucky.  By  this  union  were  born 
fifteen  children,  seven  sons  and  eight  daughters. 
Twelve  of  the  number  grew  to  mature  years,  and 
nine  of  the  family  are  yet  living.  Sarah  is  now 
the  widow  of  Stephen  Thompson,  who  was  a 
resident  of  Texas;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Ralph 
Harris,  a  retired  minister  living  in  Macomb,  111. ; 
Delphia  is  the  wife  of  Sidney  Proctor,  a  farmer  of 


South  Mound,  Kan.;  James  carries  on  agricultural 
pursuits  in  Missouri;  Allen  is  a  retired  grocery 
merchant  of  Carthage;  Annie  L-  is  the  wife  of 
William  Williams,  a  merchant  of  Colorado;  Will- 
iam of  this  sketch  is  the  next  younger;  Martha  is 
the  wife  of  Harry  Taylor,  a  farmer  residing  in 
Ferris,  111. ;  Joshua  is  an  agriculturist  of  Webb 
City,  Mo. ;  and  Samuel  is  a  farmer  living  near 
Keokuk,  Iowa. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  William 
Wilson  spent  his  boyhood  days.  He  remained  in 
his  native  State  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emigration 
to  Illinois  in  1849.  The  family  located  in  Carth- 
age Township,  Hancock  County,  where  the  par- 
ents spent  their  remaining  days,  the  death  of  the 
father  occurring  in  1852,  while  the  mother  passed 
away  in  1862. 

In  this  county  our  subject  grew  to  manhood, 
and  in  the  district  schools  of  the  community  his 
education  was  acquired.  He  remained  with  his 
father  until  his  death,  after  which  he  took  charge 
of  the  home  farm  and  cared  for  his  mother  until 
she  too  was  called  away,  in  1862.  He  then  em- 
barked in  the  livery  business  in  Carthage,  where 
he  remained  until  1869,  when  he  purchased  the 
farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  He  first  bought 
one  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  on  section  9, 
Carthage  Township,  and  to  this  he  has  since  add- 
ed, until  now  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  land  yield 
to  him  a  good  income.  He  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock-raising,  and  his  well-directed 
efforts  are  crowned  with  success.  The  main-  im- 
provements upon  his  place,  and  the  valuable  land 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  make  this  one 
of  the  best  farms  in  the  neighborhood. 

On  the  12th  of  May,  1864,  Mr.  Wilson  was  unit- 
ed in  marriage  with  Miss  Lydia  Deuel,  and  to  them 
were  born  eight  children,  namely:  Ida,  wife  of 
Frederick  Soules,  who  is  living  in  Keokuk,  Iowa; 
George  C,  Ellen,  Eva,  William,  May  and  Lulu, 
all  of  whom  are  still  with  their  parents;  and  Alice, 
who  died  on  the  21st  of  July,  1881.  She  was  the 
youngest  of  the  family.  The  mother  passed  away 
on  the  19th  of  July  of  the  same  year,  and  was 
laid  to  rest  in  Moss  Ridge  Cemetery  in  Carthage. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


34i 


a  most  estimable  woman,   whose  loss  was  deeply 
mourned  throughout  the  community. 

We  find  111  Mr.  Wilson  a  public-spirited  and 
progressive  citizen,  who,  through  the  long  years 
of  his  residence  in  Hancock  County,  has  been  al- 
ways interested  in  the  development  of  the  com- 
munity and  the  promotion  of  those  enterprises 
which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 
In  politics,  he  supports  the  Republican  party  and 
its  principles,  but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker. 

s — *-=]  <*  9  >  &~ s> 


RUFUS  LEACH,  who  is  now  occupying  the 
responsible  position  of  Postmaster  of  Ma- 
comb, was  born  six  miles  north  of  this  city, 
on  the  6th  of  September,  1S51,  and  is  a  represent- 
ative of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  comity. 
His  father,  Rufus  Leach,  Sr. ,  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  but  in  early  childhood,  with  the  family  of 
his  father,  John  H.  Leach,  born  July  18,  1786, 
and  Sally  (Parkist)  Leach,  born  November  12, 
1786,  and  the  families  of  two  uncles,  emigrated  to 
Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  man- 
hood. In  1838,  he  came  to  McDonough  County, 
111.,  and  engaged  in  farming,  locating  on  fine 
prairie  land  about  six  miles  north  of  Macomb. 
April  9,  18-10,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lois  Sarles,  and  to  them  were  born  four  children, 
namely:  Harriet,  widow  of  W.  M.  Lipe;  John  H., 
Albert  J.  and  Rufus.  The  father  died  August 
14,  1851,  about  one  month  before  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  born.  The  mother  still  survives. 
She  was  the  second  time  married,  March  15,  1853, 
this  time  to  William  McDaniel,  and  to  them  three 
children  were  born:  Mary  A. ,  James  H.  and  Will- 
iamC.  The  daughter  died  in  1858.  Lois  (McDan- 
iel) Leach  has  been  for  many  years  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church,  and  is  widely  known,  loved 
and  respected  in  the  community  in  which  she  has 
so  long  made  her  home.  She  came  to  Illinois 
when  a  little  girl  from  New  Albany,  Ind.  At 
the  date  given  above,  she  was  married  at  the  home 
of  her  sister,  Mrs.  Lewis  Spangler,  in  Fulton 
County,  111.,  the  Rev.  W.  K.  Stewart,  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  this  city,  performing  the 
17 


ceremony,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  Spangler  and 
George  Boughmau  signing  the  marriage  certifi- 
cate as  witnesses. 

Abner  Leach,  the  father  of  John  H.  Leach, 
was  a  native  of  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  and  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death  being  on  the  pension  roll  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, in  recognition  of  valiant  services  ren- 
dered in  those  trying  times.  James  H.  Sarles, 
maternal  grandfather  of  Rufus  Leach,  Jr.,  was 
also  in  the  service  of  his  country,  in  the  War  of 
1812.  Mr.  Sarles  was  a  shingle-maker  by  trade, 
and  in  the  early  days  of  McDonough  County 
shaved  many  thousand  shingles  for  the  pioneers 
who  came  to  this  spot  to  build  new  homes  for  them- 
selves and  their  children.  Mr.  Sarles  died  about 
1 86 1 ,  and  his  remains  were  interred  in  the  Stickle 
Graveyard.  The  remains  of  Rufus  Leach,  Sr. , 
rest  in  the  same  cemetery.  The  family  of  Rufus 
Leach,  Sr. ,  was  a  large  one,  consisting  of  father, 
mother  and  eleven  children,  as  follows:  John  H. 
Leach,  Sally  (Parkist)  Leach,  Charles,  Abra- 
ham, Rufus,  Nancy,  David,  Mary  Ann,  Hiram, 
Celia,  Caroline,  Betsey  and  Margaret.  Lois  Sarles 
was  one  of  a  family  consisting  of  father  and  moth- 
er, James  Harvey  and  Ruth  (Parsels)  Sarles, 
and  the  following  children:  Abelard,  Harriet, 
Sarah  Ann,  Man-,  Lois,  James  Harvey  and  Nancy 
Jane. 

From  the  time  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  Rufus 
Leach  has  resided  in  Macomb.  He  began  earn- 
ing his  own  livelihood  when  fourteen  years  old, 
and  has  since  been  dependent  on  his  own  efforts. 
It  was  in  October,  1865,  that  he  entered  the  office 
of  the  Macomb  Eagle,  to  learn  the  printer's  trade, 
which  he  has  followed  more  or  less  continuously 
since.  He  afterward  worked  in  the  office  of  the 
Western  Light  for  about  two  years,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  Monmouth  and  Galesburg  for  two  years 
more,  when  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Macomb 
Journal ,  with  which  he  was  connected  seventeen 
years.  His  faithfulness  to  his  employers'  inter- 
ests was  manifested  by  his  long-continued  service. 

In  December,  1890,  with  Thomas  J.  Dudman, 
he  purchased  the  Macomb  Eagle  establishment, 
and  continued  in  partnership  one  year,  at  the  end 
of  which  period  he  retired  from  the  business,  but 


342 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   kECORD. 


remained  with  the  Eagle  in  the  capacity  of  fore- 
man until  his  appointment  as  Postmaster.  He 
took  charge  of  the  postoffice   February  20,  1894. 

On  the  8th  of  January,  1879,  Mr.  Leach  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Hannah  J.  Intnan, 
widow  of  Randolph  Inman,  and  a  daughter  of 
Felix  and  Abigail  Navert.  By  their  union  have 
been  born  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters: Arthur  S.,  Ernest  R.,  Lois  A.  and  Lena  B. 
The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  Mr.  Leach  is  now  serving  as  Church 
Clerk.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  in  Macomb, 
and  have  many  friends  in  the  community. 

In  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Leach  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  by  President  Cleveland  was  appointed 
Postmaster.  He  has  but  recently  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  the  office,  yet  his  course  thus  far  gives 
evidence  that  his  administration  will  be  satisfac- 
tory to  the  public.  He  also  served  as  President 
of  the  School  Board  for  one  year,  to  which  posi- 
tion he  was  appointed  by  C.  I.  Imes,  Mayor  of 
the  city,  and  it  was  during  his  incumbency  of  this 
position  that  the  First  Ward  school  building  was 
erected.  He  is  an  honored  and  active  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  having  served  three  terms 
as  Chancellor  Commander,  and  twice  as  delegate 
to  the  Grand  Lodge;  and  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  in  which  he  has  passed  all  the 
Chairs,  and  is  a  popular  citizen  of  Macomb,  where 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  passed. 

(S_  irJ^Ll  <.,  i  >  [^  ■■>         ^ 

Gl  NDREW  JACKSON  DALE,  who  now  re- 
I  I  sides  on  section  13,  Carthage  Township, 
/  1  Hancock  County,  claims  Kentucky  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Woodford 
County,  on  the  28th  of  October,  1818,  and  is 
a  sou  of  James  B.  and  Poll}'  (Dawson)  Dale. 
When  Andrew  was  only  two  years  of  age  his 
parents  removed  to  Indiana,  making  the  jour- 
ney by  team,  and  located  in  Fayette  County. 
Later  they  removed  to  Elkhart  County,  where 
the  father  entered  land  from  the  Government  and 
began  the  development  of  a  farm.  The  year  1834 
witnessed  his  arrival  in  Illinois.     For  a  year  he 


operated  rented  land  in  Morgan  County,  and  in 
1835  he  came  to  Hancock  County,  settling  on  a 
farm  on  section  24,  in  what  is  now  Carthage 
Township.  He  here  made  a  claim  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  partly  timber  and  partly 
prairie  land,  and  with  characteristic  energy  be- 
gan opening  up  a  farm. 

In  the  Dale  family  were  eight  children,  six 
sons  and  two  daughters,  but  only  two  of  the  num- 
ber are  now  living:  George  W.,  who  is  engaged 
in  mining  in  Nevada;  and  our  subject.  The  latter 
was  a  young  man  of  seventeen  when  he  came  to 
Illinois.  His  educational  privileges  were  limited 
to  those  afforded  by  the  district  schools,  and  his 
advantages  in  other  directions  were  likewise  mea- 
gre. His  training  at  farm  labor,  however,  was 
not  limited.  He  early  began  work  in  the  fields, 
and  soon  became  familiar  with  all  the  details  of 
farm  life.  He  continued  under  the  parental  roof 
until  twenty -five  years  of  age,  and  then  started  out 
in  life  for  himself. 

In  February,  1845,  Mr.  Dale  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  N.  Davis,  and  by  that 
union  were  born  eight  children,  namely :  Sylvester, 
Wesley  and  Thomas,  all  of  whom  are  now  de- 
ceased; William,  who  is  living  in  Kansas  City, 
where  he  is  serving  on  the  police  force;  Mar}', 
wife  of  Reuben  Jacoby,  a  resident  of  Carthage; 
Lillie,  wife  of  J.  C.  Jacoby,  who  is  also  living  in 
Carthage;  Squire;  and  Maretta,  who  completes 
the  family.  The  mother  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  November  17,  1871,  and  her  remains  were 
interred  in  Webster  Cemetery.  Her  loss  was 
deeply  mourned,  for  she  was  a  most  estimable  lady, 
and  had  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  her. 
The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  commu- 
nity, and  its  members  have  many  friends  through- 
out the  county. 

Mr.  Dale  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life,  devot- 
ing the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  also  aided  in 
the  development  of  this  community,  and  is  num- 
bered among  the  honored  pioneers  who  laid  the 
foundation  for  the  present  prosperity  and  advanced 
condition  of  the  county.  The  best  interests  of 
the  community  have  ever  found  in  him  a  friend, 
and  he  is  always  ready  to  aid  in  the  promotion  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


343 


those  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  William  Henry  Harrison,  and  supported  the 
>  Whig  candidates  until  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  when  he  joined  its  ranks. 


l<"f>G 


0AMUEL  P.  McGAW,  who  is  successfully 
/\  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Elvaston,  was 
\~J  born  on  the  5th  of  October,  1827,  in  Abbey - 
ville,  S.  C  His  parents  were  John  and  Agnes 
McGaw.  They  too  were  natives  of  South  Caro- 
lina, and  Mr.  McGaw  was  of  Irish  descent. 
Their  family  numbered  six  children.  Sarah,  who 
is  now  deceased;  Samuel  P.,  our  subject;  John 
B.,  a  farmer  who  resided  in  Wilsouville,  Neb., 
where  he  died  in  February,  1894;  Louisa,  widow 
of  Wilson  Hopkins,  and  the  Matron  of  the  Buf- 
falo Orphan  Asylum,  of  Buffalo,  X.  V.;  Rev. 
James  A.  P.,  who  is  pastor  of  a  Presbyterian 
Churchiu  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  and  Agnes,  who 
died  in  1838. 

In  taking  up  the  history  of  Samuel  P.  McGaw 
we  present  to  our  readers  a  sketch  of  one  of  the 
best-known  citizens  of  Hancock  Count}-.  He 
was  reared  upon  a  farm,  and  received  only  such 
educational  advantages  as  were  afforded  by  the 
district  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  In  1835, 
his  parents  emigrated  westward  with  their  family 
and  took  up  their  residence  in  Ocpiawka,  Hender- 
son County,  111.  The  father  and  mother  both 
died  when  our  subject  was  only  eleven  years  of 
age.  He  then  went  to  live  with  his  grandfather 
in  Warren  Count},',  111.,  and  there  continued  to 
make  his  home  until  the  fall  of  1S42,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Henderson  County,  and  for  three  years 
lived  with  an  uncle.  During  this  period  he  en- 
gaged in  farm  work  through  the  summer  months, 
while  in  the  winter  season  he  worked  at  the  tailor's 
trade. 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period,  Mr.  McGaw 
returned  to  Oquawka,  and  was  employed  in  a 
tailoring  establishment  for  a  year.  He  then 
bought  out  his  employer  and  engaged  in  business 
along  that  line  in   his  own  interest   until    1852, 


when  he  disposed  of  his  store,  for  in  the  autumn 
of  that  year  he  had  been  elected  Sheriff  of  Hen- 
derson County  for  a  term  of  two  years.  On  his 
retirement  from  office  he  purchased  land  and 
embarked  in  fanning,  which  he  followed  until 
1862,  when  his  farm  labor  was  interrupted  by  his 
service  in  the  Union  army. 

In  that  year,  in  connection  with  his  brother 
John,  Mr.  McGaw  raised  and  organized  what  be- 
came Company  K  of  the  Eighty-fourth  Regiment 
of  Illinois  Volunteers.  His  brother  was  chosen 
Captain  of  the  company,  but  our  subject  went  to 
the  front  as  a  private.  The  first  engagement  of 
importance  in  which  he  participated  was  at 
Prairieville,  Ky.  This  was  followed  by  the  bat- 
tles of  Stone  River  and  Chickamauga.  At  the 
latter,  which  occurred  September  20,  1863,  he  was 
wounded  by  a  minie-ball  in  the  left  arm,  and  was 
taken  to  the  field  hospital,  but  for  five  days  after 
receiving  the  injury  no  medical  aid  was  given 
him.  In  the  following  November  he  was  re- 
moved to  Nashville,  and  on  the  1st  of  January, 
1864,  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Henderson 
County,  having  been  granted  a  thirty-days  fur- 
lough. On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  was 
discharged,  being  mustered  out  with  the  rank  of 
Sergeant,  February  25,  1864. 

While  residing  in  Oquawka,  Mr.  McGaw 
served  as  clerk  in  the  post-office  for  a  year,  and 
he  also  had  charge  of  the  Poor  Farm  of  Hender- 
son County  for  a  year.  In  the  spring  of  1S66  he 
came  to  Hancock  County,  and  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Montebello 
Township;  but  the  following  year  he  purchased  a 
quarter-section  in  Prairie  Township,  and  upon 
that  tract  made  his  home  for  twenty  years.  He 
was  a  successful  agriculturist,  and  his  well-kept 
farm  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  neighborhood. 
In  1887,  he  purchased  a  store  in  Elvaston,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  general  merchandising. 
He  carries  a  good  stock,  and  by  his  fair  and  hon- 
est dealings,  his  courteous  treatment,  and  his 
earnest  desire  to  please  his  customers,  he  has 
built  up  an  excellent  trade. 

In  1851,  Mr.  McGaw  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elvira  J.  Hopkins,  who  died  April  15, 
1855.     They  were  the    parents  of  two   children; 


344 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Sarah  L-,  wife  of  Thomas  J.  Rudell,  the  present 
Postmaster  of  Elvaston ;  and  John,  who  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  McGaw  was  again  married,  in  No- 
vember, 1856,  his  second  union  being  with  Eliza- 
beth P.  Leslie.  They  have  had  a  family  of  eight 
children:  Francis,  who  is  now  pastor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  Augusta,  111. ;  James  W. ,  a 
resident  farmer  of  Prairie  Township,  Hancock 
County;  Alice  A.,  wife  of  George  Hersman,  a 
farmer  of  Brown  County,  111.;  Albert  G.,  who  is 
now  attending  college;  Mary  A.,  at  home;  Clar- 
ence and  Clara,  twins,  who  died  in  infancy;  and 
Grace  E.,  who  is  a  student  in  a  college  in  Rock- 
ford,  111. 

Mr.  McGaw  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party,  and  has  been 
honored  with  a  number  of  local  offices.  He  has 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Supervisor,  was 
Collector  and  School  Trustee,  and  in  April,  1889, 
was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Elvaston,  which  po- 
sition he  held  through  the  Republican  adminis- 
tration. He  holds  membership  with  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  is  an  Elder  and  lead- 
ing member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Elvas- 
ton. Mr.  McGaw  well  deserves  the  high  regard 
in  which  he  is  held,  for  his  career  has  been  a 
straightforward  and  honorable  one,  well  worthy 
of  emulation.  He  is  true  to  every  public  and 
private  trust,  has  always  been  faithful  to  his 
official  duties,  and  is  a  man  of  firm  convictions. 


REV.  JACOB  SHULL,  a  local  minister  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church,  and  one  of  the 
substantial  farmers  of  Hancock  County,  now 
living  on  section  19,  Prairie  Township,  claims 
Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  nativity-.  He  was  born 
on  a  farm  in  Hamilton  County,  near  Cincinnati, 
on  the  2 1  st  of  December,  1 8 1 5 ,  being  a  son  of  Sam- 
uel P.  and  Catherine  (Shupe )  Shull.  The  family 
is  of  German  origin,  and  was  probably  founded  in 
America  during  early  Colonial  days.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
Shull  family  numbered  eight  children,  six  of 
whom,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  grew  to 


mature  years.  They  were  Elizabeth,  John  M., 
David,  Rebecca,  Jacob  and  Mary  A. 

Our  subject  is  now  the  only  surviving  member 
of  the  family.  He  was  born  and  reared  on  the 
old  home  farm  in  the  Buckeye  State,  and  the  ed- 
ucational privileges  he  received  were  those  af- 
forded by  the  subscription  schools.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  and  by  the 
death  of  his  mother  he  was  left  an  orphan  at  the 
age  of  sixteen.  Thus  thrown  upon  his  own  re- 
sources to  make  his  way  in  the  world  unaided,  he 
started  out  as  a  farm  hand,  and  during  the  first 
nine  months  of  his  service  received  only  $50.  He 
continued  working  by  the  month  for  four  years, 
and  then  rented  land,  which  he  operated  until 
the  spring  of  1841.  That  year  witnessed  his  re- 
moval to  Switzerland,  Ind.  He  there  purchased 
a  tract  of  partially  improved  land,  and  continued 
its  further  development  and  cultivation  until  1862, 
when  he  removed  to  Decatur  County,  Ind.,  where 
he  remained  for  a  few  years.  His  next  place  of 
residence  was  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  and  he 
there  continued  until  his  removal  to  Illinois. 

Mr.  Shull  has  been  three  times  married.  On 
the  5th  of  March,  1835,  he  wedded  Miss  Lucinda 
Cale,  and  to  them  were  born  twelve  children, 
namely:  Rebecca,  George  \V.,  Ilinda,  Fabius, 
Alonzo,  William  J.,  Mary  K.,  Lucinda,  Azia  (de- 
ceased), Azia  (the  second  of  that  name),  Ulysses 
P.  and  Erasmus.  The  mother  of  this  family  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  in  1858,  and  the  following 
year  Rev.  Mr.  Schull  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Elizabeth  Kile.  They  became  the  parents 
of  two  children:  Emily  E.,  and  Lavina  A.,  who 
is  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Shull  passed  away  in 
1863,  and  in  1867  Mr.  Shull  led  to  the  marriage 
altar  Mrs.  Nancy  E.  (Smith)  Ludwig.  Their 
family  numbered  six  children:  Eveline,  Simon  P., 
Albert  E.,  Isalene,  William  J.  and  Isadore. 

Rev.  Mr.  Shull  continued  to  reside  in  Indiana 
until  1S67,  when  he  came  to  Hancock  County,  111. , 
and  located  in  Prairie  Township  upon  the  farm 
which  has  since  been  his  home.  He  purchased 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  arable  laud  on 
section  19,  and  now  has  his  place  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  This  is  one  of  the  valuable 
farms  of  the  neighborhood,  for  the  fields  are  well 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


345 


tilled,  and  it  is  improved  with  all  modern  acces- 
sories and  conveniences.  Mr.  Shull  carries  on 
general  fanning,  and  has  been  very  successful  in 
his  undertakings.  He  may  truly  be  called  a  self- 
made  man,  for  he  started  out  in  life  empty-handed, 
with  nothing  to  depend  upon  save  a  determina- 
tion to  succeed.  He  has  steadily  worked  his  way 
upward,  overcoming  the  difficulties  and  obstacles 
in  his  path  by  enterprise  and  industry,  and  now 
occupies  a  place  among  the  substantial  citizens  of 
his  adopted  county.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Prohibi- 
tionist, and  while  living  in  Indiana  held  the  office 
of  County  Commissioner.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church, 
and  is  now  serving  as  one  of  its  local  ministers. 
He  has  long  taken  a  prominent  part  in  church 
and  temperance  work,  and  his  influence  is  ever 
exerted  in  behalf  of  the  right.  His  life  has  indeed 
been  an  honorable  and  upright  one  and  worthy 
the  emulation  of  all. 


!""<*■  ¥  ">  &" 


GEORGE  M.  BROWNING,  deceased,  was 
I—  born  in  Davidson  Count}-,  Tenn.,  on  the 
\j[  25th  of  March,  1820,  and  was  a  son  of  David 
and  Vashti  Browning.  He  was  born  and  reared 
upon  his  father's  farm,  and  the  first  fifteen  years 
of  his  life  were  spent  in  the  State  of  his  nativity. 
He  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Illinois.  They  made  the  journey  west- 
ward with  ox-teams,  and  after  many  long  days 
upon  the  road  they  reached  Hancock  County, 
locating  in  Augusta  Township.  This  was  in 
1835.  The  county  was  then  new  and  unimproved, 
and  it  seemed  that  the  work  of  civilization  and 
progress  had  hardly  been  begun.  Much  of  the 
land  was  still  in  the  possession  of  the  Govern- 
ment, and  the  settlements  were  widely  scattered. 

Mr.  Browning  acquired  a  very  limited  educa- 
tion. He  conned  his  lessons  in  a  log  schoolhouse, 
the  school  being  conducted  on  the  subscription 
plan,  but  this  he  attended  only  through  the  winter 
season,  for  his  labors  were  needed  upon  the  farm 
during  the  summer  months.  His  father  died  soon 
after  coming  to  this  county,  and  he  operated  the 


homestead  for  his  mother  until  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  He  then  removed  to  the  farm  which  con- 
tinued to  be  his  home  throughout  his  remaining 
days.  He  located  on  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  35,  Harmony  Township,  of  which 
only  twenty  acres  had  been  broken,  while  a  small 
house  constituted  the  only  improvement  thereon. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  Browning  chose  Miss  Hannah  Ramsey. 
Their  marriage  was  celebrated  on  the  25th  of  No- 
vember, 1841,  and  was  blessed  with  a  family  of 
eleven  children.  Four  of  the  number,  however, 
died  in  infancy.  Adeline  became  the  wife  of 
Benjamin  F.  Spicer,  and  died  August  15,  1865, 
leaving  a  daughter,  Rose  Browning.  The  mother 
was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Browning  Cemetery. 
George  M.  is  a  farmer  of  Harmony  Township. 
Hannah  J.  is  the  wife  of  James  A.  Thompson, 
also  an  agriculturist  of  Harmony  Township.  Me- 
linda  A.  is  the  wife  of  Eldridge  Mayberry,  a  resi- 
dent of  Kansas.  Eleanora  Y.  is  the  wife  of 
Thomas  M.  Orton,  and  they  make  their  home  in 
Denver,  111.  Sarah  is  the  widow  of  John  J.  Black. 
John  J.  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Shelby 
County,  Mo. 

In  the  year  following  their  marriage,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Browning  removed  to  the  farm  upon  which 
the  lad}-  now  resides.  He  at  once  began  its  fur- 
ther development,  and  soon  the  greater  part  of  the 
land  was  placed  under  the  plow.  He  made  it  a 
highly  cultivated  tract,  and  placed  thereon  many 
excellent  improvements,  which  stand  as  monu- 
ments to  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner. 
He  carried  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising, 
and  both  branches  of  his  business  proved  to  him 
a  profitable  source  of  income.  Thus  he  acquired 
a  comfortable  competence  and  left  to  his  family  a 
pleasant  home. 

Socially,  Mr.  Browning  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church.  In  politics,  he  was  a  suppor- 
ter of  Democratic  principles,  and  served  as  Town 
ship  Supervisor,  Road  Commissioner,  Assessor 
and  School  Director.  Always  faithful  to  the  trust 
reposed  in  him,  he  proved  a  capable  and  efficient 
officer,  and  was  a  public-spirited  and  valued  citi- 
zen.    The  cause  of  education  found  in  him  a  warm 


346 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


friend,  and  other  enterprises  and  interests  of  merit 
received  his  hearty  support  and  co-operation.  All 
who  knew  him  respected  him  for  his  sterling 
worth  and  strict  integrity,  and  his  loss  was  deeply- 
mourned  throughout  the  community.  He  passed 
away  November  22,  1893,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in 
the  home  cemetery. 


i  /I  OSES  SCOTT,  a  retired  farmer,  now  resid- 
V  ing  on  section  25,  Harmony  Township, 
(fj  Hancock  County,  claims  Ken  tuck}'  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Boone 
County,  near  Burlington,  on  the  2d  of  February, 
18 16,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Kyle) 
Scott.  He  was  the  eldest,  and  is  the  only  sur- 
viving member  of  their  family ,  which  numbered 
three  children,  the  others  being  William  and  Lu- 
cinda. 

Our  subject  was  born  and  reared  on  the  old 
homestead  farm,  and  acquired  his  education  in 
the  subscription  schools  of  the  neighborhood. 
Although  his  privileges  in  that  direction  were 
limited,  his  training  at  farm  labor  was  not  meagre, 
for  in  early  life  he  began  work  in  the  fields  and 
soon  became  familiar  with  everything  connected 
with  agricultural  pursuits.  He  continued  under 
the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority, and  then  began  farming  in  his  own  inter- 
ests. He  lived  in  Kentucky  until  1850,  when  he 
determined  to  seek  a  home  elsewhere,  believing 
that  he  might  thereby  better  his  financial  condi- 
tion. Bidding  adieu  to  his  native  State  he  started 
for  Illinois,  making  the  journey  by  water. 

At  length,  Mr.  Scott  arrived  in  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  lo- 
cated on  section  25,  Harmony  Township,  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives,  and  purchased  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  prairie  land,  then 
but  partially  improved.  The  only  building  then 
upon  the  place  was  a  small  log  cabin,  which 
furnished  him  shelter  for  several  years  until  he 
could  replace  it  by  a  more  modern  residence. 
The  land  he  placed  under  the  plow,  and  in  course 
of  time    slathered    abundant   harvests  in  return. 


As  the  years  passed  the  once  wild  land  took  on 
the  appearance  of  a  highly  cultivated  tract,  and 
his  farm  became  one  of  the  best  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

On  the  20th  of  October,  1836,  Mr.  Scott  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Harriet  Rice.  Unto 
them  have  been  born  a  family  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, seven  of  whom  are  yet  living,  while  six 
have  passed  away.  They  are:  William,  who  is 
now  deceased;  Mary,  wife  of  Morrison  B.  Baker; 
Matilda,  wife  of  Joseph  Black,  a  resident  of  Brown 
County,  111.;  Perry  A.,  who  resides  in  Harmony 
Township;  Taylor,  who  makes  his  home  in  St. 
Mary's  Township,  Hancock  County;  Lucy,  wife 
of  David  Walton;  Elijah,  who  carries  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  this  locality;  David,  who  is 
living  in  Chili  Township;  Calvin,  Bird  and  Martha 
H.,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased;  and  one  child 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  mother  of  this  family 
passed  away  February  2,  1886,  and  was  laid  to 
rest  in  Scott  Cemetery. 

.Since  the  organization  of  the  party,  Mr.  Scott 
has  been  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  does  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  growth  and  insure  the  suc- 
cess of  his  party.  He  has  served  both  as  School 
Director  and  Supervisor.  He  is  a  public-spirited 
and  progressive  citizen  and  manifests  a  com- 
mendable interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community.  His  life  vocation  has 
been  that  of  farming,  but  he  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life,  spending  his  declining  days  in  the  en- 
joyment of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He  pos- 
sesses a  comfortable  competence,  which  has  been 
acquired  through  his  own  industry  and  enter- 
prise. 

s — - — ■£~-sr?Hr^r[ 


Sr"HOMAS  NEWTON  GILUS,  who  is  en- 
f  C  gaged  in  grain-dealing  in  Bowen,  is  num- 
Vy  bered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Hancock 
County,  having  for  many  years  made  his  home 
within  its  borders.  He  was  born  December  9, 
1835,  in  East  Tennessee,  near  Greenville,  and 
was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  six  children, 
whose   parents  were  John   and   Mary  (Register) 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


347 


Gillis.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Delaware,  and 
in  that  State  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  When  a  young  man  he  removed  to  Ten- 
nessee, and  in  1844  removed  to  Keokuk  County, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  August,  1845.  He 
had  taken  a  claim  and  partially  improved  it. 
His  wife  survived  him  only  about  six  weeks,  and 
thus  the  five  orphan  children  were  left  largely  de- 
pendent upon  their  own  resources.  One  of  the 
sons,  however,  was  at  that  time  a  young  man,  and 
he  kept  the  family  together  for  several  years. 
Only  two  of  the  children  are  now  living,  a  brother 
of  our  subject  being  a  resident  of  California. 

Thomas  N.  Gillis  was  a  boy  of  only  ten  years 
at  the  time  of  his  parents'  deaths.  He  made  his 
home  with  his  brother  in  Iowa  until  1852,  when 
they  went  to  Adams  County,  111.,  locating  upon 
a  farm,  to  the  cultivation  and  development  of 
which  they  devoted  their  time  and  attention  for 
two  years.  During  the  two  succeeding  years 
they  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Coatsburg,  111., 
after  which  the)-  again  resumed  farming,  follow- 
ing that  pursuit  until  the  spring  of  1865.  In 
that  year,  our  subject  opened  a  general  mercan- 
tile  store  in  Denver,  but  after  four  years  he  sold 
out  on  account  of  failing  health.  Coming  to 
Bowen,  in  connection  with  his  brother  he  pur- 
chased a  flouring-mill  here,  which  he  operated  for 
two  years,  when  he  also  disposed  of  that.  He 
then  again  resumed  farming,  which  he  carried  on 
until  1877,  since  which  time  he  has  been  engaged 
in  grain-dealing  in  Bowen.  He  built  a  good  el- 
evator and  is  now  doing  a  most  successful  busi- 
ness. 

In  August,  1859,  Mr.  Gillis  was  joined  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Rebecca  E.  Hayworth,  who 
resided  in  Adams  County,  just  across  the  line 
from  Hancock  County.  Two  children  have  been 
born  unto  them,  a  son  and  daughter.  William 
T. ,  the  elder,  has  for  twelve  years  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  in  Bowen,  and  is  recognized  as 
oue  of  the  leading  merchants  and  most  progress- 
ive citizens.  May  is  now  the  wife  of  Thomas  E. 
Morgan,  a  resident  of  Peoria,  111. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Gillis  was  formerly 
a  Republican,  but  is  now  a  supporter  of  the  Pro- 
hibition party.      He  has  served  as  Town   Clerk, 


but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to 
give  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business 
interests.  '  He  has  met  with  excellent  success  in 
his  undertakings,  his  industry  and  well-directed 
efforts  bringing  him  a  comfortable  competence. 
He  holds  membership  with  the  Methodist  Church, 
and  has  been  one  of  its  active  members  for  many 
years.  He  has  long  served  as  Superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school  Association  of  the  township, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  Church  Trustees.  His  hon- 
orable, upright  life  has  won  him  universal  confi- 
dence and  esteem,  and  his  friends  throughout  the 
community  are  many. 

GlUGUST  J.  BEGER,  one  of  the  representa- 
LA  tive  young  business  men  of  Nauvoo,  is  now 
/  I  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Atchinson  &  Beger, 
dealers  in  drugs,  books,  stationery,  wall  paper, 
paints  and  oils.  This  firm  now  has  a  good  trade, 
which  has  constantly  increased  from  the  begin- 
ning. They  carry  a  full  and  complete  stock  of 
everything  found  in  their  line,  and  by  straight- 
forward dealings  and  courteous  treatment  of  their 
customers  they  have  secured  a  liberal  patronage. 
Our  subject  was  born  on  the  17th  of  April, 
1862,  in  this  city,  and  is  the  seventh  in  a  family 
of  nine  children  whose  parents  were  August  C. 
and  Wilhelmina  (Mester)  Beger.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  and  remained  in 
that  country  with  his  parents  until  twenty  years 
of  age.  In  his  youth  he  learned  the  barber's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  some  years.  He 
left  his  native  land  in  1846,  and  crossing  the  briny 
deep  landed  at  New  Orleans,  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade  for  about  two  years.  Leaving  the 
Crescent  City  on  the  expiration  of  that  period,  he 
then  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  business  as  a  barber  until  1850.  That 
year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Nauvoo,  where  he 
opened  a  shop,  but  conducted  the  same  only  for  a 
short  time.  Removing  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  he 
there  engaged  in  business,  and  also  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.  In  1855,  however,  he  returned  to 
this  city  and,  planting  a  large  vineyard,  has  since 


348 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


devoted  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  its  cul- 
tivation. He  now  makes  about  ten  thousand 
gallons  of  wine  annually.  He  is  a  well-read  and 
intelligent  man,  and  has  a  large  circle  of  friends 
in  this  community.  His  wife  is  also  a  native  of 
Hanover. 

The  childhood  and  youth  of  our  subject  were 
spent  in  his  parents'  home,  and  in  the  common 
schools  he  acquired  an  education.  Wishing  to 
become  a  druggist,  he  began  learning  the  busi- 
ness in  a  store  in  Nauvoo,  and  later  attended  the 
School  of  Pharmacy  of  Chicago.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  began  clerking  in  a  drug  store,  and 
was  thus  employed  until  1885,  when  he  purchased 
a  half-interest  with  Robert  Atchinson  in  his  pres- 
ent store. 

On  the  16th  of  May,  18S6,  Mr.  Beger  was  uni- 
ted in  marriage  with  Miss  Christina  Risse,  daugh- 
ter of  Hon.  John  B.  Risse,  of  Carthage,  whose 
sketch  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  them,  two  sous 
and  a  daughter,  Oscar!,.,  Frank  B.  and  Ursalina. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Beger  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  socially  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  now  serving  as 
Treasurer  of  the  Nauvoo  Fruit  Company,  which 
was  established  in  1893,  and  is  now  doing  a  good 
business.  He  is  still  a  young  man,  but  he  pos- 
sesses business  and  executive  ability  of  a  high  or- 
der, and  as  a  result  is  enjoying  a  lucrative  trade. 

NENRY  TUCK,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
on  section  32,  St.  Mary's  Township,  Han- 
cock County,  is  a  native  of  England.  He 
was  born  in  Bradford  January  23,  1821.  His  fa- 
ther, Solomon  Tuck,  was  born  in  the  same  coun- 
try, and  was  a  son  of  Solomon  Tuck,  Sr. ,  a  native 
of  England,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five 
years.  In  early  life  he  was  a  clothier,  but  after- ' 
wards  became  a  broker.  His  family  numbered 
eight  daughters  and  two  sons,  and  his  son  Solomon 
also  became  a  clothier.  The  latter  always  made 
England  his  home,  although  he  spent  one  year 
with  his  son  Henry  in  America.     He  was  joined 


in  wedlock  with  Anna  Henton,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, and  they  became  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years,  while 
three  are  now  living:  George,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Adelaide,  South  Australia;  Eliza,  of 
London;  and  Henry,  of  this  sketch.  The  father 
died  in  Bradford  at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  in  1825.  She  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  he  held  member- 
ship with  the  Congregational  Church.  Their  son 
John  served  for  about  fourteen  years  in  the  reg- 
ular army  of  England. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  one  of  the  highly-respected  fanners  of 
Hancock  County.  He  spent  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  his  native  land,  and  there  learned  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  1845,  he  bade  adieu  to  home  and 
friends  and  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  America, 
landing  in  New  York,  where  he  spent  a  few 
months.  He  then  removed  to  Boston,  and  in 
that  and  other  eastern  cities  made  his  home  until 
his  marriage. 

In  October,  1848,  Mr.  Tuck  wedded  Miss  Eu- 
nice Perry,  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Ursula 
(Wight  J  Perry,  who  were  natives  of  Norway  and 
Sweden,  Me.  Ten  children  have  been  born  of 
this  union:  George  Henry,  of  Plymouth,  who 
married  Anna  Bell;  Alice  Jane;  Nathan  Hazen, 
who  married  Alice  Moore,  and  resides  on  section 
28,  St.  Mary's  Township,  with  their  four  children: 
Edness  Fern,  Lawrence  Herbert,  Horace  and 
Mary  L. ;  Charles  Sumner,  deceased;  Angela 
Maria;  Ida,  deceased;  Charles  Sumner,  the  sec- 
ond of  the  name;  Edward  Payson,  who  married 
Anna  Mara  Newman,  and  is  living  in  Redland, 
Cal. ;  William  Osgood,  a  practicing  physician  of 
Plymouth,  who  married  Cora  A.  Sapp,  by  whom 
he  has  one  child,  Newell  H.;  and  Benjamin  F. 
Perry. 

Mr.  Tuck  has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois  since 
1855.  In  that  year  he  located  in  Jacksonville, 
but  in  1856  came  to  Plymouth,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade,  and  also  engaged  in  business  as  a 
shoe  dealer.  He  continued  operations  along  that 
line  until  1879,  when  he  sold  his  store  and  re- 
moved to  his  farm  three  miles  west  of  Plymouth, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


349 


where  he  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  He  owns 
three  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  good  land,  and  in 
connection  with  its  cultivation  is  engaged  in  cat- 
tle-raising. Starting  out  in  life  for  himself  empty- 
handed,  he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward, 
and  by  his  well-directed  efforts  has  acquired  a 
handsome  competence.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  his 
wife  holds  membership  with  the  Congregational 
Church.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never 
been  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to  give  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests.  Such 
is  the  record  of  one  of  Hancock  County's  leading 
fanners  and  representative  citizens. 

(JOSEPH  M.  DUNS  WORTH,  one  of  the  self- 
I  made  men  of  Hancock  Count)-,  who  now 
O  owns  and  operates  a  good  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  on  section  17,  Harmony 
Township,  was  born  near  Middletown,  McDou- 
ough  County,  111.,  September  4,  1833.  His  fa- 
ther, Thomas  Dunsworth,  was  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, and  was  of  Irish  descent.  After  arriving 
at  years  of  maturity,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Nancy  Hall.  He  continued  to  make 
his  home  in  his  native  State  until  1827,  when  he 
removed  to  Johnson  Count)-,  111.,  becoming  one 
of  its  pioneers.  The  year  1830  witnessed  his  ar- 
rival in  McDonough  County.  There  he  entered 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  from  the 
Government,  built  a  log  cabin,  and  began  life  in 
true  pioneer  style.  His  nearest  trading-posts 
were  at  Quincy  and  Keokuk.  It  was  long  dis- 
tances to  market  and  mill,  and  the  homes  of  the 
settlers  were  widely  scattered.  Mr.  Dunsworth 
at  once  began  to  cultivate  and  improve  his  laud, 
and  transformed  much  of  the  raw  prairie  into 
rich  and  fertile  fields.  His  death  occurred  quite 
early,  however,  he  passing  away  in  1843.  He  held 
membership  with  the  Masonic  fraternity.  His 
wife  survived  him  about  twenty  years,  and  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  in   1863. 

In   the    Dunsworth   family  were  thirteen  chil- 


dren, seven  sons  and  six  daughters:  James  (de- 
ceased), Soockey,  Wealthy,  Elizabeth,  Nathaniel, 
Abigail,  John,  Nancy,  Thomas,  Joseph,  Martha 
(widow  of  John  M.  Reans,  and  a  resident  of  Chris- 
tian County,  111.),  and  one  child  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Joseph  M.  Dunsworth  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
lads.  He  was  educated  in  a  log  schoolhouse, 
furnished  in  primitive  style,  to  which  he  had  to 
walk  a  distance  of  three  and  a-half  miles.  The 
school  was  conducted  on  the  old  subscription 
plan.  His  father  died  ere  he  was  ten  years  of 
age,  but  he  remained  at  home  with  his  mother 
until  the  age  of  twenty-six.  He  is  familiar  with 
the  history  of  pioneer  life  in  this  section  of  the 
State,  for  his  was  a  frontier  home,  and  with  his 
family  he  shared  in  all  the  hardships  and  difficul- 
ties of  such  a  life.  He  began  farming  for  himself 
in  McDonough  County,  and  there  remained  until 
1876,  which  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Han- 
cock County.  Here  he  purchased  a  tract  of 
eighty  acres  on  section  17,  Plarmony  Township. 
The  only  improvement  upon  the  place  was  a  small 
house.  The  boundaries  of  his  farm  he  has  since 
extended,  until  it  now  comprises  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  his  business  has  proven  a  prof- 
itable one. 

On  the  2 1st  of  June,  1861,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Dunsworth  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
Timberlake,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth 
(Russell)  Timberlake.  The  lady  was  born  in 
Dorr  County,  Ky.,  and  when  a  maiden  of  twelve 
summers  was  brought  by  her  parents  to  McDon- 
ough County.  Thirteen  children  were  born  of 
this  union,  but  six  of  the  number  died  in  infancy. 
Those  still  living  are,  William,  Daniel,  Walter, 
Maggie,  Clarence,  Arthur  and  Alletta. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunsworth  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  they  take 
an  active  interest  in  all  charitable  and  benevolent 
work.  The  poor  and  needy  find  in  them  friends, 
and  they  encourage  and  aid  all  worthy  enter- 
prises. Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  Franklin  Pierce,  Mr.  Dunsworth  has  been  a 
supporter  of  the  Democracy.     He  started  out  in 


35° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


life  for  himself  a  poor  boy,  but  has  overcome  the 
difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path,  and  his  ear- 
nest labors  and  well  directed  efforts  have  achieved 
for  him  a  success  of  which  he  is  well  deserving. 

m        ■      c,=s]  <"~T  ">  1=3  'B  » 

EONRAD  NAGEL,  deceased,  was  formerly  a 
resident  of  Warsaw.  Germany  gave  to  Han- 
cock County  many  of  her  best  citizens, 
among  whom  is  numbered  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  record.  He  was  born  in  Ober 
Bessengen,  September  13,  1837,  and  died  in  War- 
saw June  7,  1893.  He  was  a  lad  of  only  thirteen 
years  when  he  came  to  this  country  with  his  fa- 
ther, John  Nagel,  and  the  family.  The  father 
died  shortly  after  his  arrival  here,  leaving  the 
care  of  the  family  to  his  widow  and  older  children. 

In  his  youth  our  subject  learned  the  baker's 
trade.  During  the  war,  when  what  is  known  as 
the  Black  Hawk  Cavalry  was  stationed  near 
Warsaw,  it  fell  to  his  lot  to  bake  bread  for  the 
troops,  the  largest  contract  he  had  had  up  to  that 
time.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  war  he  was 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  and  in  1864  he 
located  in  the  premises  until  recently  occupied  by 
his  son.  He  ranked  among  the  most  successful 
business  men  of  Warsaw,  and  became  one  of  her 
wealthiest  citizens,  his  fortune  having  been 
amassed  by  his  own  endeavors.  In  any  enter- 
prise that  had  the  promise  of  reasonable  success, 
he  was  always  willing  to  venture  his  means,  and 
to  such  public  projects  he  was  willing  to  give  his 
hearty  support.  When  it  was  proposed  to  locate 
the  soldiers'  home  at  Warsaw,  the  project  found 
in  him  an  advocate;  when  it  was  proposed  to  se- 
cure any  manufacturing  plant,  he  was  ready  to 
aid.  His  good  will  was  always  manifest  toward 
such  undertakings,  and  none  regretted  more  sin- 
cerely than  he  that  Warsaw  was  not  chosen  as 
the  place  for  the  building  of  the  Soldiers'    Home. 

On  the  28th  of  July,  1858,  Mr.  Nagel  married 
Magdeleua  Brehm,  and  to  them  were  born  eight 
children,  but  only  one  is  now  living.  Five  of  the 
number  died  in  infancy,  and  Helen,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Henson  Simpson,  died  May  3,    1893. 


The  son,  Frank  L-,  who  was  born  November  29, 
1870,  graduated  from  the  Conservatory  of  Music 
in  Moberly,  Mo.,  and  then  engaged  in  teaching 
for  about  two  years  in  Pueblo,  Colo.  He  comple- 
ted his  studies  in  Dresden,  German}-,  in  1891, 
and  is  now  a  teacher  of  music  in  Ogden,  Utah. 
Helen,  before  mentioned,  was  born  June  13,  1874, 
and  after  attending  Rockford  Seminary,  she  also 
studied  music  in  Dresden,  Germany,  becoming 
very  proficient  both  in  instrumental  and  vocal 
music.  She  became  the  wife  of  Henson  Simpson, 
July  6,  1891,  and  died  in  1893,  in  York,  Neb., 
leaving  one  child,  who  is  now  cared  for  by  Mrs. 
Nagel.  Otto  E.,  who  was  born  November  17, 
1865,  and  was  educated  in  Elmhurst,  111.,  and 
Canton,  Mo.,  went  to  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  in 
1882,  spending  about  a  year  in  that  place.  The 
succeeding  year  was  passed  in  his  old  home  in 
Warsaw,  after  which  he  returned  to  Leavenworth, 
but  later  returned  to  this  place.  For  a  time  he 
engaged  in  the  milling  business,  but  afterwards 
opened  a  grocery,  which  he  conducted  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  at  Warsaw  March  19,  1894. 
In  1889,  he  was  elected  City  Marshal,  and  filled 
the  position  for  two  years.  In  politics,  he  was  a 
Republican.  On  the  21st  of  October,  1890,  he 
led  to  the  marriage  altar  Louisa  Berlin,  and  to 
them  were  born  two  children,  but  one  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  other  bears  the  name  of  Mabel.  Mrs. 
Nagel,  widow  of  the  subject  of  this  notice,  is  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  Brehm,  who  lived  and  died  in 
German}'.  After  his  death  his  widow  and  two  of 
her  children  sought  homes  in  America,  whither 
three  of  her  family  had  previously  emigrated. 
Mrs.  Nagel  here  grew  to  womanhood.  She  is  a 
most  estimable  lady,  and  her  many  excellencies  of 
character  have  brought  her  the  high  regard  of  all 
with  whom  she  has  come  in  contact. 

Mr.  Nagel  was  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Church,  and  was  most  zealous  in  church 
work.  He  contributed  most  liberally  to  its  sup- 
port, and  if  ever  there  was  not  enough  money 
raised  to  pay  the  pastor  he  made  up  the  deficit. 
It  seemed  that  he  could  not  do  too  much  for  the 
church,  and  charities  and  benevolences  found  him 
alike  generous.  In  politics,  he  was  a  stalwart 
Republican,  and  he  twice  served  as  a  member  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


35' 


the  City  Council.  In  1875,  he  served  as  Mayor 
of  the  city,  and  for  several  years  was  its  Treasurer. 
In  all  of  these  positions  he  discharged  his  duties 
with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  that  won  him 
high  commendation.  In  the  home  circle  he  was 
a  kind  and  indulgent  husband  and  father,  and  did 
everything  in  his  power  to  enhance  the  happi- 
ness and  promote  the  welfare  of  his  wife  and 
children.  His  loss  throughout  the  community 
was  deeply  mourned,  and  his  memory  will  ever  be 
a  hallowed  one  while  his  friends  and  family  live. 

D^^T^S — : 51 


30SEPH  F.  OCHSNER,  who  carries  on  mer- 
chandising in  Xauvoo,  is  a  wide-awake  and 
enterprising  business  man,  who  is  now  enjoy- 
ing a  good  trade  in  the  hardware  and  implement 
business.  He  has  one  of  the  largest  stores  in 
the  city,  well  stocked  with  a  full  line  of  general 
hardware,  and  by  his  fair  and  honest  dealing  and 
courteous  treatment  he  has  secured  a  liberal 
patronage. 

Mr.  Ochsner  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of 
Hancock  County.  He  was  born  in  Warsaw,  April 
27,  1865,  and  is  the  sixth  in  a  family  of  ninechil- 
dreu  whose  parents  were  Joseph  and  Helen 
(Schenk)  Ochsner.  His  father  was  born  and 
reared  in  Germany,  and  there  learned  the  black- 
smith's trade.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  bade 
adieu  to  friends  and  native  land,  and,  emigrat- 
ing to  America,  settled  in  Warsaw,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  1828.  The  year  of  his  ar- 
rival was  1822.  At  that  time  the  Indians  still 
lived  in  this  locality,  the  greater  part  of  the  land 
was  yet  in  possession  of  the  Government,  and  the 
work  of  progress  and  civilization  seemed  hardly 
begun.  In  1848,  Mr.  Ochsner  went  to  California, 
where  he  engaged  in  mining  for  a  time,  and  then 
carried  on  the  hotel  business.  He  left  his  family 
in  Warsaw,  and  made  five  trips  home,  four  of 
them  overland  ami  one  by  water.  His  business 
ventures  proved  very  successful  in  the  West. 
Later  he  engaged  in  blacksmithiug  in  Sacra- 
mento, and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  that  city. 
He  built  the  first  hotel  and  blacksmith-shop  there, 


and  was  also  the  builder  of  several  other  structures. 
He  was  well  acquainted  with  Capt.  Sutler,  who 
discovered  the  first  gold  in  the  State.  His  labors 
were  very  successful  and  at  one  time  he  was  worth 
a  million  dollars,  but  in  the  later  years  he  lost 
some  of  his  property.  He  continued  on  the  Pa- 
cific Slope  for  seven  years,  and  then  returned  to 
his  family  in  Warsaw,  where  his  death  occurred 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  He  took  an  active  part 
in  driving  out  the  Mormons  from  this  region,  for 
his  stock  had  been  stolen  by  that  people  and  other 
property  destroyed.  He  was  a  prominent  and 
influential  citizen,  and  all  who  knew  him  held  him 
in  high  regard. 

Joseph  Ochsner,  Sr. ,  was  twice  married,  the 
mother  of  our  subject  being  his  second  wife.  She 
was  born  in  Germany,  and  is  still  living  at  the  age 
of  sixty -three  years,  her  home  being  in  Nauvoo. 
Five  of  the  children  are  also  living:  Mary,  who  is 
in  a  large  establishment  in  Chicago;  Theodore, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Nauvoo; 
Ernestine;  Gertrude  and  Joseph  F. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
spent  his  early  boyhood  days  under  the  parental 
roof,  and  the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
afforded  him  his  educational  privileges.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  began  learning  the  cooper's 
trade,  and  afterward  engaged  in  the  bakery  and 
confectionery  business.  Coming  to  Nauvoo  about 
1881,  he  began  clerking  in  a  general  store,  and 
two  years  later  he  brought  his  mother  and  the 
family  to  Nauvoo.  He  not  only  supported  them , 
but  educated  his  younger  sisters,  who  were  thus 
well  fitted  for  the  practical  duties  of  life,  and  are 
now  holding  responsible  positions  in  Chicago. 
Our  subject  continued  to  act  as  salesman  in  a 
general  store  for  five  years,  and  then  opened  a 
hotel,  which  he  placed  in  the  care  of  his  brother, 
while  he  continued  to  act  as  clerk  for  a  year.  He 
then  devoted  his  time  to  the  hotel  business  for  a 
year,  after  which,  with  the  capital  he  had  acquired, 
he  opened  an  implement  store.  In  1892,  he  added 
a  stock  of  hardware,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in 
business  along  that  line. 

On  the  10th  of  January,  1889,  Mr.  Ochsner  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Julia  Moffitt,  daughter 
of  J.  J.  Moffitt,  who  was  the  first  white  child  born 


352 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  Hancock  County,  and  is  now  one  of  the  oldest 
settlers.  In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Ochsner  is  a 
Democrat,  and  in  religious  belief  is  a  Catholic. 
He  started  out  in  life  for  himself  at  an  early  age, 
empty-handed,  and  not  only  provided  for  his  own 
maintenance,  but  supported  the  family.  He  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  overcoming  the 
difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path,  and  his  pros- 
perity is  certainly  well  deserved. 

(JOHN  TANNER,  of  Nauvoo,  is  one  of  the 
I  honored  pioneers  of  Hancock  County,  whose 
(2/  residence  here,  dating  from  November,  1847, 
covers  a  period  of  forty-seven  years.  He  has, 
therefore,  witnessed  the  greater  part  of  the  growth 
and  development  of  the  county,  and  in  the  work 
of  public  advancement  he  has  ever  taken  an  act- 
ive interest.  He  is  a  friend  to  all  worthy  enter- 
prises, giving  his  support  to  whatever  he  believes 
will  prove  of  benefit  to  the  community. 

A  native  of  Switzerland,  Mr.  Tanner  was  born 
January  1,  1826,  unto  John  and  Ferrena  (Lew) 
Tanner,  both  natives  of  Switzerland.  In  that 
country  they  spent  their  entire  lives,  and  the  father 
followed  farming.  His  death  occurred  at  the  age 
of  seventy  years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  forty-eight.  Their  family  numbered  four 
children,  of  whom  John  is  the  youngest.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  and 
then  began  learning  the  turner's  and  wagon- 
maker's  trades,  which  he  followed  for  three  years 
in  his  native  land.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  he  de- 
termined to  seek  a  home  in  the  New  World, 
hoping  thereby  to  better  his  financial  condition, 
for  he  had  heard  much  of  the  privileges  and  op- 
portunities here  afforded  young  men.  Accord- 
ingly he  set  sail,  and  after  a  voyage  of  forty-three 
days  landed  at  New  Orleans. 

On  reaching  this  country,  Mr.  Tanner  came  at 
once  to  Illinois,  and  made  his  first  location  in 
Highland,  Madison  County,  where  he  worked  in 
a  wagon-shop  for  a  time.  As  before  stated,  he 
came  to  Nauvoo  in  November,  1847,  an^  during 
the  succeeding  five  years  of  his  life  he  worked  at 


his  trade  in  the  employ  of  others.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  built  a  shop  of  his  own,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
wagons  in  Nauvoo,  with  the  exception  of  the  time 
spent  in  the  late  war. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  1865,  he  enlisted  in  re- 
sponse to  the  call  for  troops,  and  was  assigned  to 
Company  G,  Fifty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  in 
which  he  served  one  year.  He  was  a  valiant  sol- 
dier, and  did  duty  with  his  command  until  after 
the  cessation  of  hostilities,  when  he  was  honorably 
discharged  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Nauvoo. 
He  is  now  a  member  of  Nauvoo  Post  No.  207, 
G.  A.  R.,  and  thus  keeps  up  his  friendship  with 
many  of  his  comrades  of  the  days  gone  by. 

On  the  17th  of  August,  1852,  Mr.  Tanner  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Stauder, 
of  this  city,  and  to  them  have  been  born  six  chil- 
dren, but  three  died  in  infancy.  Those  living 
are  John  F. ,  a  business  man  of  Ferris,  111. ;  George, 
who  resides  in  Nauvoo;  and  Sophia,  at  home. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Tanner  is  a  stalwart 
Democrat,  and  has  been  honored  with  a  number 
of  local  offices.  He  was  Alderman  of  the  city  for 
several  years,  served  as  Mayor  for  three  years, 
and  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  for 
nine  years.  He  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life, 
and  in  the  community  where  he  has  so  long  re- 
sided has  made  many  warm  friends. 

[~\HINEAS  KIMBALE,  one  of  the  honored 
L'  pioneers  of  Hancock  County,  and  a  repre- 
f&  sentative  citizen  of  Nauvoo,  claims  Vermont 
as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  May 
1,  1822,  and  is  of  Scotch  and  Irish  lineage.  The 
family  was  founded  in  America  during  Colonial 
days,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  crossing 
the  Atlantic  in  1747.  The  father,  Capt.  Phineas 
Kimball,  was  a  native  of  the  Green  Mountain 
State  and  there  spent  his  entire  life.  By  trade, 
he  was  a  tanner,  and  in  connection  with  that  pur- 
suit he  also  followed  farming.  He  served  as 
Captain  of  a  militia  company,  and  started  with 
his  troops  for  Plattsburg  during  the  War  of  1812, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


353 


but  ere  reaching  the  field  was  ordered  to  return. 
A  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  he  was  hon- 
ored with  several  offices,  and  was  sent  as  a  Repre- 
sentative to  the  State  Legislature.  A  devout 
Christian,  his  upright  life  was  one  well  worthy  of 
emulation.  He  married  Abigail  Coulton,  who 
was  born  in  Vermont  in  1788,  and  came  of  a  New 
England  family  of  English  extraction,  which  for 
several  generations  had  resided  in  this  country. 
Her  death  occurred  in  1858,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  and  Captain  Kimball  passed  away  when 
about  eighty-seven  years  of  age. 

Our  subject  was  the  eighth  in  order  of  birth  in 
their  family  of  ten  children.  He  remained  at 
home  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  with  his 
father  learned  the  tanner's  trade.  The  year  1842 
witnessed  his  emigration  westward.  Leaving 
Vermont,  he  traveled  toward  the  setting  sun  un- 
til he  had  reached  Hancock  County,  111.,  which 
he  chose  as  the  stage  for  future  action,  locating 
here  in  the  month  of  September.  His  brother 
Hiram  had  come  to  the  West  in  1857,  ar>d  was  a 
merchant  at  this  place.  Phineas  began  clerking 
for  his  brother,  and  was  thus  employed  until  1849, 
when,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia, he  crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox-team  and 
engaged  in  mining  and  trading  on  the  Pacific 
Slope.  He  also  kept  a  hotel  in  Sonora,  and  in 
his  different  ventures  met  with  good  success.  He 
returned  from  the  West  in  185 1,  and,  going  to  his 
old  home  in  Vermont,  bought  the  homestead  which 
had  formerly  belonged  to  his  father,  and  built  a 
flouring  and  saw  mill.  That  enterprise  proved 
a  profitable  one,  but  later  he  lost  heavily  through 
the  Mormons,  who,  when  forced  to  leave  here, 
were  unable  to  pay  him.  He  had  sold  to  them 
about  $20,000  worth  of  goods  on  credit,  and  the 
bill  was  never  paid.  A  portion  of  his  time  he 
spent  here,  and  the  remainder  in  looking  after  his 
business  interests  in  Vermont,  until  his  marriage, 
when  he  located  permanently  in  Nauvoo. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  1855,  Mr.  Kimball  wed- 
ded Miss  Louisa  Bartholomew,  daughter  of  Eras- 
tus  Bartholomew,  of  Vermont.  She  died  April 
13,  1865,  leaving  one  child,  May  Louisa,  now 
the  wife  of  J.  B.  Swartz,  of  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa. 
Mr.    Kimball  was  again   married,  July  25,  1867, 


his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Bemardine  Ick- 
ing,  daughter  of  Bernard  and  Antoinette  (Spiek- 
erman)  Icking,  who  were  natives  of  Germany, 
but  are  now  deceased.  Seven  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union:  Augusta  B.;  Phineas;  Ethan; 
Ida;  Annie  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven; 
William  B.  and  Eva,  who  is  known  as  Latta. 

On  questions  of  national  importance,  Mr.  Kim- 
ball supports  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  at  local 
elections  votes  for  the  man  whom  he  thinks  best 
qualified  for  the  office,  regardless  of  party  affilia- 
tions. He  has  never  sought,  nor  will  he  accept, 
political  preferment.  He  is  a  member  of  no 
church,  but  his  family  are  members  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church.  In  his  business  career,  Mr.  Kimball 
has  met  with  reverses,  but  he  has  overcome  these 
by  enterprise  and  determination,  and,  making  the 
most  of  his  opportunities,  he  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward  to  a  position  of  wealth  and  afflu- 
ence. He  now  owns  about  seven  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  valuable  land,  a  part  of  which  lies 
within  the  corporation  limits  of  Nauvoo,  while 
the  remainder  is  adjacent  to  the  town.  He  deals 
quite  extensively  in  horses  and  cattle,  and  this 
branch  of  the  business  also  yields  to  him  a  good 
income.  He  owns  a  large  estate  at  the  old  home 
in  Vermont,  and  his  home  in  Nauvoo  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  residences  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi.  He  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made 
man,  for  his  success  in  life  is  due  to  his  own 
efforts. 


b~$H?~>Ti 


REV.  ALBERT  BLASBERG,  the  pastor  of 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  Nauvoo, 
is  a  western  man,  claiming  Iowa  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Maxfield, 
Bremer  County,  February  24,  1859,  and  is  a 
son  of  William  and  Caroline  Blasberg.  His  fa- 
ther was  a  native  of  Prussia,  and  on  emigrating 
to  this  country,  about  1857,  located  in  Bremer 
County,  Iowa,  upon  a  farm.  He  has  since  been 
a  resident  of  that  locality,  and  has  now  reached 
the  age  of  seventy-three   years.     His  wife   was 


354 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


also  born  in  Prussia,  and  is  still  living  in  Iowa. 
This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  our  subject  is  the  sixth  in  order 
of  birth. 

Earl}-  in  life  Albert  Blasberg  became  familiar 
with  all  the  duties  and  labors  of  the  farm.  He 
remained  at  home  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
then  entered  the  college  of  the  German  Iowa 
Synod,  at  Galena,  111.,  where  he  pursued  his 
studies  for  two  years.  The  college  was  then  re- 
moved to  Mendota,  111.,  where  he  remained  as  a 
student  for  a  similar  length  of  time,  and  was  then 
graduated.  Later  he  was  for  four  years  a  stu- 
dent in  Wartburg  Seminary,  in  Mendota,  and  was 
then  graduated  from  that  institution.  It  was  his 
desire  to  enter  the  work  of  the  ministry  and  de- 
vote his  life  to  the  cause  of  Christianity,  so  when 
his  educational  preparations  were  completed  he 
accepted  a  call  and  became  assistant  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Mitchell,  Iowa.  A  year  later  he  went 
to  Shell  Rock,  Iowa,  where  he  had  charge  of  a 
church,  and  also  taught  school  for  one  year. 
During  the  five  succeeding  years  of  his  life,  he 
was  stationed  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  having 
charge  of  three  congregations,  and  then  went  to 
Brazilton,  Crawford  County  Kan.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  three  years.  At  that  place  there  were 
two  congregations  under  his  care,  and  he  was 
also  instrumental  in  establishing  a  church  in 
Lehigh,  Kan.  In  December,  1891,  he  came  to 
Nauvoo  as  pastor  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church,  and  also  took  charge  of  the  parochial 
school  at  this  place.  The  church  was  organized 
about  1 860,  and  the  present  house  of  worship  was 
erected  in  1875.  The  church  now  numbers  about 
thirty  members.  There  is  an  average  of  about 
fifteen  pupils  in  the  school  and  thirty  in  the  Sun- 
day-school. 

On  the  2d  of  August,  1883,  Mr.  Blasberg  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Rosie  Schuetz,  a  na- 
tive of  Mendota,  and  to  them  have  been  born  five 
children,  but  Paul,  the  eldest,  died  at  the  age  of 
six  years.  Those  still  living  are  Aurelia  W.  B., 
Emanuel  W.  E.,  Esther  J.  M.  and  Ruth  E.  G. 
Mrs.  Blasberg  is  a  daughter  of  Simon  and  Mar- 
garet (Kessel)  Schuetz.  Her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  in    that  country 


their  marriage  was  celebrated.  In  1854,  they 
emigrated  to  the  New  World,  and  after  living  for 
a  year  in  New  York,  removed  to  Mendota,  111., 
where  they  still  reside.  The  father  has  now 
reached  the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  and  the 
mother  is  seventy-three  years  of  age.  He  was  a 
stone-mason  by  trade. 

On  subjects  of  national  importance,  Rev.  A. 
Blasberg  votes  the  Democratic  ticket.  His  entire 
time  and  attention  are  given  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  and  his  influence  for  good  is  widely  felt 
in  this  locality.  He  has  not  only  the  love  of  his 
congregation,  but  has  also  gained  the  respect  of 
those  of  other  denominations. 

g_  ti    ■=]<.  J,   ^r=>    1  ■» 

(JUSTUS  RAHN  (deceased),  was  one  of  the 
I  worthy  citizens  that  Germany  furnished  to 
K~)  Hancock  County.  He  was  born  on  the  6th 
of  October,  1810,  in  Hessen,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Rhine,  and  was  the  second  in  a  family  of  four 
children,  whose  parents  were  John  and  Madeline 
(Stump)  Rahu.  They  too  wrere  natives  of  Ger- 
many, and  the  father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade. 
He  spent  his  entire  life  in  his  native  land,  his 
death  there  occurring  at  the  age  of  thirty-five 
years.  His  wife  afterwards  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  her  last  days  were  spent  in  La  Harpe, 
where  she  died  at  the  age  of  sixt}--eight  years. 

Our  subject  was  only  about  three  years  old  at 
the  time  of  his  father's  death.  He  remained  at 
home  with  his  mother,  and  in  early  life  became 
familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  connected 
with  the  farm.  After  he  had  attained  to  years  of 
maturity,  he  was  married,  Miss  Elizabeth  Sabel, 
of  Germany,  becoming  his  wife.  Their  wedding 
was  celebrated  in  February,  1835,  and  ten  years 
later  they  bade  adieu  to  the  Fatherland  and  sailed 
for  America,  but  Mrs.  Rahn  died  while  en  route, 
and  was  buried  in  the  sea.  She  left  a  family  of 
four  children  to  mourn  her  loss:  George,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years;  Frederick  C,  who  is 
now  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  in  Col- 
orado; John,  who  died  in  Iowa  in  1882;  and  Myra, 
wife  of  J.  Ort,  a  retired  farmer  of  Nauvoo. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


355 


On  landing,  Mr.  Rahn  at  once  made  his  way  to 
Hancock  County,  111.,  and  settled  upon  a  farm 
near  La  Harpe,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  for  four  years.  He  was  again  married,  in 
1845,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Clara 
Weigel,  of  Philadelphia,  who  died  in  Sonora 
Township,  Hancock  County,  in  1854.  In  1856 
Mr.  Rahn  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Barbara 
Goodman,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  died  in  1881. 
By  their  union  were  born  five  children:  Joseph, 
who  now  carries  on  farming  in  Lyons,  Neb. ;  Ad- 
die,  who  is  employed  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  mer- 
cantile store  in  Nauvoo;  Eliza,  at  home;  Albert, 
who  is  also  clerking  in  Nauvoo;  and  Edward,  who 
completes  the  family. 

Removing  from  La  Harpe  to  Sonora  Township, 
Mr.  Rahn  there  cultivated  and  improved  a  farm, 
continuing  its  development  for  many  years,  but  at 
length  he  laid  aside  business  cares  and  removed 
to  Nauvoo,  where  he  lived  retired  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  February  9,  1894.  His  well-di- 
rected efforts,  his  industry  and  perseverance, 
brought  him  a  comfortable  competence.  For  many 
years  he  supported  the  Democratic  party,  but  for 
some  years  prior  to  his  death  was  an  advocate  of 
the  People's  party.  He  never  had  occasion  to 
regret  his  emigration  to  America,  and  Hancock 
County  numbered  him  among  its  best  citizens  and 
honored  early  settlers. 


0R.  ARCHIBALD  ELLIOTT  McXEALL, 
one  of  the  leading  physicians  and  honored 
pioneer  settlers  of  Bowen,  was  born  near 
Goshen,  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  on'  the  20th 
of  October,  [827,  and  is  a  son  of  Arthur  McNeall. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  and 
was  a  descendant  of  the  Scottish  Highlander  of 
the  same  name  who  was  a  leader  of  the  Rebel- 
lion of  1745,  in  the  struggle  of  the  house  of  Stuart 
against  the  British  crown.  The  Doctor's  mother 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Boyer,  and 
was  born  in  Washington  County,  Md.,  of  Ger- 
man parentage.  The  parents  emigrated  to  Ohio 
in    181 1,    and   settled   in   the   then  small  town  of 


Cincinnati,  where  they  made  their  home  until 
1828,  in  which  year  they  removed  to  the  town  of 
Goshen.  There  the  father  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising until  advanced  years  forced  him  to  retire 
from  active  business  life.  He  and  his  wife  were 
ardent  followers  of  John  Wesley  in  their  religious 
belief,  and  all  of  the  children  accepted  the  same 
faith  save  the  Doctor.  During  their  last  years 
the  parents  came  to  Illinois,  where  their  remain- 
ing days  were  passed  amidst  the  loving  care  and 
attention  of  their  children.  The  mother  was  called 
to  the  home  beyond  July  3,  1865,  and  the  father 
passed  away  the  following  April..  They  died  in 
the  faith  which  had  been  their  hope  and  comfort 
through  life,  firmly  relying  upon  the  promises  of 
an  eternal  home  and  happiness. 

There  were  four  sons  and  five  daughters  in  the 
family.  Dr.  A.  B.,  who  was  a  physician  of  Col- 
umbus, Adams  County,  111.,  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three;  Rev.  M.  M.  is  now  living  in  Bowen, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-two;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Brunson 
makes  her  home  in  Bowen,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine;  Mrs.  Matilda  Myer  died  in  Chicago,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six;  Mrs.  Permelia  Hall  is  living 
in  Barry,  111.,  at  the  age  of  seventy;  Arch  E.  is 
the  next  in  order  of  birth;  David  F.  is  living  in 
Bowen,  at  the  age  of  sixty;  Mrs.  Susan  Belt  died 
in  1844,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven;  and  the  ninth 
child  died  in  infancy. 

Dr.  McNeall  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Ohio,  and  in 
a  private  select  school  conducted  by  Prof.  Gaines, 
near  Goshen.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine 
in  1846  with  Dr.  Isaac  N.  Thacker,  and  com- 
pleted a  college  medical  course  of  lectures  in  the 
spring  of  1850  at  the  Starling  Medical  College  of 
Columbus,  Ohio.  In  February,  1868,  he  was  the 
recipient  of  an  honorary  degree  of  medicine  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  the  faculty  of  the  Iowa  Medi- 
cal College  of  Keokuk. 

Before  Dr.  McNeall  began  practice,  however, 
he  was  married.  In  Dayton,  Ohio,  September 
22,  1849,  he  wedded  Miss  Martha  A.  Deal,  a  na- 
tive of  West  Charleston,  Miami  County,  Ohio, 
who  died  October  20,  1867.  There  were  three 
children  born  of  that  union,  two  sons  and  a  daugh- 
ter,   but  all  are  deceased.     On   the  nth  of  No- 


356 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


vember,  1868,  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  the  Doctor  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Hutchin- 
son, of  that  city,  and  a  native  of  Washington, 
Pa.  Four  children  graced  this  union,  three  sons 
and  a  daughter,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

Our  subject  began  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  the  spring  of  1850,  in  the  place  of  his  nativity, 
but  in  October,  1851,  removed  to  Adams  County, 
111.  The  following  year  he  located  in  New  Hart- 
ford, where  he  successfully  engaged  in  practice 
until  September,  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  the 
Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  At  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  regiment  he  was  chosen  by  the  unani- 
mous vote  of  men  and  officers  as  Surgeon,  and 
subsequently  was  commissioned  as  such  by  Gov. 
Richard  Yates.  In  that  capacity  he  labored  un- 
tiringly, and  that  he  acquitted  himself  with  credit, 
is  shown  by  the  complimentary  resolutions  which 
were  passed,  when,  on  account  of  physical  disabil- 
ity, he  was  forced  to  resign.  The  following  paper 
was  then  drawn  vip: 

Fourteenth  Division  Hospital  of  the  Thirteenth 
Army  Corps  of  Mississippi,  in  the  rear  of  Vicks- 
burg,  July  4,  1863. 

Arch  E.  McNeall,  M.  D., 

Senior  Assistant  Surgeon  Ninety-ninth 

Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
Dear  Sir: — 

It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  hand  you  the  en- 
closed resolution.  It  is  with  the  prompting  of 
friends  and  surgeons  who  appreciate  your  worth. 
You  leave  us  with  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
every  surgeon  belonging  to  the  division,  as  well 
as  their  regrets.  Hoping  to  hear  of  your  restora- 
tion to  health,  I  am  your  sincere  friend, 

William  H.  White, 

Surgeon  of  the  Twenty-second  Iowa  Infantry 
and  Chairman  Division  Operating  Board  of  Sur- 
geons. 

The  resolution  read: 

Having  learned  that  our  associate,  Arch  E. 
McNeall,  Senior  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  Ninety- 
ninth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers,  owing  to 
causes  beyond  his  control,  finds  it  necessary  to 
leave  the  army,  therefore, 

Resolved — That  we  consider  him  a  gentleman 
of  fine  feelings,  of  noble  sympathies,  a  true  friend, 
and  one  of  the  most  accomplished  surgeons  and 
physicians  of  the  army.  That  we  regret  his  de- 
parture and  his  loss  to  the  department. 

H.  P.  Strong,  Medical  Director;  William  H. 
White,   Surgeon  Twenty-second   Iowa   Infantry; 


George  P.  Rex,  Surgeon  Thirty-third  Illinois  In- 
fantry; Alfred  B.  Lee,  Assistant  Surgeon  Twen- 
t}'-second  Iowa  Infantry;  William  L.  Orr,  Sur- 
geon Twenty-first  Iowa  Infantry;  J.  H.  Ledlie, 
Surgeon  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry;  Henry 
Tantis,  Assistant  Surgeon  Thirty-third  Illinois 
Infantry;  O.  Peabody,  Surgeon  Twenty-third 
Iowa  Infantry;  Elwin  May,  Senior  Assistant  Sur- 
geon Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry;  J.  P.  Bigelow, 
Senior  Assistant  Surgeon  in  charge  of  the  Eighth 
and  Eighteenth  Indiana  Regiments. 

After  the  Doctor's  return  to  civil  life,  he  re- 
moved to  Hancock  County,  in  1865,  and  pur- 
chased the  farm  which  was  originally  owned  by 
Peter  C.  Bowen,  a  part  of  the  original  town 
of  Bowensburg.  Locating  thereon,  he  has  made 
it  his  home  the  greater  part  of  the  time  since,  and 
has  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
With  the  hope  of  benefiting  his  health,  however, 
in  187 1  he  went  to  Greenwood  County,  Kan., 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising, 
but  after  four  years'  experience,  with  unsatisfac- 
tory results,  he  returned  to  his  former  home  in 
Hancock  County.  He  now  has  a  large  practice, 
to  which  he  devotes  his  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion. 

In  1845  the  Doctor  became  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  in  1875  joined  the  Odd 
Fellows'  lodge,  but  has  withdrawn  from  both. 
He  thinks  for  himself  on  all  subjects  and  is  a  man 
of  broad  and  liberal  views.  In  politics,  he  has 
ever  been  a  stalwart  Republican  since  the  organi- 
zation of  the  party.  In  the  days  when  the  sub- 
ject of  abolition  was  much  agitated,  he  began  vot- 
ing in  the  interests  of  humanity  against  oppression, 
and  has  ever  labored  in  the  interests  of  the  peo- 
ple against  the  monopolists.  In  1864  he  was  the 
Republican  candidate  for  the  Legislature  in  the 
district  composed  of  Pike  and  Greene  Counties, 
111.,  and  although  not  elected  he  ran  far  ahead  of 
his  ticket.  In  1874  he  was  the  Republican  candi- 
date for  the  Legislature  of  Kansas,  but  he  with- 
drew his  name,  for  the  nominating  convention 
•passed  resolutions  instructing  him  how  to  vote  on 
certain  issues,  and  he  did  not  wish  to  accept  an 
office  where  he  was  not  perfectly  free  to  follow 
the  dictates  of  his  own  good  judgment.  He  is 
ever  a  zealous  worker  for  those  interests  which 
he   believes  will  prove   of  public  good,   and  this 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


357 


element  of  his  character  led  him  to  secure  theele- 
gant  and  commodious  school  building  of  Bowen. 
This  was  greatly  opposed  by  many,  but  his  un- 
tiring labors  were  successful,  and  Bowen  now  has 
a  school  which  is  a  credit  to  the  town.  The  Ex- 
celsior Flouring  Mills  of  this  place  were  for  twelve 
years  or  so  an  unprofitable  investment,  but  at 
length  Dr.  McNeall  became  interested  in  them, 
and  as  the  result  of  his  good  business  ability,  en- 
terprise and  well-directed  efforts,  he  made  of  this 
one  of  the  leading  industries  of  the  place,  which 
paid  t  >  the  proprietors  a  good  income.  They  were 
recently  destroyed  by  fire,  however,  and  the  Doc- 
tor thereby  suffered  a  heavy  loss.  His  untiring 
industry  and  perseverance,  and  the  progressive 
spirit  which  characterizes  everything  he  under- 
takes, makes  him  a  most  valuable  factor  in  the 
realm  of  citizenship. 

t  — —S  <*' ? '*>  ti 


r^ROF.  AMOS  HENRY  WORTHEN,  the 
Lr  celebrated  geologist  of  Illinois,  was  for  many 
f»9  years  a  citizen  of  Warsaw,  and  this  volume 
would  be  incomplete  without  a  sketch  of  his  life. 
The  result  of  his  deep  researches,  given  to  the 
world  in  many  volumes,  made  him  known  through- 
out the  country,  and  gave  him  a  prominence 
among  the  leading  professional  men  of  the  United 
States.  His  childhood  was  quietly  passed.  He 
was  born  October  31,  1813,  in  the  town  of  Brad- 
ford, Orange  County,  Vt.,  and  was  the  eleventh 
in  a  family  of  twelve  children,  whose  parents  were 
Thomas  and  Susanna  (Adams)  Worthen.  .The 
father  came  of  an  old  Massachusetts  family,  and 
shortly  after  his  marriage  he  removed  to  Bradford, 
purchasing  a  farm  upon  what  was  known  as  the 
South  Road,  where  he  continued  to  reside  through- 
out his  remaining  days.  He  was  born  August  24, 
1765,  and  died  October  21,  1S51.  His  wife,  who 
was  born  December  24,  1768,  was  the  eldest  child 
of  Abraham  Adams,  who  was  descended  from 
Henry  Adams,  a  native  of  England.  The  latter 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  and,  locating  in 
what  is  now  Quincy,  Mass.,  became  the  founder 
of  the  family  which  numbered  among  its  members 


many  celebrated  personages,  including  two  Pres- 
idents of  the  United  States.  Mrs.  Worthen  pos- 
sessed more  than  average  ability,  was  a  woman 
of  great  energy  and  force  of  character,  and  through- 
out her  life  the  closest  sympathy  existed  between 
her  and  her  son  Amos.  Her  influence  was  un- 
doubtedly one  of  the  potent  factors  in  the  life  of 
the  geologist.  The  parents  and  their  children 
are  all  now  deceased. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  Amos 
Worthen  spent  his  youth.  Through  the  winter 
season  he  attended  the  district  schools,  and  in  the 
summer  months  he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  farm. 
Through  his  work  and  the  sports  which  the  sur- 
rounding fields  and  forests  afforded,  he  was  well 
developed  physically,  and  in  the  public  schools  he 
laid  the  foundation  for  an  excellent  mental  devel- 
opment. His  literary  education  was  completed 
in  Bradford  Academy,  which  has  since  been 
merged  into  the  Bradford  High  School.  While 
there,  pursuing  his  studies,  he  lived  with  his  sister 
Mary,  wife  of  Capt.  Ellis  Bliss,  an  extensive 
farmer  of  the  Connecticut  Valley.  Shortly  after 
leaving  school,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sarah  B.  Kimball,  of  Warren,  N.  H.,  the 
event  being  celebrated  January  14,  1834.  For  fifty- 
three  years  they  traveled  life's  journey  together, 
and  the  help  and  support  which  the  husband  gave 
the  wife  were  equaled  by  her  encouragement  and 
sympathy  for  him.  They  became  the  parents  of 
a  daughter  and  six  sons.  The  former  died  in 
childhood,  but  the  sons  are  all  yet  living,  namely: 
Fay  S.,  George  B.,  Thomas  A.,  Amos  H., 
Charles  K.  and  John  B. 

Shortly  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Worthen  de- 
cided to  seek  a  home  in  the  then  far  West.  His 
brother  Enoch  had  already  removed  to  Cynthiana, 
Ky.,  and  thither  he  resolved  to  go;  but  his  resi- 
dence in  that  place  was  of  short  duration,  for  in 
the  year  following  he  was  employed  as  a  school 
teacher  in  Cumminsville,  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
There  he  remained  until  June,  1836,  when  he 
came  to  Illinois,  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early 
settlers  of  Warsaw.  In  1842  he  went  to  Charles- 
town,  Mass.,  and  there  spent  two  years,  but  with 
the  exception  of  this  period  he  was  a  continuous 
resident  of  Warsaw  from    1836  until   his  death. 


358 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Forming  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Kimball,  a  brother 
of  his  wife,  Mr.  Worthen  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising, following  that  pursuit  until  1855.  As  a 
merchant,  his  career  was  not  as  successful  as 
many,  although  he  managed  to  provide  well  for 
his  family.  The  reason  for  this  was  that  his  at- 
tention had  been  largely  attracted  to  the  rich 
geological  deposits  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and 
he  began  the  study  of  the  same.  Through  life 
he  was  a  lover  of  natural  science,  and  the  taste 
which  had  hitherto  lain  comparatively  dormant 
was  now  called  into  action. 

A  limitless  field  for  study  and  observation  was 
afforded  Mr.  Worthen  in  the  Mississippi  Valley 
forests,  and  the  broad  prairies  of  this  locality, 
which  is  especially  rich  in  the  rocks  and  fossils  of 
the  lower  carboniferous  age.  He  began  at  once 
the  study  of  the  geologic  formation  of  this  great 
region,  and  the  collection  of  its  fossils  and  miner- 
als. As  his  vision  broadened,  his  love  for  the 
study  increased,  and  resulted  in  giving  to  the 
world  some  of  its  most  valuable  works  on  geology. 
He  soon  established  a  system  of  exchanges  with 
correspondents  in  the  East,  and  thereby  received 
books  and  minerals  and  zoological  specimens  nec- 
essary for  the  prosecution  of  his  studies.  Trans- 
portation between  the  East  and  West  was  then  in 
its  incipiency,  and  the  postage  on  letters  was 
twenty-five  cents.  All  of  his  exchanges,  there- 
fore, had  to  be  sent  down  the  Mississippi,  around 
the  Gulf  and  Atlantic  to  Boston  and  the  East. 
The  books  which  are  now  of  such  valuable  assist- 
ance to  students  were  not  then  in  existence,  and 
few  aids  could  be  obtained  in  the  study  of  natural 
science,  but  Mr.  Worthen,  undaunted,  prosecuted 
his  studies,  and  his  home  and  store  were  filled  with 
collections  very  valuable  to  a  naturalist. 

In  1 85 1  Mr.  Worthen  began  attending  the 
meetings  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science,  and  was  one  of  its  mem- 
bers until  his  death.  In  this  and  in  other  ways 
he  became  acquainted  with  the  geologists  through- 
out the  country,  and  thus  secured  able  assistance 
in  his  work.  In  1853  he  was  invited  by  Dr.  J.  G. 
Norwood,  then  State  Geologist,  to  assist  him  in 
his  work;  and  in  1855  he  was  appointed  Assistant 
to  Prof.  James  Hall,  then  State  Geologist  of  Iowa, 


with  whom  he  continued  his  labors  until  1857. 
He  aided  largely  in  constructing  the  geological 
section  along  the  Mississippi  River  from  Lansing, 
Iowa,  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.  On  the  22d  of  March, 
1858,  he  was  appointed  State  Geologist  of  Illinois 
by  Gov.  Bissell,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  the  office.  His  previous  labors  were  the 
school  in  which  he  was  fitted  for  this  work — a 
work  for  which  he  was  eminently  adapted,  and  to 
which  he  gave  the  best  years  of  his  life.  The 
magnitude  of  the  task  before  him  he  quickly  com- 
prehended, and  he  sought  the  assistance  of  men 
skilled  in  various  branches  of  scientific  work. 
From  then  on  he  labored  untiringly  in  his  chosen 
field,  his  only  recreation  being  his  attendance 
upon  scientific  meetings.  His  outdoor  sports  in 
early  life,  however,  had  given  him  the  physical 
strength  to  meet  the  demand  which  he  now  placed 
upon  his  resources.  His  whole  soul  was  wrapped 
up  in  his  work,  and  he  desired  no  greater  happi- 
ness than  was  afforded  him  by  study  of  this 
chosen  theme.  He  met  with  difficulties,  and  it 
often  seemed  that  the  work  must  be  suspended, 
because  the  Legislature  was  loath  to  make  the 
appropriation  necessary  for  its  prosecution.  On 
one  occasion  there  were  no  funds  provided,  but 
he  continued  his  work  with  such  evident  sincerity 
of  purpose  that  the  appropriation  was  again  made 
when  the  Legislature  once  more  convened.  His 
reports  were  published  from  time  to  time,  and  sci- 
entific men  accepted  them  gladly  as  valuable  con- 
tributions to  their  literature.  More  than  twenty 
years  ago  the  Academy  carefully  investigated  the 
results  of  his  labors,  and  decided  the  question  of 
their  merit  in  his  favor  by  electing  him  to  its 
membership.  His  works  now  have  an  acknowl- 
edged place  among  the  standard  volumes.  One 
of  the  most  important  subjects  which  he  has 
treated  is  the  paleontology  of  this  region.  His 
works  are  now  considered  indispensable  to  every 
student  of  this  theme.  Fossils  were  collected  by 
him  from  all  the  formations,  from  the  Potsdam 
sandstone  to  the  upper  coal  measures,  and  his 
work  embraces  the  description  and  illustration  of 
two  hundred  and  ninety-seven  species  of  verte- 
brates, ten  hundred  and  seventy-three  species  of 
invertebrates,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty-six  spe- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


359 


cies  of  plants.  Nearly  fifteen  hundred  of  these 
species  were  first  made  known  to  the  scientific 
world  through  the  publications  enumerated  in 
his  works.  Only  the  scientist  can  readily  appre- 
ciate how  priceless  are  his  volumes. 

As  his  work  was  being  completed  Mr.  Worthen 
found  that  old  age  was  coming  upon  him,  but  he 
retained  his  mental  vigor,  and  his  health  was  also 
unusually  good  until  his  final  sickness.  He 
passed  away  May  6,  1888,  and  his  death  was 
mourned  throughout  the  country,  for  he  had 
many  friends,  even  among  those  whom  he  had  not 
met  personally.  He  was  of  a  kindly  and  generous 
disposition,  and  his  manner  was  free  from  all  os- 
tentation and  display.  His  six  sons  acted  as  pall- 
bearers at  the  funeral,  and  the  remains  of  the 
honored  State  Geologist  were  laid  to  rest  in  Oak- 
land Cemetery,  two  miles  south  of  Warsaw. 


gEORGE  and  MICHAEL  BAUMERT  are 
the  members  of  the  firm  of  Baumert  Bros. , 
editors  and  publishers  of  The  Independent. 
of  Nauvoo.  The  former  was  born  in  this  city, 
April  20,  1858,  and  the  latter  was  born  May  20, 
1869.  The  parents  were  Michael  and  Mary 
(Schini)  Baumert.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  in  1852,  bidding  adieu  to  his  old 
home,  he  sailed  for  America.  Locating  in  St. 
Louis,  "Mo.,  he  there  spent  two  years,  and  in  1854 
came  to  Nauvoo.  He  is  a  stone-mason  and  brick- 
layer by  trade,  and,  embarking  in  business  along 
those  lines,  he  thus  carried  on  operations  until 
1890,  when  he  became  interested  in  the  real-es- 
tate and  loan  business  which  he  still  conducts. 
He  served  in  the  late  war  for  several  months,  and 
has  long  been  a  loyal  and  highly-respected  citi- 
zen of  this  community.  His  wife,  who  was  also 
born  in  Germany,  is  yet  living  in  Nauvoo. 

George  Baumert  was  reared  and  educated  in 
this  city,  and  here  learned  the  printer's  trade, 
which  he  has  followed  throughout  his  business 
career.  In  1876,  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he 
was  employed  in  a  printing-office  for  three  and 
a-half  years,  after  which  he  returned    to  Nauvoo, 


and  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  D.  Hibbard,  of 
this  place.  The)-  purchased  The  Independent, 
and  Mr.  Baumert  has  since  been  a  half-owner  in 
this  paper.  In  May,  18S4,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Fannie  Knaust,  daughter  of  Con- 
rad Knaust,  now  a  retired  lumber  merchant. 

The  junior  member  of  the  firm  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  midst  play  and  work,  and  the  public 
schools  afforded  him  his  educational  privileges. 
At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began  learning  the 
printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  The  Independent, 
and  since  that  time  he  has  been  continuously  con- 
nected with  newspaper  work.  In  1S86,  he  went 
to  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  where  he  was  employed  in 
a  printing-office  until  1889.  In  the  autumn  of 
that  year  he  became  half-owner  of  The  Independ- 
ent, which  has  since  been  conducted  by  the  firm 
of  Baumert  Bros.  As  the  name  indicates,  the 
paper  is  independent  in  politics.  The  office  is 
supplied  with  the  latest  steam  presses  and  all 
modern  improvements.  This  is  the  largest  pa- 
per published  in  the  county,  being  an  eight-col- 
umn, eight-page  folio.  It  is  well  edited,  the 
publishers  being  men  of  ability  in  their  line. 

The  Baumert  family  is  one  of  prominence  in 
this  community.  The  father,  who  enlisted  in 
March,  1865,  as  a  member  of  Company  G, 
Twenty-third  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  stationed 
at  Richmond,  Va.,  guarding  Libby  Prison,  is 
now  Commander  of  the  Grand  Army  post  of  this 
place.  The  sons  are  wide-awake  and  enterpris- 
ing citizens,  and  the  best  interests  of  the  commun- 
ity receive  their  hearty  support  and  co-operation. 

^ -k->S^   -o.  <*> 

lP^T^-S a) 


(JOHN  M.  KENDALL,  one  of  the  honored 
I  pioneers  of  Hancock  County,  and  the  pro- 
(2/  prietor  of  the  leading  hotel  in  Nauvoo,  ranks 
among  the  best  citizens  of  this  place,  and  it  is 
with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  this 
record  of  his  life.  A  native  of  England,  he  was 
born  in  Liverpool,  on  the  1 2th  of  December,  1836, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Miniken) 
Kendall,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  same  coun- 
try.    The  father  was  killed  in   Liverpool  when 


36° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


our  subject  was  a  small  child,  after  which  the 
mother  brought  her  family  to  America.  They 
bade  adieu  to  their  native  land  in  1842,  crossed 
the  Atlantic,  and  took  up  their  residence  in  Nau- 
voo,  where  Mrs.  Kendall  spent  her  remaining 
days,  her  death  occurring  in  1850. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  three  children.  He 
was  only  six  years  of  age  when  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  this  city,  and  when  a  youth  of  thirteen  he 
was  left  an  orphan.  Thus  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources,  he  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world, 
and  whatever  success  he  has  achieved  is  due  en- 
tirely to  his  own  efforts.  He  was  reared  in  Nau- 
voo,  and  during  his  youth  played  with  Joseph 
Smith  and  Brigham  Young,  and  other  boys  who 
afterward  became  leaders  of  the  Mormons.  He 
was  quite  intimately  acquainted  with  the  widow 
of  Joseph  Smith,  who  returned  to  Nauvoo  in  1850, 
and  here  made  her  home  until  her  death. 

John  M.  Kendall  began  earning  his  own  liveli- 
hood by  working  as  a  farm  hand,  and  in  that  ca- 
pacity was  employed  in  Hancock  County  until 
the  autumn  of  185 1,  when  he  went  to  Henry 
County,  where  he  again  worked  on  the  farm  by 
the  month.  His  educational  privileges  were  quite 
meagre.  He  could  attend  school  only  through 
the  winter  season,  when  there  was  not  much 
work  upon  the  farm.  He  is  therefore  largely 
self-educated,  but  through  business  experience, 
reading  and  observation,  he  has  become  a  well- 
informed  man.  In  the  spring  of  1855  he  returned 
to  Hancock  County,  and  here  worked  until  1858. 
He  then  began  following  the  river,  and  was  em- 
ployed during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  in  the 
Government  service  until  November,  1S64,  when 
he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  becoming  one  of 
the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  E,  One  Hundred 
and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  in  which  he 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  always 
found  at  his  post  of  duty,  faithfully  defending  the 
Old  Flag  and  the  cause  it  represented,  and  was 
never  wounded  or  taken  prisoner.  When  the  war 
was  over  and  the  South  had  laid  down  its  arms, 
he  returned  to  Hancock  County,  and  in  Nauvoo 
Township  began  farming,  which  pursuit  he  suc- 
cessfully followed  until  the  autumn  of  1892,  when 
he  became  proprietor  of  the  hotel. 


On  the  9th  of  December,  1868,  Mr.  Kendall 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Katie  Smith, 
of  Nauvoo,  and  to  them  have  been  born  three 
daughters:  Lulu  K.,  Maud  M.  and  Atha  R.,  all 
of  whom  are  still  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Kendall  holds  membership  with  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  also  with 
Nauvoo  Post  No.  207,  G.  A.  R.  In  politics,  he 
is  a  Democrat,  and  warmly  advocates  the  princi- 
ples of  his  party.  He  has  served  as  Tax  Collector, 
but  has  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  business  interests.  His  close  at- 
tention to  the  details  of  his  business  and  his  en- 
terprise and  perseverance  have  won  for  him  suc- 
cess. He  has  ever  been  a  loyal  and  public-spir- 
ited citizen,  and  in  the  community  where  he  has 
so  long  resided  he  is  both  widely  and  favorably 
known. 

§  '       *~S)  <*'  T  ">  &~*  St 

(JOSEPH  NELSON,  one  of 'the  leading  lum- 
I  ber-dealers  of  Nauvoo,  occupies  a  prominent 
(2/  position  in  business  circles.  He  has  been 
connected  with  the  interests  of  this  place  for  some 
years,  and  his  straightforward  career  has  won 
him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  been  brought  in  contact.  He  has  the 
honor  of  being  a  native  of  Nauvoo,  for  he  was 
born  here  September  15,  1849.  His  father,  George- 
Nelson,  was  a  native  of  Canada,  and  wasof'French 
and  Irish  extraction.  He  came  to  Illinois  about 
1 841,  and  located  in  Nauvoo  Township,  Hancock 
Count}-,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
death.  Although  he  was  not  regularly  a  Mor- 
mon, he  was  well  posted  on  the  scriptures  of  that 
sect,  and  on  account  of  his  sympathies  with  that 
people  he  was  called  Jack  Mormon.  His  death 
occurred  in  1850,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven  years. 
His  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ann  Nelson,  was  a  na- 
tive of  England,  and  on  crossing  the  Atlantic  lo- 
cated in  Hancock  County  at  an  early  day.  Her 
death  here  occurred  in  1849,  only  a  few  days 
after  the  birth  of  our  subject.  In  the  family  were 
only  two  children,  Joseph  being  the  younger. 
Mr.  Nelson  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 


POkTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


361 


only  about  a  year  old  when  by  the  death  of  his 
father  he  was  left  an  orphan.  He  then  went  to 
live  with  a  Mr.  Landis,  who  was  a  friend  of  his 
parents,  and  who  took  our  subject  and  his  elder 
brother  to  his  home,  for  they  had  no  relatives  in 
this  locality  who  were  in  a  position  to  care  for 
them.  After  a  short  time,  however,  Joseph  was 
taken  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Landis'  father-in-law, 
with  whom  he  lived  for  about  fifteen  years  on  a 
farm  near  La  Harpe.  There  he  worked  at  farm 
labor  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  attend- 
ing school  for  only  a  short  period  during  the  win- 
ter season;  his  education,  therefore,  was  very  lim- 
ited. When  a  youth  of  sixteen  he  started  for  the 
army,  intending  to  become  a  Union  soldier,  but 
before  he  enlisted  word  was  received  that  Lee  had 
surrendered  and  the  war  was  therefore  practically 
over.  He  had  only  $5  in  money  and  a  sack  con- 
taining a  small  amount  of  clothing.  With  his 
gun,  dog  and  grip  he  started  on  foot  from  La 
Harpe  to  Nauvoo,  and  on  reaching  this  place 
hired  out  as  a  farm  hand,  being  thus  employed 
lor  a  year  and  a-half.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  went  to  Missouri,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  engineer  in  a  sawmill.  He  purchased 
a  part  interest  in  a  mill,  and  continued  his  con- 
nection therewith  for  two  years,  being  mostly  en- 
gaged in  cutting  railroad  ties.  Being  injured  by 
heavy  timber  falling  upon  him,  he  abandoned 
the  sawmill  business  and  returned  to  Nauvoo,  but 
for  about  two  months  he  was  incapacitated  for 
any  labor. 

As  soon  as  able,  with  the  desire  to  obtain  a  bet- 
ter education,  Mr.  Nelson  entered  Ft.  Madison 
1  Iowa  1  Academy,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for 
three  years.  When  his  money  gave  out  he  worked 
his  way  through  school  by  manual  labor  in  the 
mornings  and  evenings.  On  leaving  the  academy 
he  engaged  in  teaching  for  two  terms  in  Hancock 
County,  after  which  he  spent  a  term  in  pursuing 
a  teacher's  course  in  the  Normal  College  of  Car- 
thage. Forming  a  partnership  with  Dr.  Hamil- 
ton, he  then  purchased  the  Nauvoo  Independent, 
and  a  year  later  he  bought  out  his  partner,  be- 
coming sole  proprietor.  For  six  years  he  edited 
and  published  the  Independent,  and  the  invest- 
ment proved   a  profitable  one,   but  at  length  he 


sold  out,  and  for  one  year  carried  on  a  livery 
business  in  this  place.  He  then  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business,  and  although  he  began  opera- 
tions on  a  small  scale,  he  is  now  enjoying  an  ex- 
tensive trade. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1879,  Mr.  Nelson  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine  Knaust, 
and  to  them  have  been  born  six  children:  Letitia, 
born  July  6,  1880;  Nellie,  December  20,  1881; 
Orvil,  November  9,  1883;  Joseph,  April  21,  1887; 
Jesse,  July  11,  1889;  and  Ralph,  May  15,  1893, 
all  of  whom  are  still  with  their  parents. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  warmly  advocates  the  principles  of  his 
party.  His  fellow-townsmen,  appreciating  his 
worth  and  ability,  have  frequently  called  upon 
him  to  serve  in  positions  of  public  trust.  He  has 
been  City  Clerk  of  Nauvoo  for  three  years,  and 
has  served  as  School  Director  for  the  long  period 
of  nine  years,  and  still  occupies  that  position.  He 
has  ever  taken  a  warm  interest  in  the  cause  of 
education,  and  does  all  in  his  power  for  its  ad- 
vancement. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  In  his  bus- 
iness he  has  prospered,  and  his  success  is  certainly 
well  deserved,  for  he  is  honorable  and  upright  in 
all  his  dealings.  His  many  excellencies  of  char- 
acter, and  his  sterling  worth,  have  gained  him  the 
high  regard  of  the  entire  community. 

Mr.  Nelson  possesses  considerable  mechanical 
genius,  and  on  the  Sth  of  August,  1893,  was 
granted  a  patent  on  a  very  useful  invention  known 
as  the  "  Deadfall  Animal  Trap,"  which  is  meet- 
ing with  a  very  ready  sale. 

(TOHN  J.  RHEINBERGER,  of  Nauvoo,  who 
I  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
Q)  grapes,  is  numbered  among  the  native  citi- 
zens of  this  place.  He  was  born  on  the  Sth  of 
April,  1861,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
early  and  leading  families  of  Hancock  County. 
His  father  was  born  in  Fuersteiu,  Lichtenstein, 
Germany,  June  4,  1827,  and  bears  the  name  of 
Alois  Rheinberger.     In   his  native  land  he  ac- 


362 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


quired  a  good  education  in  the  common  schools 
and  college,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  in  a  sailing-vessel.  He  made 
his  first  location  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  he 
worked  for  about  three  years.  He  then  returned 
to  Germany,  and  was  married  to  Margaret  Pros- 
ser,  who  was  a  native  of  the  canton  of  Graubuentm, 
Switzerland.  Bringing  his  bride  to  the  New 
World  in  1850,  he  located  in  Nauvoo,  and  em- 
barked in  agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  still  fol- 
lows. He  and  his  estimable  wife  are  well-known 
residents  of  Nauvoo,  and  are  held  in  high  regard 
by  all. 

The  Rheinberger  family  numbered  ten  children: 
Josepha,  wife  of  Arnold  Masberg,  of  Nauvoo; 
Alois  J.,  who  is  living  in  Winona,  Minn,;  Ferdi- 
nand J.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  dry-goods  busi- 
ness in  partnership  with  his  brother  in  Winona; 
Christina,  who  died  in  infancy;  Theresa,  wife  of 
T.  V.  Moffit,  who  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  old- 
est families  of  Hancock  County;  John  J.,  of  this 
sketch;  Frank  D.,  who  is  employed  as  a  com- 
mercial salesman  in  the  New  England  States; 
Mary  F.  A.,  wife  of  Henry  J.  Blake,  of  Warsaw; 
Charles  Augustus,  an  attorney,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two  years;  and  Anna,  wife  of  Will- 
iam J.  Heintz,  of  Quincy. 

John  J.  Rheinberger  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools,  and  remained  at  home  until 
twenty  years  of  age.  He  then  learned  the  cabi- 
net-maker's trade,  and  after  mastering  the  busi- 
ness followed  the  pursuit  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  at  other  points.  He  was 
thus  employed  until  1887,  when  he  returned  to 
Nauvoo  and  became  owner  of  a  large  vineyard. 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1889,  Mr.  Rheinberger 
led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Wilhelmina  A. 
Risse,  daughter  of  Hon.  John  B.  Risse,  who  is 
represented  on  another  page  of  this  work.  Two 
children  grace  the  union  of  this  young  couple, 
Joseph  B.  and  Harold  A. 

Mr.  Rheinberger  takes  quite  an  active  interest 
in  politics,  and  by  his  ballot  supports  the  Dem- 
ocratic party.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  young  business  men  of  Nauvoo,  and 
his  thrift  and  industry  are  bringing  him  prosper- 


ity. He  has  many  friends  in  the  community, 
including  many  who  have  known  him  from  boy- 
hood, a  fact  which  indicates  an  honorable  and 
well-spent  life. 


pCjlLUAM  HERRING,  a  retired  farmer  who 
\  A  /  has  now  laid  aside  business  cares,  and  is 
V  V  enjoying  the  comforts  which  a  carefully 
acquired  competence  brings  him,  makes  his  home 
in  Denver.  He  was  born  in  Brown  County,  111., 
on  the  7th  of  December,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
G.  and  Lucinda  (Rusk)  Herring.  The  Herring 
family  is  of  Irish  extraction.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject  served  in  the  War  of  1812. 
The  father  was  born  in  Alabama,  was  reared  upon 
a  farm,  and  when  a  young  man-  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Sangamon  County.  He  there  married 
Miss  Rusk,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  accompan- 
ied her  parents  to  this  State  during  her  girlhood. 
She  came  of  a  family  of  German  lineage.  After  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Herring  removed  to  Brown  County, 
and  there  engaged  in  farming  until  1859,  when  he 
came  with  his  family  to  Hancock  County.  Pur- 
chasing a  farm  in  Chili  Township,  he  there  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1876.  His  wife  survived  him  some 
years,  and  passed  away  April  19,  1889,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-eight  years.  Their  family  numbered 
ten  children. 

William  Herring,  who  was  the  second  in  order 
of  birth,  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  a 
young  man  of  twenty-three,  when  he  began  farm- 
ing for  himself  in  Pike  County,  111.,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  1865.  He  then  sold  that 
farm  and  came  to  Hancock  County,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  land,  upon  which  he  made  his 
home  until  1889.  He  was  an  enterprising  and 
successful  agriculturist,  and  the  neat  and  thrifty 
appearance  of  his  place  indicated  the  careful  sup- 
ervision of  the  owner.  He  placed  many  improve- 
ments upon  his  land,  and  the  farm  was  complete 
in  all  its  appointments. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  i860,  Mr.  Herring  wedded 
Miss  Rachel   Ingram,  who  was   born    November 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


363 


14,  1839,  in  Pike  County,  111.,  and  is  the  eldest 
in  a  family  of  six  children,  whose  parents  were 
Emery  and  Perlina  (Kingston)  Ingram.  Her 
father  was  bom  and  reared  in  Tennessee  upon  a 
farm,  and  when  fifteen  years  of  age  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Pike  County,  where  he  embarked 
in  agricultural  pursuits  for  himself.  He  then 
gave  his  time  and  attention  to  the  cultivation  of 
his  land  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1890. 
He  was  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction,  and  his  wife  was 
of  English  lineage.  She  was  born  in  Virginia, 
and  died  October  7,  1891.  By  their  marriage, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herring  became  the  parents  of  three 
children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter:  Nelson,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two;  Frances  Ann,  wife 
of  George  T.  Harrison,  a  farmer  of  Hancock 
County;  and  Harvey,  who  is  engaged  in  the  oper- 
ation of  a  farm,  and  is  a  resident  of  Denver,  111. 

Mr.  Herring  of  this  sketch,  who  is  a  supporter  of 
the  Democratic  party,  served  as  School  Director 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  has  also  filled  the  office 
of  Pathmaster.  He  holds  membership  with  the 
Second  Adventist  Church,  and  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church.  Having  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  until  1889,  he  then  rented 
his  farm  to  his  son  and  has  since  lived  retired  in 
Denver.  He  yet  owns,  however,  one  hundred 
and  eighty-four  acres  of  valuable  laud  in  Chili 
Township,  besides  his  pleasant  village  home. 

S—  T,     ^  <»■  A  ■<»•  ^^    "T  '  -* 


G|  BRAHAM  SHOUP,  one  of  the  practical  and 
LI  enterprising  farmers  of  Harmon)-  Township, 
/  I  Hancock  County,  now  lives  on  section  10, 
where  he  owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land.  This  farm  is  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  and  well  improved.  Its  owner  is  a 
native  of  Crawford  County,  Pa.,  born  on  the  27th 
of  April,  1808.  His  parents  were  Michael  and 
Mary  (Kaler)  Shoup,  and  he  was  one  of  their 
family  of  eleven  children,  numbering  six  sons 
and  five  daughters. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  Abraham 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  his 
education  was  acquired  in  the  subscription  schools, 


which  were  held  in  the  old-time  log  schoolhouse, 
with  its  puncheon  floor,  slab  seats  and  huge  fire- 
place. He  continued  under  the  parental  roof  un- 
til he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  pur- 
chased a  small  farm  and  began  life  for  himself. 
There  he  lived  until  1837,  which  year  witnessed 
his  emigration  westward.  The  trip  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  Illinois  was  made  by  team,  and  after 
many  days  of  travel  he  located  in  Fulton  County. 

Previous  to  his  removal  from  the  East,  Mr. 
Shoup  was  married.  On  the  7th  of  January ,  1829, 
he  wedded  Miss  Elizabeth  Plank,  and  to  this 
worthy  couple  were  born  six  children:  Mary, 
John,  Ellen,  Michael  P.,  Walter  and  Elizabeth. 
In  1842  Mr.  Shoup  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Sarah  A.  Crittendon,  by 
whom  he  had  eleven  children:  Elizabeth  (de- 
ceased), Abraham  M.,  Henry  W.,  Solomon  J., 
Julia,  Martha,  Eva-,  Franklin  P..  Lillie  and 
Stephen  S.  (twins),  and  William. 

On  coming  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Shoup  rented  land 
near  Canton,  Fulton  County,  and  there  engaged 
in  farming  for  two  years.  He  then  removed  to 
Cuba,  in  the  same  county,  and  purchased  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  of  unimproved  prairie  land,  upon 
which  he  erected  a  log  cabin.  He  lived  in  true 
pioneer  style,  and  from  morning  till  night  devoted 
his  time  and  energies  to  the  cultivation  and  de- 
velopment of  the  hitherto  barren  tract.  Much  of 
it  was  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile  fields,  and 
he  lived  upon  that  farm  until  1851,  when  he  came 
to  Hancock  County.  Here  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  Carthage  Township.  This  was 
also  wild,  not  a  furrow  having  been  turned  or  an 
improvement  made  thereon,  but  with  character- 
istic energy  he  began  its  improvement.  In  1867 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Harmony  Township,  but  after  living  upon 
it  for  two  years,  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  10  of  the  same  township,  and  re- 
moved to  the  farm  which  has  since  been  his  home. 
Industry  and  enterprise  have  been  numbered 
among  his  chief  characteristics  through  life,  and, 
as  the  result  of  his  perseverance,  good  manage- 
ment and  well-directed  efforts,  he  has  won  a  com- 
fortable competence.  His  success  is  well  de- 
served, for  he  started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy,  and 


364 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


has  depended  only  upon  his  own  resources.  In 
his  political  views,  Mr.  Shoup  has  always  been  a 
Democrat,  having  supported  that  party  since  cast- 
ing his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Andrew  Jackson. 
He  has  held  the  offices  of  School  Treasurer,  Town- 
ship Trustee  and  School  Director,  and  in  all  has 
discharged  his  duties  with  a  promptness  and 
fidelity  that  have  won  for  him  high  commenda- 
tion. 


EORNELIUS  MATTHEW  ERWHST,  one  of 
the  leading  merchants  of  Bowen,  who  is  now 
dealing  in  lumber  and  agricultural  imple- 
ments, has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illinois, 
for  he  was  born  in  Littleton,  on  the  24th  of  May, 
i860.  He  was  the  third  iir  order  of  birth  in  a 
family  of  eight  children,  whose  parents  were 
George  W.  and  Agnes  (Corey)  Erwiu.  The 
family  dates  its  ancestry  back  to  the  time  when 
the  Pilgrim  Fathers  landed  in  America. 

George  W.  Erwin  was  a  native  of  the  Empire 
State,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm,  there  remaining 
until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  decided  to 
seek  a  home  in  the  West,  believing  that  he 
might  thereby  better  his  financial  condition.  He 
made  his  way  to  Schuyler  County,  where  he  lived 
for  half  a  century  upon  a  farm,  where  his  death 
occurred  January  24,  1894,  he  having  attained 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  He  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  was  ever  a 
loyal  and  faithful  citizen.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Schuyler  County,  and  there  died  at  the  age  of 
forty-eight  years.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
Scotland,  but  when  a  youth  of  fourteen  left  that 
land  and  in  company  with  a  cousin  crossed  the 
briny  deep  to  the  New  World.  In  the  early  days 
of  its  history,  he  located  in  Schuyler  County,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  was  a  prominent  and  lead- 
ing merchant  of  Rushville.  He  then  purchased  a 
farm  near  that  city,  upon  which  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days,  his  death  occurring  on  the  old 
homestead  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety -two. 
He  was  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  county, 
and  was  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 


C.  M.  Erwin  whose  name  heads  this  notice 
supplemented  his  early  education,  which  was  ac- 
quired in  the  common  schools,  by  a  course  in  the 
High  School  of  Rushville.  He  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity and  then  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  His 
first  business  venture  was  in  milling.  He  also 
established  and  carried  on  a  tile  factory,  success- 
fully operating  the  same  until  1884,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Bowen  and  established  a  lumber-yard 
and  agricultural-implement  store.  He  carries  a 
good  stock  of  everything  found  in  his  line,  and  by 
straightforward  and  honorable  dealing  has  gained 
the  confidence  and  trust  of  the  community. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1882,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Erwin  and  Belle  Taylor,  of 
Adams  County.  Five  children  have  been  born 
unto  them,  Alma,  Charles  N.,  Ray,  Forrest  C. 
and  Clinton,  and  the  family  circle  yet  remains 
unbroken,  the  children  being  still  under  the  par- 
ental roof. 

Mr.  Erwiu  takes  an  active  interest  in  political 
affairs,  and  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Dem- 
ocracy. He  was  twice  nominated  for  Supervisor 
of  his  township,  but  as  the  township  is  strongly 
Republican,  he  was  defeated.  He  keeps  himself 
well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day,  and  is  also 
conversant  with  other  topics  of  general  interest. 
Socially,  he  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason,  and  his 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  to  the 
support  of  which  he  contributes  liberally.  He  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of 
Bowen,  is  enterprising  and  progressive,  and  as 
one  of  the  representative  citizens  well  deserves 
mention  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county. 

5=  ,,s=Ei)  <"  f  ">  fa"*      =© 

Gl  NDREW  JACKSON  FISH  owns  and  oper- 
I_l  ates  eighty  acres  of  good  laud  on  section  1 , 
I  I  Sonora  Township,  Hancock  Count)',  and  in 
connection  with  general  farming  carries  on  stock- 
raising.  His  close  attention  to  business,  and  his 
industry  and  perseverance,  have  made  him  one  of 
the  substantial  citizens  of  the  community.  He 
was  bom  in  Lawrence  County,  Ind.,  on  the  8th  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


365 


May,  1824,  and  is  one  of  a  family  often  children, 
six  sons  and  four  daughters,  whose  parents  were 
William  and  Sarah  (Caile)  Fish. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He 
acquired  his  education  in  a  log  schoolhouse, 
where  school  was  conducted  on  the  subscription 
plan.  He  often  had  to  walk  a  distance  of  two 
miles  to  and  from  the  place  of  learning.  His 
physical  development  was  not  neglected,  for  he 
had  plenty  of  exercise  in  the  shape  of  farm  work, 
his  labors  in  the  fields  beginning  as  soon  as  he 
was  old  enough  to  handle  the  plow.  Under  the 
parental  roof  he  remained,  and  to  his  father  gave 
the  benefit  of  his  services,  until  he  had  attained 
his  majority,  when  he  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self. During  the  first  year  he  worked  as  a  farm  ■ 
hand  for  $8  per  month.  At  the  end  of  two 
years  he  rented  land  and  began  farming  in  his 
own  interest.  A  year  later,  with  the  money 
which  he  had  thereby  acquired,  he  purchased  a 
tract  of  eight)'  acres  in  Jackson  County,  Iud., 
and  was  engaged  in  its  cultivation  for  two  years, 
when  he  returned  to  his  native  county.  There  he 
again  rented  land  until  1853,  which  year  wit- 
nessed a  change  in  his  place  of  residence. 

Mr.  Fish  then  came  to  Hancock  County,  and 
after  spending  one  year  in  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship, and  another  in  Sonora  Township,  he  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  laud  in  Rock  Creek  Town- 
snip,  where  he  made  his  home  for  two  years.  He 
then  bought  a  farm  in  Sonora  Township,  the 
same  on  which  he  now  resides,  and  has  since  de- 
voted his  time  and  attention  to  its  further  culti- 
vation. 

In  1846,  Mr.  Fish  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Victoria  A.,  daughter  of  Jonas  and  Mary 
I  Cupps  1  Ikerd.  Ten  children  have  been  born  to 
this  union,  as  follows:  Almeda  C. ;  Erasmus  D. ; 
Mary  M.,  now  deceased;  Logan  J.;  Clara  I.; 
Thaddeus  E.;  Sarah  M.;  Elvira  J.,  who  is  also 
deceased;  Araminta  V.,  and  Myrtle  M.,  who  has 
passed  away. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Fish  left  his  family  and  farm  to 
enter  the  service  of  his  country.  On  the  29th  of 
February,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  of  Company  B, 
One   Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry, 


and  was  mustered  in  at  Springfield.  He  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  then  honor- 
ably discharged,  in  October,  1865,  after  which  he 
returned  to  his  home  and  again  took  up  farming. 
His  life  has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one,  and  is 
worthy  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  People's  party, 
and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

ta  b^3r<r^r{^~ ' a> 


I"  RANK  FORESTER  WORTHEN,  D.  M.  D., 
|9  of  Warsaw,  was  born  in  this  city  on  the  10th 
I  of  March,  1874,  and  is  the  only  son  and  the 
eldest  child  in  a  family  of  four  children  born  unto 
Charles  K.  and  Clara  (Waugh)  Worthen.  A 
sketch  of  his  honored  grandfather,  Amos  Henry 
Worthen,  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  work.  After 
acquiring  a  liberal  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  city,  our  subject  attended  Washing- 
ton University  of  St.  Louis,  and  was  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  1892,  receiving  the  degree 
of  D.  M.  D.  on  the  anniversary  of  his  birthday. 
On  leaving  college,  he  accepted  a  position  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  Gramm,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he 
remained  for  three  months.  He  then  opened  an 
office  in  Warsaw,  where  he  has  since  successfully 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  The 
Doctor  is  a  young  man  of  good  habits  and  pleas- 
ing presence,  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  every 
branch  of  his  profession,  and  deserves  and  re- 
ceives a  liberal  patronage  from  the  citizens  of 
Warsaw  and  the  surrounding  country. 


ARSHALL  LUTHER  CLARKE,  a  grain 
dealer  and  merchant  residing  in  Denver, 
occupies  a  most  prominent  place  in  the  bus- 
iness circles  of  this  town.  He  was  born  Febru- 
ary 14,  1837,  nl  New  York,  and  was  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Sarah  (Lyon)  Clarke.  During  his 
infancy,  his  parents  came  to  Illinois,  and  since 
1842  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Hancock  County. 


366 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


His  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  until  his  death,  which  here 
occurred  about  1844.  Both  he  and  his  wife  sur- 
vived their  removal  to  Hancock  Count}-  only  a 
short  time,  and  at  their  death  they  left  a  family 
of  four  children :  Charles  H. ,  who  is  now  engaged 
in  farming  in  Nebraska;  Marshall  L-,  of  this 
sketch;  Ralph  \V.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
five;  and  Sarah  Jane,  wife  of  C.  C.  Bedow,  of 
Hancock  County. 

At  the  early  age  of  seven  years  our  subject  was 
left  an  orphan,  and  went  to  live  with  Albert  Cloud, 
a  farmer  of  the  neighborhood,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He 
was  early  inured  to  the  arduous  labors  of  farm  life, 
and  soon  became  familiar  with  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  all  their  details.  He  worked  in  the  fields 
during  the  summer  months,  and  in  the  winter 
season  attended  the  district  schools,  thus  acquir- 
ing a  fair  English  education.  When  he  had  at- 
tained man's  estate,  he  began  working  as  a  farm 
hand  by  the  mouth,  and  was  thus  employed  for 
several  years,  when  he  rented  land  and  began 
farming  in  his  own  interest.  At  length,  when  he 
had  acquired  sufficient  capital,  he  bought  a  farm 
in  St.  Mary's  Township,  Hancock  County,  which 
he  cultivated  about  one  year.  After  that  he 
bought  and  sold  several  farms  in  the  county. 

In  1866,  Mr.  Clarke  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Nancy  A.  Summers,  of  Missouri,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  three  children: 
Lawrence  R. ,  who  is  now  engaged  in  business  in 
Denver,  as  a  dealer  in  farm  implements;  William 
L. ,  who  is  interested  in  business  with  his  father; 
and  Iva,  a  maiden  of  eleven  summers,  who  is  still 
with  her  parents. 

For  some  years  Mr.  Clarke  engaged  in  buying 
land,  which  he  would  then  cultivate  and  improve 
for  a  time,  and  later  sell.  In  1872  he  came  to 
Denver  and  embarked  in  general  merchandising 
and  in  grain  and  stock  dealing.  He  formed  a 
partnership  with  E.  McClure,  and  this  connection 
continued  for  several  years,  after  which  Mr. 
Clarke  sold  his  interest.  In  1892  he  purchased 
Mr.  McClure' s  interest  in  the  store  formerly  owned 
by  McClure  &  Barber,  and  the  firm  of  Barber  & 
Clarke  is  now  doing  a  good  business.  They  carry 


a  full  line  of  general  merchandise,  and  by  courte- 
ous treatment  and  earnest  efforts  to  please  their 
customers,  they  have  secured  an  excellent  trade. 
Mr.  Clarke  has  been  extremely  successful  in  his 
business  dealings,  and  is  now  the  only  grain- 
buyer  of  Denver.  He  also  owns  three  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  has  large 
property  interests  in  Denver. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Clarke  is  a  stalwart 
Democrat,  and  for  four  3-ears  he  served  as  Post- 
master. His  partner  is  now  filling  that  position, 
and  the  postoffice  has  been  located  in  their  store 
for  over  twenty  years.  Mr.  Clarke  has  also  been 
School  Director,  and  the  cause  of  education  finds 
in  him  a  warm  friend.  Socially,  he  is  a  member 
of  Denver  Lodge  No.  464,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He 
may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for  he  began 
life  empty-handed,  and  what  he  has  represents 
his  own  earnings.  He  had  no  relatives  or  wealthy 
friends  to  aid  him,  but  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward,  and  by  his  indomitable  energy  and 
perseverance  has  become  one  of  the  prosperous 
citizens  of  Hancock  County. 

(TOHNT.  McKOWN,  M.  D.,  a  practicing phy- 
I  sician  of  Bowen,  claims  West  Virginia  as  the 
v2/  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Berke- 
ley County,  January  11,  1850,  and  is  the  eldest 
in  a  family  of  five  children,  four  sons  and  a  daugh- 
ter, whose  parents  were  Morgan  and  Rebecca 
(Vanmater)  McKowu.  Ida,  the  second  of  the 
family,  is  now  the  wife  of  Edward  D.  Powell,  of 
Hancock  County.  Alexander  S.  is  a  telegraph 
operator.  Newton  I.  makes  his  home  in  Han- 
cock County.  Louis  is  a  Methodist  minister,  now 
located  in  Fulton  County,  111.  The  father  was 
also  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  and  in  that  State 
was  reared  to  manhood  upon  a  farm.  After  his 
marriage  he  engaged  in  farming  for  himself  in 
West  Virginia  until  187 1,  when  he  came  to  Han- 
cock County,  111.,  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Har- 
mony Township.  Here  his  death  occurred  at  the 
age  of  seventy  years.  The  McKowu  family  is  of 
Irish  origin,  and  was  founded  in  America  by  John 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


367 


McKown,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  who  was 
a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  when  a  young 
man  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States. 
The  Doctor's  mother  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was 
of  English  extraction.  She  was  reared,  however, 
in  West  Virginia,  and  her  death  occurred  in  Han- 
cock County,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  Her 
ancestors  took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  for  five  generations  the  family  has  lived  in 
America. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  Dr.  Mc- 
Kown spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
remaining  with  his  parents  until  twenty-two  years 
of  age,  when  he  began  teaching  school.  That 
profession  he  followed  for  eight  years,  and  was  an 
able  and  successful  instructor.  In  the  mean  time 
he  began  studying  medicine  with  a  view  to 
making  its  practice  his  life  work,  and  later  en- 
tered the  Chicago  Medical  College,  which  he  at- 
tended for  one  term.  On  the  7th  of  February, 
1880,  he  was  graduated  from  the  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Indiana  in  Indianapolis.  In  the  same  year 
he  opened  an  office  in  Bowen,  where  he  has  since 
been  engaged  in  practice. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1881,  Dr.  McKown  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Belle  Davis,  of 
Hancock  County,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  one  son,  Paul,  who  is  now  a  lad  of  eleven 
years.  The  parents  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in 
this  community,  and  are  numbered  among  the 
most  highly  respected  citizens  of  Bowen.  The 
Doctor  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in  political 
affairs,  and  is  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  principles 
of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  now  serving  as 
President  of  the  School  Board,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Town  Board  of  Trustees  of  Bowen  for  two 
years.  The  cause  of  education  has  ever  found  in 
him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  does  all  in  his  power 
for  its  advancement.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  became  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  but  during  his  residence  in  Bowen  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church. 
He  is  now  serving  as  Clerk  of  the  church,  was  Su- 
perintendent of  the  Sunday-school  for  eight  years, 
and  for  five  years  was  Vice-President  of  the  Sun- 
day-school Association  of  the  township.     He  has 


always  taken  an  active  part  in  church  and  benev- 
olent work,  and  is  a  generous  and  liberal  man,  in 
whom  the  poor  and  needy  find  a  true  friend.  The 
Doctor  came  to  Bowen  in  limited  circumstances, 
for  his  father's  home  and  property  in  West  Vir- 
ginia were  destroyed  during  the  war,  leaving  him 
with  little.  By  close  attention  to  business,  and 
by  skill  and  ability,  he  has,  however,  won  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice,  and  gained  a  high  reputa- 
tion among  his  professional  brethren. 

I— ~^+^- 1 

(2J  M.  IRWIN,  the  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
/N  Bowen  Chronicle,  a  weekly  newspaper  pub- 
\~)  lished  at  Bowen,  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of 
his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Green, 
on  the  26th  of  February,  1845.  The  family  is  of 
Irish  origin,  and  the  grandparents  of  our  subject 
emigrated  from  the  Emerald  Isle  to  America. 
Wesley  Irwin,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  in  that  State  spent  his  entire  life, 
following  the  occupation  of  farming.  He  married 
Miss  Mary  Boone,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
was  also  of  Irish  lineage.  His  death  occurred  in 
Ohio,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years,  but  his  widow 
is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  early  youth  of  our  subject,  who  attended  the 
common  schools  through  the  winter  months  and 
aided  in  the  labors  of  the  farm  in  the  summer 
season  until  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  then  left 
home  to  enter  the  service  of  his  country,  for  war 
had  begun  and,  prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  he 
entered  the  Union  service.  On  the  14th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1861,  he  was  enrolled  as  a  member  of  the 
Sixth  Iowa  Cavalry,  but  afterward  was  transferred 
to  the  Second  Ohio  Cavalry,  and  later  to  the 
Twenty -fifth  Ohio  Battery.  He  served  for  four 
years  and  three  months,  or  until  after  the  South 
had  laid  down  its  arms  and  the  preservation  of  the 
Union  was  an  assured  fact.  He  was  always  found 
at  his  post  of  duty,  and  was  recognized  as  a  valiant 
and  faithful  soldier. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  serv- 


368 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ices,  Mr.  Irwin  returned  to  his  home  in  Ohio,  and 
began  teaching  school.  The  year  1867  witnessed 
his  removal  westward.  He  located  in  Adams 
County,  and  was  one  of  its  successful  and  capable 
teachers  for  many  years,  following  that  profession 
until  1888,  when  he  embarked  in  the  newspaper 
business.  Going  to  Golden,  he  there  became  con- 
nected with  a  newspaper,  and  worked  in  its  inter- 
est for  some  years,  when  he  came  to  Bowen,  and 
established  the  Chronicle,  which  he  still  edits. 

On  the  8th  of  January,  1867,  Mr.  Irwin  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  S.  E.  Ross,  a  native  of 
Warren,  Pa.,  and  by  their  union  has  been  born  a 
daughter,  Ora  M.,  who  is  still  with  her  parents. 
During  their  residence  in  Bowen  the  members  of 
the  family  have  become  both  widely  and  favorably 
known  and  have  gained  many  warm  friends  in 
this  locality. 

Mr.  Irwin  holds  membership  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  In  his  political  views,  he  is  a  Democrat, 
but  publishes  his  paper  independent  of  politics. 
The  Chronicle  now  has  a  good  circulation  in  Han- 
cock and  Adams  Counties,  and  is  well  worthy  of 
a  liberal  patronage,  for  it  is  a  bright  and  interest- 
ing sheet,  ably  conducted.  Mr.  Irwin  takes  an 
active  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his 
home,  and  through  the  columns  of  his  paper  and 
in  other  ways  he  aids  in  the  advancement  of  those 
enterprises  which  tend  to  the  prosperity  and  prog- 
ress of  the  town. 

I  ORGAN  R.  LEWIS,  who  resided  on  section 
11,  Sonora  Township,  Hancock  County, 
was  for  many  years  prominently  connected 
with  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  community. 
He  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  on  the  21st 
of  April,  1814,  and  was  a  son  of  Henry  and  Ellen 
(Evans)  Lewis,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Key- 
stone State.  Their  family  numbered  ten  children, 
five  sons  and  five  daughters,  but  all  have  passed 
away. 

Mr.  Lewis  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  his  native  State,  in  much  the  same  man- 


ner as  all  farmer  lads  pass  their  time,  and  in  the 
subscription  schools  of  the  neighborhood  he  ac- 
quired a  fair  English  education.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  entered  upon  a  two-years  apprentice- 
ship to  the  trade  of  a  harness-maker  and  saddler, 
and  as  compensation  for  his  services  during  that 
period  he  received  his  board  and  clothes.  When 
his  term  had  expired,  he  returned  to  the  old  home- 
stead and  engaged  in  its  operation  for  three  years. 
About  that  time  he  began  buying  cattle  and  driv- 
ing them  across  the  country  to  Philadelphia  and 
New  York  City.  For  twelve  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  that  line  of  business,  and  found  it  a 
profitable  one. 

February  2,  1841,  Mr.  Lewis  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Ann  Thomas,  who  died 
March  22,  1842.  December  26,  1844,  he  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Mary  A.  Downing.  Nine  children  were  born  to 
them,  but  four  of  the  number  are  now  deceased, 
namely:  Francis,  Marian,  Evan  and  Florence. 
Those  still  living  are  Ellen,  w'ife  of  Washington 
Webb,  a  farmer  of  Appanoose  Township;  Ann, 
the  wife  of  Farnham  Whitcomb,  who  carries  on 
agricultural  pursuits  in  Rock  Creek  Township, 
Hancock  County;  Isaac,  who  married  Miss  Sarah 
Wilson,  and  is  living  on  the  old  homestead;  Lu- 
amia,  wife  of  William  Thoruber,  a  resident  farm- 
er of  Sonora  Township;  and  Edith,  who  com- 
pletes the  family.  The  mother  died  February  6, 
1875,  and  many  friends  mourned  her  loss,  for  she 
was  a  most  estimable  woman. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1853  that  Mr.  Lewis  left 
his  old  home  in  the  Keystone  State  and  started 
westward.  He  traveled  through  Illinois,  Mich- 
igan and  Iowa,  and  in  the  autumn  of  that  year 
located  in  Hancock  County.  He  spent  about  a 
year  in  Nauvoo,  and  in  the  spring  of  1855  took 
up  his  residence  upon  the  farm  which  continued, 
to  be  his  home  until  his  death.  He  first  pur- 
chased two  hundred  acres  of  land,  but  subse- 
quently disposed  of  all  but  eighty  acres.  For 
many  years  he  successfully  carried  on  general 
farming,  and  his  place  was  always  well  developed, 
while  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  told  the 
passer-by  a  story  of  the  careful  supervision  of  the 
owner.     In  1886  he  retired  from  business,  having 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


369 


acquired  a  comfortable  competence,  which  enabled 
him  to  lay  aside  business  cares  and  rest  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 

Mr.  Lewis  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
William  Henry  Harrison,  and  by  his  last  ballot 
supported  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison,  for  after  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  he  was 
one  of  its  warm  advocates.  He  served  as  High- 
way Commissioner  and  School  Trustee,  and  was 
School  Director  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years. 
The  cause  of  education  ever  found  in  him  a  warm 
friend,  and  the  best  interests  of  the  community 
always  received  his  hearty  support  and  co-opera- 
tion. His  life  was  well  spent,  and  an  honorable, 
upright  career  gained  him  universal  confidence 
and  esteem.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Sonora 
Township,  February  3,  1894,  and  his  remains 
were  interred  in  Xauvoo  Cemetery. 


a<,|?">[i 


WI  AX  REIMBOLD,  who  is  one  of  the  leading 
Ir  merchants  of  Nauvoo,  and  a  representative 
(3  and  ehterprising  business  man,  claims  Ger- 
many as  the  land  of  his  birth.  He  was  born  in 
Cologne,  Prussia,  on  the  25th  of  August,  1846, 
and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Ernestine  (Baum) 
Reimbokl.  who  were  also  natives  of  Prussia.  In 
1S48,  the  father,  accompanied  by  his  family, 
sailed  for  the  Xew  World,  and  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Nauvoo,  where  he  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  throughout  his  remaining  davs. 
He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  place,  and 
was  a  highly -respected  citizen.  His  death  occur- 
red in  1857,  alKl  his  xv'fe'  wno  survived  him 
many  years,  passed  away  in  [871.  They  were 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom  Max  was 
the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 

Our  subject  was  only  two  years  old  when  he 
left  the  Fatherland  and  with  his  family  crossed 
the  briny  deep.  Since  that  time  he  has  made  his 
home  in  Xauvoo,  and  has  become  one  of  its  lead- 
ing citizens.  Xo  event  of  special  importance  oc- 
curred during  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  ac- 
quired a  good  education,  and  during  a  part  of  his 
minority  he  was  engaged  in  clerking,  thus  pro- 


viding for  his  own  maintenance.  When  he  had 
attained  to  man's  estate,  he  embarked  in  busi- 
ness for  himself  as  a  general  merchant,  carrying 
on  a  store  in  which  his  mother  owned  a  half-in- 
terest. Since  that  time  he  has  continued  in  the 
same  line  of  business  with  good  success. 

On  the  12th  of  July,  1870,  Mr.  Reimbokl  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  McCafferty,  a 
native  of  Xauvoo,  and  four  children  were  born 
unto  them.  Three  of  the  number  are  now  de- 
ceased. The  only  surviving  member  of  the  fam- 
ily is  Frank,  a  lad  of  fourteen  summers. 

Mr.  Reimbold  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  political  preferment.  He  and 
his  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  is  now  the  owner  of  one  of  the  largest  stores 
in  Xauvoo.  and  carries  a  full  line  of  clothing,  dry 
goods,  boots  and  shoes,  notions,  etc.  The  public 
gives  to  him  a  liberal  patronage,  for  he  earnestly 
desires  to  please  his  customers,  and  is  straightfor- 
ward and  honorable  in  all  business  dealings.  He 
is  also  a  stockholder  of  the  State  Bank  of  Xauvoo, 
and  holds  the  office  of  President.  He  is  sagacious, 
enterprising  and  persevering,  and  his  good  man- 
agement has  made  him  one  of  the  substantial  cit- 
izens of  the  community.  From  early  boyhood  he 
has  made  his  home  in  Nauvoo,  and  now  has  many 
warm  friends  in  Hancock  County. 


(JOHN  MCALLISTER  was  a  prominent  citi- 
I  zen  of  Hancock  County.  He  was  born  in 
(2/  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  on  the  17th  of  Sep- 
tember, 18 18,  and  was  the  only  child  of  Randall 
and  Nancy  McAllister.  His  boyhood  days  were 
spent  on  the  farm,  and  he  acquired  a  good  practi- 
cal education  in  the  common  schools.  When  a 
youth  of  sixteen,  he  began  working  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  serving  a  five-years  apprenticeship  at 
the  same.  He  followed  that  vocation  on  the  Emer- 
ald Isle  until  1846,  when  he  determined  to  try  his 
fortune  in  America,  believing  that  he  might  bet- 
ter his  financial  condition  in  the  Xew  World. 
Crossing  the  Atlantic  in   a  sailing-vessel,  Mr. 


37° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


McAllister,  after  a  voyage  of  fourteen  weeks, 
landed  in  New  York,  and  then  he  at  once  came 
to  Illinois,  Hancock  County  being  his  destination. 
He  located  in  Harmony  Township,  where  he  be- 
gan working  at  his  trade,  which  he  followed  for 
about  three  years.  In  1850  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming,  and  in  1851,  with  the  capital  he 
had  acquired  through  his  industry,  economy  and 
good  management  in  former  years,  he  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  his  widow  now  resides,  becom- 
ing owner  of  a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  tract 
on  section  16,  Harmony  Township.  It  was  then 
wild  and  uncultivated,  but  he  at  once  began  its 
development,  and  in  course  of  time  the  raw 
prairie  was  made  to  yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute. 
All  of  the  improvements  upon  the  place  are  the 
work  of  his  hands,  and  stand  as  monuments  to 
his  thrift  and  enterprise. 

Mr.  McAllister  was  married  April  10,  1851,  to 
Miss  Jane  Langford,  daughter  of  George  and  Jane 
Langford,  and  a  native  of  New  York,  born  Jan- 
uary 24,  1833.  They  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely: 
George  R.,  who  died  in  1872;  Nancy  J.,  whose 
death  occurred  the  same  year;  Samuel,  a  farmer 
of  Harmony  Township;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  George 
James,  who  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Harmony  Township;  John  C.  and  William,  who 
died  in  1872;  Sarah  A.,  who  died  in  1871;  and 
Emma  F.,  wife  of  Henry  James,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Harmony  Township.  The  four  children  who 
passed  away  in  1872  were  all  victims  of  the  small- 
pox. 

Mr.  McAllister  was  a  man  of  excellent  business 
and  executive  ability.  He  was  sagacious  and  far- 
sighted,  and  by  his  well-directed  efforts  he  won  a 
handsome  property.  He  always  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  he  owned  between  eight  and  nine  hun- 
dred acres  of  valuable  land,  which  he  had  ac- 
quired through  his  own  efforts.  In  politics,  he 
was  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party  and  its 
principles,  and  was  a  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen,  who  manifested  a  commendable 
interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
the  community  and  its  upbuilding.  His  support 
was  never  withheld  from  any   worthy  charity  or 


enterprise,  and  his  sterling  worth  and  many  ex- 
cellencies of  character  won  for  him  the  confidence 
and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  was  brought 
in  contact.  He  held  membership  with  the  Meth- 
odist Church,  to  which  his  wife  also  belongs.  On 
the  4th  of  July,  1886,  he  was  called  to  his  final 
rest,  and  his  remains  were  interred  in  the  ceme- 
tery in  Harmony  Township. 

f=   '    "Hi)  <•  ?  >  ^  "   "      & 

REV.  FATHER  H.  J.  REIMBOLD,  who  is 
pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church  of  Nauvoo, 
was  born  in  Cologne,  Germany,  on  the  31st 
of  May,  1842,  and  is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  four 
sons,  whose  parents  were  John  and  Gertrude 
(Broicher)  Reimbold.  His  father  and  mother 
were  both  natives  of  Cologne.  In  1848,  accom- 
panied by  their  family,  they  bade  adieu  to  friends 
and  home  and  sailed  for  the  New  World.  They 
first  located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  but  after  a  short 
time  resumed  their  westward  journey  and  came 
to  Nauvoo.  Here  the  father  began  business  as  a 
grain-dealer,  and  carried  on  operations  along  that 
line  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of 
thirty-nine  years.  His  widow  still  survives  him, 
and  now  makes  her  home  with  our  subject,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven  years.  She  is  a  devout 
member  of  the  Catholic  Church,  to  which  her 
husband  also  belonged. 

Father  Reimbold  was  reared  under  the  parental 
roof,  and  in  early  boyhood  attended  the  public 
schools.  He  afterward  became  a  student  in  Notre 
Dame  University,  and  after  being  graduated  from 
that  institution,  was  ordained  in  Chicago  in  1866 
as  a  priest  of  the  Catholic  Church.  For  one  year 
he  remained  in  that  city,  and  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1867,  came  to  Nauvoo,  to  take  charge  of  the 
church  at  this  place.  Under  his  supervision,  and 
largely  through  his  instrumentality,  their  present 
house  of  worship,  the  finest  in  the  county,  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $24,000.  The  congregation 
now  numbers  one  hundred  and  ten  families. 
The}'  also  have  a  convent  school,  which  is  well 
attended  by  the  children  of  Catholic  parents 
throughout  this  locality.     Father  Reimbold  is  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


37i 


good  man,  and  beloved  by  all  who  know  him. 
He  devotes  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  the 
work  of  the  church,  and  the  fact  that  he  has  been 
stationed  in  Nauvoo  for  almost  twenty-seven  years 
indicates  his  efficient  service  in  this  place,  and 
also  tells  of  the  love  and  respect  which  his  con- 
gregation bears  him. 


(TjAMUEE  H.  NIMRICK,  one  of  the  early  set- 
7\  tiers  of  Hancock  County,  who  now  makes  his 
\yj  home  in  Nauvoo,  has  the  honor  of  being  a 
native  of  Illinois,  for  he  was  born  in  the  town  of 
EdwardsviHe,  this  State,  on  the  nth  of  January, 
[843.  His  parents  were  John  G.  and  Mary  (Mor- 
gan) Nimrick,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  the  latter  of  Maryland.  The  Nimrick  fam- 
ily is  of  German  origin,  and  was  founded  in 
America  at  an  early  day.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject came  to  Nauvoo  in  1848.  He  was  a  wagon- 
maker  by  trade,  but  for  a  number  of  years  he  en- 
gaged in  the  hotel  business  in  this  place.  At 
length  he  retired  from  active  business  life,  having 
acquired  a  comfortable  competence.  His  death 
occurred  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-four. 

Samuel  H.  Nimrick  wasa  lad  of  only  five  sum- 
mers when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Nauvoo. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  its  public  schools, 
and  he  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he 
had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  began  life  for 
himself,  securing  a  position  as  engineer  on  a  Miss- 
issippi steamer.  Since  that  time  he  has  followed 
the  river,  running  from  St.  Paul  to  New  Orleans. 

On  the  10th  of  December,  187 1,  Mr.  Nimrick 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Man,-  Smith, 
daughter  of  William  S.  and  Rebecca  (Taylor) 
Smith.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Toronto,  On- 
tario, Canada,  and  in  1841  came  to  Nauvoo.  Dur- 
ing the  later  years  of  his  life,  he  was  engaged  in 
horticultural  pursuits,  making  a  specialty  of  the 
cultivation  of  grapes.  His  death  "occurred  in 
1866,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years,  and  his  wife, 
who  survived  him  for  several  years,  passed  away 


in  Nauvoo  in  1878,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 
She  was  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Her  paternal 
grandfather,  who  was  of  English  extraction, served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was  killed  in 
one  of  its  battles. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nimrick  were  born  two  sons: 
Nathaniel,  who  is  now  a  printer  of  Nauvoo;  and 
Mark,  who  died  in  childhood.  In  his  polit- 
ical views,  our  subject  is  a  Democrat.  His  wife 
holds  membership  with  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
For  thirty  years  our  subject  has  followed  the  riv- 
er, and  all  along  the  way  from  St.  Paul  to  New 
Orleans  he  has  many  friends,  who,  appreciating  his 
sterling  worth  and  many  excellencies  of  character, 
give  him  their  high  regard.  He  has  made  his 
home  in  Nauvoo  since  early  childhood,  and  here 
also  has  many  warm  friends. 


B£+^ 


EHARLES  SCANLAN,  dealer  in  agricultural 
implements  in  Nauvoo,  is  numbered  among 
the  native  sons  of  Hancock  County.  He 
was  born  in  Niota,  October  14,  1857,  anc^  is  °f 
Irish  descent.  His  parents,  John  and  Mary 
(Kennedy)  Scanlan,  were  both  natives  of  the  Em- 
erald Isle,  and  during  childhood  came  to  America. 
The  father  took  up  his  residence  in  Hancock 
County  about  1854,  and  for  a  time  was  foreman 
of  a  rock  quarry.  He  afterwards  engaged  in 
farming  in  this  county,  but  subsequently  removed 
to  Cheyenne  County,  Neb.,  where  he  now  carries 
on  agricultural  pursuits. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  our  subject  was 
reared  to  manhood,  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  being  passed  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
lads.  In  the  common  schools  he  acquired  a  good 
English  education,  and  when  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  he  began  life  for  himself  by  working  on 
a  farm.  He  also  engaged  in  railroading  for  a 
time,  both  on  construction  work  and  as  brake- 
man  on  a  train.  He  was  also  employed  on  a 
steamer  on  the  Mississippi  for  some  time,  and 
through  these  various  labors  he  acquired  the  cap- 
ital necessary  to  start  in  business  for  himself.  In 
1889,  he  became  proprietor  of  an  agricultural-im- 


372 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


plement  store  and  has  since  conducted  the  same. 
He  is  now  doing  a  good  business,  for  his  enter- 
prising and  well-directed  efforts  have  secured  him 
a  liberal  patronage,  and  his  straightforward  and 
honorable  dealing  has  gained  him  the  confidence 
and  good-will  of  the  entire  community. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1885,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Scanlan  and  Mis.  H.  Dank- 
ameyer,  of  Nauvoo.  They  began  their  domestic 
life  in  this  city,  and  have  since  made  it  their 
home.  They  hold  membership  with  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  Mr.  Scanlan  is  a  member  of  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America.  He  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Democratic 
party  on  questions  of  national  importance,  but  at 
local  elections  votes  independently.  He  is  a  well- 
known  citizen  of  Nauvoo,  and  has  the  high  re- 
gard of  all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations 
have  brought  him  in  contact. 

EL.  c_=E?<   A   >'=3    -  g 

(JOHN  M.  J.  COX,  who  is  successfully  en- 
I  gaged  in  merchandising  in  Webster,  has  car- 
O  ried  on  business  along  this  line  since  1872. 
He  has  worked  up  a  good  trade,  and  by  his  fair 
and  honest  dealing  and  courteous  treatment,  he 
well  merits  the  liberal  patronage  which  he  re- 
ceives. Numbered  among  the  representative  citi- 
zens of  this  community,  he  well  deserves  repre- 
sentation in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county. 

Mr.  Cox  is  a  native  of  Breckenridge  County, 
Ky.,  born  April  5,  1824.  His  father,  Benjamin 
Cox,  was  a  native  of  Washington  County,  Pa., 
born  March  19,1775.  By  occupation,  he  was  a 
farmer.  Emigrating  to  Kentucky  in  1806,  he 
located  in  Breckenridge  County,  and  was  there 
married,  February  5,  1807,  to  Elizabeth  Midcap, 
daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Crume)  Midcap. 
Six  children  were  born  of  their  union,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters.  Sarah  M.,  who  was  born 
December  22,  1807,  became  the  wife  of  James  E. 
Roberts,  of  Fountain  Green  Township,  and  died 
in  June,  1845.  Her  husband  is  also  deceased. 
Ralph  E-,  who  was  born  October  9,  1809,  and 
died  on  the  14th  of  March,  1893,  was  a  merchant 


in  Pine  Grove,  Ky.  John  M.  J.,  of  this  sketch,  is 
the  next  younger.  Eetitia  Ann,  who  was  born 
March  17,  1826,  is  the  wife  of  H.  H.  McElvain, 
a  farmer  and  dealer  in  fine  blooded  stock  of  Scotts- 
burg,  McDonough  Count}'.  Benjamin  E.,  who 
was  born  April  9,  1829,  and  died  March  12,  1855, 
was  a  mason  of  Webster.  Mary  W.,  who  was 
born  December  11,  1830,  and  became  the  wife  of 
George  W.  McElvain,  of  Prairie  City,  111.,  died 
December  26,  1S86.  The  father  of  this  family 
was  called  to  his  final  rest  on  the  24th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1838,  and  Mrs.  Cox  departed  this  life 
September  21,  1872. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  worked  upon  his  father's  farm  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority.  The  first  fifteen 
years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  his  native  State, 
and  he  then  came  with  the  family  to  Hancock 
County,  reaching  Fountain  Green  Township  on 
the  22d  of  October,  1839.  The  journey  hither 
was  made  by  team.  Their  household  effects, 
with  the  exception  of  the  bedding  and  cooking 
utensils,  were  shipped  by  steamboat  to  Warsaw, 
and  then  brought  across  the  country  to  their  des- 
tination. Mr.  Cox  acquired  a  good  education  in 
the  public  schools,  and  embarked  in  the  profession 
of  teaching,  -which  he  successfully  followed  for 
about  ten  years  during  the  winter  season,  while 
in  the  summer  months  he  engaged  in  farm  labor. 

On  the  19th  of  November,  1854,  Mr.  Cox  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  E.  Welch, 
daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Perkins)  Welch. 
She  has  been  to  him  a  faithful  companion  and 
helpmate  during  the  forty  years  which  have  passed 
since  they  started  out  on  life's  journey  together. 
In  his  political  views,  our  subject  was  originally 
a  Whig,  and  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Henry  Clay  in  1844,  but  on  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  party  he  joined  its  ranks  and  has 
since  been  an  advocate  of  its  principles.  He  has 
never  aspired  to  public  office,  but  served  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  for  twenty-two  years,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  efficient  and  faithful  incumbents 
of  that  office,  as  is  indicated  by  his  long  service. 
He  has  also  been  School  Director  and  Village 
Trustee  of  Webster.  He  contributes  liberally  to 
churches   and   charitable  organizations,   and  his 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


Joseph  S.  King 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


375 


heart}-  support  and  co-operation  are  ever  given 
to  those  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  bene- 
fit the  community.  He  is  progressive  and  public- 
spirited,  and  is  recognized  as  a  valued  citizen  of 
his  adopted  county. 


{JOSEPH  S.  KING,  who  carries  on  general 
I  fanning  and  stock-raising  on  section  3,  Rari- 
\Z/  tan  Township,  Henderson  County,  is  one  of 
the  most  extensive  land-owners  in  this  locality, 
and  for  the  past  fifteeen  years  he  has  been  exten- 
sively engaged  in  the  raising  of  draft  horses.  He 
was  born  in  County  Monaghan,  Ireland,  on 
the  22d  of  July,  1824,  and  his  parents,  James  and 
Margaret  (Sharp)  King,  were  also  natives  of  the 
same  country.  Their  family  numbered  eleven 
children:  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  iSgiiJohn,  who 
died  in  1822;  Sarah;  Joseph;  Susan,  who  died  in 
1889;  Jane;  Mary;  Alexander:  .Samuel;  James; 
and  John,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  King  of  this  sketch  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  land,  and  was  for  a  time  a 
student  in  a  select  school  and  in  an  academy.  He 
thus  acquired  a  good  education,  which  fitted  him 
for  the  practical  duties  of  life.  On  attaining  his 
majority  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in 
the  world,  and,  believing  that  he  could  benefit  his 
financial  condition  by  emigrating  to  America,  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  in  a  sailing-vessel,  which,  af- 
ter one  month  spent  on  the  bosom  of  the  deep, 
dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  York  City. 
Mr.  King  then  went  to  Washington  County, 
X.  V.,  where  he  began  work  as  a  farm  hand  for 
$7  per  month,  and  half  of  his  wages  were  paid  in 
cloth  for  about  five  years.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  rented  land  and  began  farming  in 
his  own  interest.  It  was  in  1855  that  he  came  to 
Henderson  County,  settling  in  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  where  he  purchased  ninety-five  acres 
of  prairie  land,  a  small  portion  of  which  had  been 
broken.  There  was  also  a  log  cabin  upon  it. 
After  a  year,  however,  Mr.  King  sold  this  farm 
and  rented  laud  for  a  year.  He  then  bought  one 
hundred  and  eighty-nine  acres  on  section  3,  Rari- 
'9 


tan  Township,  where  he  has  made  his  home  con- 
tinuously since.  As  time  has  passed  and  his  finan- 
cial resources  have  been  increased,  he  has  made 
other  purchases,  until  he  now  owns  eight  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  all  in  one  body.  It  is  well 
cultivated,  and  the  well-tilled  fields  yield  to  him  a 
good  income.  During  the  past  fifteen  years  he 
has  also  made  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  draft 
horses. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1858,  Mr.  King  wedded 
Miss  Julia  A.  McLain,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter  of  James  McLain.  Five  children  graced 
their  marriage:  Margaret,  wife  of  Robert  Rankin, 
a  farmer  of  Raritan  Township;  Ross,  who  also 
follows  farming  in  the  same  township;  Ira  A., 
who  died  in  1862;  and  Joseph  J.  and  Darius  A., 
both  farmers  in   Henderson  Count  v. 

Since  its  organization,  Mr.  King  has  always 
been  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  holds  membership  with  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church.  When  he  came  to  America  he  had 
a  cash  capital  of  twenty-five  cents,  but,  undaunted 
by  the  trials  and  difficulties  in  his  path,  he  began 
to  work  his  way  upward,  and  has  risen  steadily, 
step  by  step,  to  a  position  of  affluence.  His  suc- 
cess is  certainly  well  deserved,  for  it  is  the  reward 
of  honest  and  untiring  labor.  Truly  he  may  be 
called  a  self-made  man. 

fpARDIS  ANDREWS,  who  carries  on  general 
/\  farming  on  section  8,  Fountain  Green  Town- 
£jj/  ship,  owns  and  operates  a  valuable  and  ara- 
ble tract  of  land  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres. 
His  place,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  neatly  improved,  is  supplied  with  good 
buildings,  and  its  thrifty  appearance  indicates  that 
the  owner  is  a  practical  agriculturist. 

The  life  record  of  Mr.  Andrews  is  as  follows: 
He  was  born  in  Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  on  the 
6th  of  April,  1820,  and  is  a  son  of  Richard  An- 
drews, who  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  served 
in  the  War  of  181 2.  In  the  family  were  eight 
children,  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  namely: 
Sophia,    deceased,  wife  of  G.  Dame,  of  Omaha, 


376 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Neb. ;  Lavina,  deceased,  wife  of  William  Dame,  of 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Elsie  and  Amanda,  who 
died  in  childhood;  Pluma,  widow  of  Charles  Lib- 
bey,  of  McDonough  County;  Sardis,  whose  name 
heads  this  record;  Albert,  a  resident  of  Pilot 
Grove  Township;  Timothy,  who  makes  his  home 
in  Carthage;  and  Silas,  deceased. 

Sardis  Andrews  left  the  Buckeye  State  when  a 
youth  of  thirteen  years,  and  in  April,  1833,  be- 
came a  resident  of  Illinois,  settling  in  Adams 
Count}-.  There  he  remained  until  the  following 
August,  when  he  located  in  Fountain  Green 
Township,  Hancock  County.  He  is  one  of  the 
very  oldest  settlers  of  this  locality,  for  his  resi- 
dence here  covers  a  period  of  almost  sixty-one 
years.  He  was  educated  in  the  subscription 
schools  of  this  locality,  which  he  attended  through 
the  winter  season,  while  in  the  summer  months 
he  worked  upon  his  father's  farm.  He  early  be- 
came inured  to  the  arduous  duties  of  developing 
land,  and  he  continued  to  aid  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  old  homestead  until  thirty  years  of  age. 

In  1844  Mr.  Andrews  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  Ann  Cottle,  daughter  of  James 
Cottle,  a  native  of  England.  .She  came  to  Han- 
cock County  in  1843,  and  the  following  year  be- 
came the  wife  of  Mr.  Andrews.  They  have  trav- 
eled life's  journey  together  for  fifty  years,  sharing 
with  each  other  its  joys  and  its  sorrows,  its  pros- 
perity and  adversity.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  a  family  of  six  children,  as  follows:  Wesley, 
who  is  now  deceased;  Sarah,  wife  of  Henry  Par- 
rish,  a  resident  of  Kirksville,  Mo.;  Minerva,  wife 
of  G.  Dorothy,  a  resident  of  McDonough  County ; 
Phcebe,  wife  of  Charles  Dorothy,  a  farmer  of  Pilot 
Grove  Township;  and  George  and  James,  who 
are  at  home. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Andrews  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
William  Henry  Harrison,  and  supported  the  Whig 
party  until  its  dissolution,  when  he  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  new  Republican  party.  Few  citizens 
have  longer  resided  in  Hancock  County  than  our 
subject,  -who  has  therefore  witnessed  almost  its 
entire  growth  and  development.  He  has  seen  the 
wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful  homes  and 
farms,  has  seen  towns  and  villages  spring  up,  and 


the  work  of  progress  and  civilization  carried  for- 
ward, until  the  county  of  to-day  bears  little  re- 
semblance to  that  of  half  a  century  ago.  Mr. 
Andrews  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of 
public  improvement,  and  is  recognized  as  a  valued 
and  substantial  citizen,  as  well  as  one  of  the  hon- 
ored pioneers  of  Hancock  County. 

HERMAN  BERGER,  one  of  the  honored  pio- 
neers of  Hancock  County,  and  one  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  Nauvoo,  where 
he  is  filling  the  office  of  Mayor,  was  born  on  the 
24th  of  March,  1827,  in  Hildesheim,  Hanover, 
Germany,  and  was  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  six 
children,  whose  parents  were  Ernest  and  Mary 
(Diedrick)  Berger.  In  the  spring  of  1846  Mr. 
Berger  brought  his  family  to  America.  Crossing 
the  Atlantic,  he  at  once  came  to  Illinois  and  lo- 
cated in  Nauvoo,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  of 
shoemaking  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1862,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years.  Learning 
that  the  Mormons  were  going  to  draft  him  into 
their  service  during  the  war  which  occurred  be- 
tween that  sect  and  their  opponents,  he  left  his 
family  in  Nauvoo,  and,  joining  the  anti-Mormon 
soldiers,  fought  against  the  party  and  aided  in 
driving  them  from  the  place.  In  politics,  he  was 
a  stalwart  Democrat.  His  wife  passed  away  in 
Nauvoo  in  1857,  at  the  age  of  forty-six,  and  they 
lie  buried  side  by  side  in  the  Catholic  Cemetery, 
both  having  been  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
In  the  family  were  the  following  children:  Her- 
man, of  this  sketch;  Henry,  a  horticulturist  of 
Nauvoo;  Joseph,  who  served  in  the  Union  army, 
and  was  killed  at  Dallas  Woods;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  George  Baumgarden,  of  Nauvoo;  and  Charles, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years. 

When  Mr.  Berger  was  a  lad  of  nine  summers, 
he  left  his  native  land  and  came  with  his  parents 
to  America.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Nauvoo,  and  remained  at  home  until  sixteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where 
he  worked  at  the  butcher's  trade  for  a  year.  In 
November,  1854,  he  enlisted  in  the  regular  army, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


377 


and  was  stationed  at  Ft.  Lorania.  He  partici- 
pated in  three  Indian  expeditions,  and  was  con- 
nected with  the  Mormon  troubles  at  Salt  Lake. 
With  his  regiment  he  crossed  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  took  part  in  an  expedition  against 
the  Indians,  and  aided  in  rescuing  two  children, 
who  were  from  Hancock  County  and  had  been  in 
captivity  two  years,  but  the  remainder  of  the  peo- 
ple who  had  been  captured  were  killed  by  the  sav- 
ages. His  term  of  service  expiring  while  he  was 
in  California,  Mr.  Berger  was  mustered  out,  and 
embarked  in  the  wholesale  wine  business  in  San 
Francisco.  After  six  months,  however,  he  sold 
out  his  interest,  and  in  i860  returned  to  Nanvoo, 
where  he  became  the  owner  of  a  large  vineyard. 
His  father  had  died  in  the  mean  time,  and  the 
care  of  his  younger  brothers  and  sisters  devolved 
upon  him — a  trust  to  which  he  was  ever  faithful. 

In  October,  1864,  feeling  that  his  country  need- 
ed his  services,  Mr.  Berger  enlisted  as  a  member 
of  Company  G,  Fiftieth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  took  part 
in  the  battles  of  Nashville.  Savannah,  Columbia 
and  Bentonville,  and  participated  in  the  Grand 
Review  in  Washington,  the  most  brilliant  military 
pageant  ever  seen  in  this  country.  He  then  went 
to  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  he  was  mustered  out. 
He  was  not  wounded  during  the  Civil  War,  but 
when  a  member  of  the  regular  army,  in  1855,  he 
was  wounded  in  the  hip  at  Ash  Hollow,  near 
where  North  Platte  is  now  situated,  during  an  en- 
counter with  the  Indians. 

Returning  to  the  North,  Mr.  Berger  has  since 
made  his  home  in  Nauvoo,  where  he  has  been 
quite  extensively  engaged  in  raising  grapes,  straw- 
berries and  raspberries.  This  business,  being 
well  managed,  has  yielded  to  him  a  good  income, 
and  his  well-directed  efforts  have  made  him  one 
of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  community.  He 
often  employs  as  many  as  one  hundred  and  forty 
people  in  gathering  berries  during  their  season, 
and,  as  he  raises  fine  varieties,  the  fruit  finds  a 
ready  sale  on  the  market.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources have  increased,  he  has  also  made  judicious 
investments  in  real  estate,  and  now  owns  consid- 
erable valuable  property  in  Nauvoo. 

On  the  nth  of  August,  1863,  Mr.  Berger  mar- 


ried Miss  Ursalena  E.  Welner,  of  Nauvoo,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  eight  children: 
Joseph,  a  resident  of  Denver,  Colo. ;  Catherine, 
Louisa,  Herman,  Ursalena  and  Edna,  all  at  home; 
and  two  who  died  in  infancy.  They  have  a 
pleasant  home  in  Nauvoo;  the  Berger  household 
is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  the  members  of 
the  family  rank  high  in  social  circles. 

Mr.  Berger  is  connected  with  Nauvoo  Post  No. 
207,  G.  A.  R.  He  has  endeavored  to  follow 
through  life  the  Golden  Rule,  and  therefore  has 
the  confidence  and  warm  regard  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  been  brought  in  contact.  In  politics,  he 
takes  an  active  interest,  and  on  questions  of  na- 
tional importance  is  a  stanch  Democrat.  His 
worth  and  ability  have  been  recognized  by  his 
fellow-citizens,  and  he  has  frequently  been  called 
upon  to  serve  in  public  offices.  For  twelve  years 
he  was  Coroner  of  Hancock  County,  has  been 
Justice  of  the  Peace  nine  years,  was  School  Direc- 
tor fifteen  years,  and  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  as  the  able  and  popular  Mayor  of  Nauvoo. 

I'CTEN  S.  REID.  editor  and  publisher  of 
|C  the  Review,  of  Dallas  City,  has  the  honor  of 
\^J  being  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Lamoine  Township,  McDonough 
County,  November  12,  i860.  His  father,  Lewis 
G.  Reid,  was  born  and  reared  in  Kentucky,  and 
in  1834  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Sangamon 
County.  He  afterward  returned  to  his  native 
State,  and  brought  his  father's  family  to  the  new 
home  which  he  had  selected  for  them.  In  1838, 
he  removed  to  Winnebago  County,  111.,  where  he 
carried  on  farming  until  1S41,  when  he  became  a 
resident  of  Stephenson  County,  111.  In  1853,  he 
again  went  to  Kentucky,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1858,  which  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Mc- 
Donough County.  Purchasing  land  in  Lamoine 
Township,  he  there  carried  011  farming  until  1882, 
when  he  removed  to  Colchester.  About  1890,  he 
spent  a  few  months  in  Kansas,  and  on  his  return 
he  built  a  home  a  few  miles  south  of  Colchester, 
where  he  remained  until  his  death.     In   1862,  he 


37» 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  but  never  engaged  in 
law  practice  to  any  great  extent.  In  1863,  he  was 
elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  State  Leg- 
islature, and  in  i860  he  was  elected  Count}'  Sup- 
ervisor from  Lamoine  Township.  So  ably  and 
faithfully  did  he  discharge  the  duties  of  that  office, 
that  he  was  re-elected  at  each  succeeding  election, 
until  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Board  for 
twenty-one  years.  This  record  is  one  of  which 
the  family  may  feel  justly  proud.  Upon  the  con- 
struction of  the  court  house  of  McDouough 
County,  he  served  as  Superintendent  of  the  work. 
He  was  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  many  excellencies 
of  character.  Possessing  those  high  attributes 
which  won  him  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  he  was  a  true  gentleman  of  the 
old  school,  whose  courteous  demeanor  was  never 
forgotten  under  any  circumstances;  and,  incapable 
of  baseness,  he  was  the  soul  of  honor.  He  gen- 
erally carried  forward  to  a  successful  completion 
whatever  he  undertook,  and  nothing  could  turn 
him  from  the  path  of  right.  As  an  attorney  his 
advice  was  frequently  sought,  but  his  name  was 
seldom  found  upon  the  court  records,  for  he  always 
advised  his  friends  to  settle  matters  peaceably  and 
not  by  litigation.  His  friends  gave  him  the  name 
of  "Old  Compromise,"  on  account  of  his  very  un- 
lawyerlike  manner  of  adjusting  suits.  He  was 
also  known  as  Capt.  Reid,  although  he  was  never 
identified  with  any  military  organization. 

In  1843,  Mr.  Reid  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sarah  H.  Moore,  a  native  of  Kentucky. 
Two  of  their  children  are  yet  living:  Mrs.  Annie 
Monteith,  of  Concord,  Ky. ;  and  Lewis  N.,  of  Mor- 
rill, Kan.  In  1857,  Mr.  Reid  wedded  MissCyrena 
Fristo,  whose  death  occurred  in  1875.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  six  children,  three  of  whom 
now  survive:  Lucien,  our  subject;  Edward,  a  res- 
ident of  Riverside,  Cal. ;  and  Harry,  who  is  living 
in  Los  Angeles,  Cal.  Mr.  Reid  was  again  mar- 
ried, in  1879,  Miss  Lucy  Tandy  becoming  his  wife. 
She  still  survives  her  husband  and  is  yet  living  in 
McDonough  County. 

Lucien  S.  Reid  whose  name  heads  this  sketch 
remained  upon  the  old  home  farm  until  about 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  acquired  his  early  ed- 


ucation in  the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood. 
He  afterward  pursued  a  course  of  study  in  Knox 
College  of  Galesburg.  On  leaving  home  he  went 
to  the  West,  and  for  a  time  worked  at  the  printer's 
trade  in  Hiawatha,  Kan.  He  afterward  went  to 
Beatrice,  Neb. ,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  print- 
ing-office for  about  two  years.  He  then  worked 
in  the  job  department  of  the  Omaha  Herald  for 
about  a  year,  and  in  1884  he  formed  a  connection 
with  a  show,  with  which  he  continued  for  four 
seasons.  He  then  again  resumed  his  trade,  which 
he  followed  in  Chicago  until  1885,  when  he  pur- 
chased a  paper  in  Blandinsville,  111.  After  there 
publishing  the  same  for  two  years  and  a-half,  he 
removed  his  plant  to  Dallas  City,  and  has  since 
been  engaged  in  the  publication  of  the  Review. 

On  the  16th  of  January,  1887,  Mr.  Reid  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Fannie  Roberts,  a  most 
estimable  young  lady  of  Colchester,  111.,  and  in 
their  new  home  the  young  couple  have  already 
won  many  friends.  In  his  political  views,  Mr. 
Reid  is  Democratic,  and  socially  is  connected 
with  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Blandinsville,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  of  Dallas  City,  Hancock 
Lodge  No.  56,  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  He  now  edits  the  only  indepen- 
dent paper  of  Dallas  City,  and  it  has  a  large  and 
constantly  increasing  circulation.  Through  the 
columns  of  his  paper  and  in  other  ways,  our  subject 
aids  in  the  advancement  of  all  enterprises  calcu- 
lated to  prove  of  public  benefit,  for  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  community  ever  find  in  him  a  friend. 
He  has  twice  served  as  Mayor  of  Dallas  City  and 
proved  a  capable  and  efficient  officer. 

s~     '     ,0'  c=-j<",r">&=!S —     ~3 

S.  BLISS,  who  is  numbered  among  the  ear- 
1 1  best  settlers  of  Dallas  City,  is  now  serving 
|_ff  as  Postmaster.  He  was  born  on  the  15th  of 
February,  1840,  in  Du  Page  County,  111.,  and  is 
a  son  of  Moses  and  Polly  (Carpenter)  Bliss.  The 
family  is  of  English  extraction,  and  the  ancestors 
of  our  subject  were  among  the  prominent  people 
of  England.  The  father  was  born  in  Berkshire, 
Mass. ,  and  spent   the   days  of  his   boyhood  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


379 


youth  upon  a  farm  in  that  locality.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen  he  joined  the  army  and  served  through- 
out the  War  of  1812,  holding  the  rank  of  Cor- 
poral. When  his  country  no  longer  needed  his 
services,  he  returned  to  his  home  in  the  old  Bay 
State,  and  there  married  Miss  Carpenter, who  was 
also  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  English 
extraction.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Chicago,  and  her  great-grandfather,  Maj'. 
Nathaniel  Carpenter,  was  a  prominent  officer  in 
Washington's  army  during  the  Revolutionary 
War. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  began  their  domestic 
life  in  the  State  of  their  nativity,  where  Mr.  Bliss 
carried  on  fanning  until  1S38,  when  he  came  with 
his  family  to  Illinois.  Settling  in  Winfield  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  County,  he  there  pre-empted  land, 
and  engaged  in  its  cultivation  for  a  number  of 
years.  At  length  he  removed  to  Warrenville,  in 
the  same  county,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days  in  retirement  from  active  business  life.  His 
death  occurred  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy-four, 
after  which  his  wife  came  to  Dallas  City,  where 
she  departed  this  life  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 
In  their  family  were  nine  children,  but  four  of 
the  number  died  in  infancy. 

L.  S.  Bliss  was  the  youngest  of  the  family.  He 
was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  his  native 
county,  and  remained  with  his  parents  until  sev- 
enteen years  of  age,  when,  wishing  to  follow 
some  other  pursuit  than  that  of  agriculture,  he 
went  to  Chicago  and  clerked  in  a  hardware  store 
for  a  number  of  years.  Later  he  spent  four  years 
in  farming  in  southern  Michigan,  and  in  1868 
he  came  to  Dallas  City,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. For  many  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
insurance  business,  and  has  met  with  most  excel- 
lent success  along  this  line.  Pie  now  owns  a 
pleasant  home  in  this  place,  and  also  some  good 
property  in  Chicago,  all  of  which  represents  his 
own  earnings  and  stands  as  a  monument  to  his 
thrift  and  enterprise. 

On  the  27th  of  March,  1864,  Mr.  Bliss  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  Downey,  of 
Michigan,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  a 
daughter  and  a  son:  Carrie  May,  who  is  now  the 
wife  of  William  Shain,  of  Dallas  City;    and  Will- 


iam H.,  who  is  employed  as  a  book-keeper  in  the 
bank  at  this  place.  The  family  is  one  widely 
known  in  the  community,  and  its  members  hold 
an  enviable  position  in  social  circles. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Bliss  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  and 
does  all  in  his  power  for  the  advancement  and 
growth  of  his  party.  He  has  been  honored  with 
several  local  offices,  has  served  as  Town  Clerk, 
Assessor  and  City  Clerk,  and  for  ten  years  was 
School  Director.  For  the  long  period  of  twenty- 
four  years  he  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and 
his  fidelity  to  duty  has  won  him  the  commenda- 
tion of  all  concerned.  His  life  has  been  well  and 
worthily  passed,  and  he  possesses  those  qualities 
which  command  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all. 
He  has  done  much  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  city, 
and  well  deserves  mention  among  its  early  set- 
tlers. 


(7)ILAS  W.  PRENTISS  is  engaged  in  general 
7\  farming  and  stock-raising  in  Hancock  Coun- 
VJJ/  ty,  his  home  being  located  on  section  33, 
Fountain  Green  Township.  Here  he  owns  and 
operates  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  acres  of  arable 
and  valuable  land,  the  greater  part  of  which  is 
now  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  There  are 
good  buildings  upon  the  place,  and  the  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance  of  the  farm  indicates  the  care- 
ful supervision  of  the  owner.  In  connection  with 
the  raising  of  grains  adapted  to  this  climate,  Mr. 
Prentiss  is  also  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  fine 
trotting  horses. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  the  community  in 
which  he  still  makes  his  home,  his  birth  having 
occurred  on  section  35,  Fountain  Green  Township, 
September  21,  1842.  His  father,  Daniel  Prentiss, 
was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  by  occupation  he 
was  a  farmer  and  railroad  contractor.  In  early 
life  he  followed  those  pursuits,  but  after  his  re- 
moval to  Canton,  N.  Y.,  he  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business,  and  also  did  business  as  a  contractor. 
In  1834  he  left  the  Empire  State,  and,  emigrating 
westward  to  Illinois,  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Hancock  County.  He  first  made 
his  home  in  Carthage,   where   he  was  engaged  in 


38o 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


railroad  building,  but  subsequently  removed  to 
Warsaw,  where  he  did  business  as  a  contractor. 
In  1840  he  purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  Fountain  Green  Township,  and  was  there  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  1S4S,  when  he  again  went 
to  Carthage.  During  the  succeeding  four  years 
of  his  life,  he  occupied  the  position  of  Superin- 
tendent of  the  County  Poor  Farm.  From  1852 
until  1866,  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
upon  his  own  farm,  and  then  took  up  his  residence 
upon  the  farm  which  is  now  the  home  of  our  sub- 
ject. Here  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  His 
death  occurred  December  29,  1882,  and  his  re- 
mains were  interred  in  Fountain  Green  Cemetery. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
a  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  whose  loss  was 
deeply  mourned  throughout  the  community. 

After  coming  to  the  west,  Mr.  Prentiss  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  Hughes. 
She  survived  her  husband  for  about  ten  years,  and 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 
Her  death  occurred  October  17,  1892,  and  she 
was  laid  to  rest  in  Fountain  Green  Cemetery.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Prentiss  were  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren. George  W.,  the  eldest,  died  November  24, 
1886.  He  enlisted  in  the  Second  Illinois  Cavalry 
during  the  late  war,  and  served  throughout  the 
struggle,  during  which  time  he  was  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant.  Laura  is  the  wife  of 
E.  E.  B.  Sawyer,  who  is  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business  at  Camp  Point.  Fannie,  twin  sister  of 
Laura,  is  now  the  wife  of  A.  W.  McCanlass,  a 
jewelryman  of  Moberly,  Mo.  William  R.  died  in 
December,  1885. 

Silas  W.  Prentiss,  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord, has  always  been  a  resident  of  Hancock 
County.  He  grew  to  manhood  under  the  paren- 
tal roof,  and  was  still  at  home  at  the  time  of  his 
enlistment  for  service  in  the  late  war.  Prompted 
by  patriotic  impulses,  on  the  7th  of  October,  1861, 
he  became  a  private  of  Company  D,  Sixty-fourth 
Illinois  Infantry,  for  a  term  of  three  years.  He 
was  mustered  into  service  at  Camp  Butler,  and  at 
once  went  to  the  South,  but  in  May,  1862,  he  was 
mustered  out  on  account  of  physical  disability. 
He  then  returned  to  his  home,  but  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1865,  he  re-enlisted,  becoming  a  member 


of  Company  D,  Eighteenth  Regiment  of  Illinois 
Volunteers.  He  was  sent  to  Little  Rock,  Ark., 
where  he  spent  most  of  the  summer,  after  which 
he  was  again  discharged  on  account  of  disability. 
On  the  22d  of  November,  1870,  Mr.  Prentiss 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Fannie  Mull. 
They  have  a  pleasant  home  in  Fountain  Green 
Township,  and  are  surrounded  with  all  the  com- 
forts of  life,  Mr.  Prentiss  having  gained  a  hand- 
some competence  as  the  result  of  his  enterprise 
and  well-directed  efforts.  In  politics,  he  has  al-. 
ways  been  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party  and  its  principles,  and  keeps  himself  well 
informed  on  all  the  issues  of  the  day,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  political  preferment.  He  is  in- 
terested in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
of  the  community,  and  all  worthy  public  enter- 
prises receive  his  support.  Mr.  Prentiss  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  Hancock  County,  and  those  who 
have  known  him  from  boyhood  are  numbered 
among  his  warmest  friends,  a  fact  which  indicates 
an  honorable  career. 

REUBEN  GARNETT,  who  carries  on 
general  farming  on  section  12,  St.  Mary's 
Township,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native 
of  Hancock  County.  He  was  born  in  the  town- 
ship which  is  still  his  home  June  30,  1839,  and  is 
a  representative  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer 
families  of  this  section  of  the  State.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  William  Garnett,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  of  Welsh  descent.  For  many  years 
he  resided  in  Kentucky,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  milling.  His  death  occurred  at  the 
age  of  about  seventy  years.  His  family  num- 
bered five  sons  and  five  daughters,  including  Joel 
G.  Garnett,  the  father  of  our  subject.  The  lat- 
ter was  born  in  Boone  Count}-,  Kv.,  about  twen- 
ty miles  below  Cincinnati.  After  arriving  at  ma- 
ture years,  he  married  Ann  E.  Graves,  a  native 
of  the  same  locality,  and  a  daughter  of  Reuben 
Graves,  who  was  born  in  Virginia,  but  went  to 
Kentucky  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  seven 
years.      His  father  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


38i 


State,  and  Reuben  there  grew  to  manhood.  He 
served  as  Major  of  the  Kentucky  Riflemen  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
more  than  ninety  years,  his  death  occurring  in  St. 
Mary's.  The  Graves  family  was  also  of  Welsh 
origin. 

Joel  G.  Garnett  came  to  Illinois  in  1834,  and 
made  his  home  near  Quiney  until  the  spring  of 
1835,  when  he  took  up  his  residence  in  St.  Mary's 
Township,  Hancock  County,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  He  is  now  in  the  eighty-second 
year  of  his  age,  but  is  still  enjoying  good  health. 
While  in  Kentucky  he  operated  a  flourmill  for 
some  time,  and  after  coming  to  this  State  carried 
on  a  sawmill.  He  also  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising in  St.  Mary's  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  was  Postmaster  at  that  place  for  a  consider- 
able period.  His  first  purchase  of  land  in  St. 
Mary's  Township  comprised  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  to  which  he  afterwards  added  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  much  of  which  he  entered 
from  the  Government.  The  greater  part  of  this  he 
has  improved,  making  it  a  valuable  tract.  Being 
one  of  the  pioneers,  he  is  numbered  among  the 
founders  of  the  county,  to  whom  a  debt  of  gratitude 
is  due  for  the  help  which  they  have  given  in  open- 
ing up  this  locality  to  progress  and  civilization.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Missionary  Baptist  Church,  as 
was  his  wife,  who  died  August  14,  1890,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years.  Their  family  num- 
bered eight  children:  Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of  B. 
F.  Willis,  of  Reno  County,  Kan.;  W.  Reuben; 
Alvira,  living  with  her  father;  Robert  K.,  of  St. 
Man's  Township;  James  E.,  of  the  same  town- 
ship; Sarah  L-,  deceased,  wife  of  F.  G.  Huey; 
Martha  O.,  wife  of  S.  M.  Walton,  of  Plymouth; 
and  Willie  H.,  of  Furnas  County,  Neb. 

Our  subject  was  born  and  reared  amid  the  wild 
scenes  of  frontier  life,  and  is  now  living  on  a  farm 
adjoining  that  on  which  his  birth  occurred,  and 
which,  in  fact,  was  a  part  of  the  original  tract.  He 
remembers  seeing  the  Indians  in  great  numbers 
in  St.  Mary's,  and  was  at  Plymouth  when  it  con- 
tained not  more  than  five  houses.  There  was 
only  one  house  between  Carthage  and  Warsaw, 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  land  was  still  in  pos- 
session  of  the  Government.      He  has   witnessed 


almost  the  entire  growth  of  the  county  from  a  wil- 
derness to  its  present  proud  development,  with 
churches,  schools,  business  interests  and  a  large 
population  of  intelligent  people. 

Mr.  Garnett  aided  in  the  arduous  task  of  de- 
veloping wild  land,  and  soon  became  familiar 
with  farm  life  in  all  of  its  branches.  He  gave  his 
father  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  twenty-four 
years  of  age,  when  he  was  married  and  started 
out  in  life  for  himself.  On  the  22d  of  October, 
1863,  he  wedded  Miss  Agnes,  daughter  of  John 
and  Matilda  (Rice)  Huey.  Seven  children  have 
been  born  to  them:  Carrie  O.,  wife  of  Joseph  I. 
Botts,  of  Plymouth;  George  F.,  who  married 
Jennie  A.  Powell,  and  lives  in  St.  Mary's;  Joel  A., 
deceased;  John  E.;  Annie  M.;  William  J.;  and 
Robert  P.,  deceased. 

The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Missionary 
Baptist  Church,  take  an  active  interest  in  its  up- 
building, and  contribute  liberally  to  its  support. 
Mr.  Garnett  has  served  as  one  of  the  Deacons  of 
the  church  for  twenty-seven  years.  Socially,  he  is 
connected  with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  and  in  politics  is  independent,  hold- 
ing himself  free  to  support  the  man  whom  he 
thinks  best  qualified  to  fill  the  office,  regardless  of 
party  affiliations.  During  his  entire  life  he  has 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  his  home 
farm  comprises  two  hundred  acres  of  valuable 
land.  His  land  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  well  improved  with  good  buildings, 
which  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  en- 
terprise, for  he  is  a  self-made  man,  whose  pros- 
perity is  the  reward  of  his  own  efforts. 

2         ■■  5-^-^P  -         2 


Gl  RGAST  &  BOSSLER  are  the  editors  and 
/]  proprietors  of  The  Rustler,  of  Nauvoo.  This 
/  I  is  one  of  the  leading  newspapers  of  the 
county.  The  junior  member  of  the  firm  claims 
this  as  his  native  city,  his  birth  having  occurred 
here  on  the  4th  of  June,  1868.  His  parents  were 
Edward  and  Margaret  (Seherer)  Argast.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  when  a 
young  man  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in 


382 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


St.  I,ouis,  Mo.,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
the  7th  of  May,  1861.  He  then  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops  to  aid  in  crushing  out  the 
rebellion,  and  enlisted  for  three  months'  service 
in  Company  I,  Third  Missouri  Reserve  Corps. 
In  July,  1862,  he  re-enlisted  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany F,  Twenty-ninth  Missouri  Infantry,  was 
made  Orderly-Sergeant,  and  in  May,  1863,  was 
commissioned  Second  Lieutenant,  which  rank  he 
held  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated 
in  the  engagements  at  Chickasaw,  Arkansas  Post, 
Big  Black  River,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  the 
battles  of  Jackson,  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary 
Ridge,  Ringgold,  Resaca,  Dallas,  Kennesaw 
Mountain,  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Jonesboro,  the  famous 
march  with  Sherman  to  the  sea,  and  the  siege  of 
Savannah.  In  the  last-named  he  received  a  gun- 
shot wound  through  the  left  foot,  and  was  taken 
to  a  hospital  in  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  forced 
to  remain  for  about  three  months.  His  wound 
disabling  him  for  field  service,  he  then  went  to 
Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged  in  light 
duty.  He  was  afterwards  ordered  to  Washing- 
ton, where  he  took  part  in  the  Grand  Review  and 
then  returned  to  his  home.  His  wife,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  Germany,  is  yet  living  in  Nau- 
voo. 

Mr.  Argast  whose  name  heads  this  record  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  town,  and  there  learned  the  printer's  trade, 
since  which  time  he  has  continued  his  connection 
with  newspaper  work.  In  1886,  he  leased  the 
Bluff  Park  Journal,  of  Montrose,  Iowa,  which  he 
conducted  for  about  six  months,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Nauvoo,  where  he  was  employed  in  a 
printing-office  until  1887.  In  the  spring  of  that 
year  he  again  went  to  Montrose,  where  he  worked 
on  a  paper  for  about  three  months.  He  was 
next  employed  in  The  News  office,  of  Hamilton, 
for  a  short  time,  and  then  attended  the  Commer- 
cial School  of  Quincy,  until  the  spring  of  1890. 
On  the  13th  of  May  of  that  year,  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  Mr.  Bossier,  of  Nauvoo,  and  has 
since  been  engaged  in  the  publication  of  The 
Rustler. 

The  senior  member  of  the  firm  was  born  in  this 
city  July  1,  1863,  and    is   a    son  of  Stephen  and 


Anna  (Diel)  Bossier.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Germany,  and  on  coming  to  America  the  fa- 
ther located  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  worked  at 
the  tailor's  trade  for  a  time.  His  next  place  of 
residence  was  in  St.  Louis,  and  in  i860  he  came 
to  Nauvoo,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1889. 
His  wife  is  still  living  in  this  place.  Their  son 
was  reared  under  the  parental  roof,  and  until  four- 
teen years  of  age  attended  the  common  schools, 
but  much  of  his  education  has  been  acquired  in  a 
printing-office.  He  began  learning  his  trade  in 
Keokuk,  and  was  there  employed  for  about  four 
years,  after  which  he  spent  six  years  working 
at  his  trade  in  various  places.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Nauvoo,  and  the  partnership  with  Mr. 
Argast  was  formed.  Their  office  is  supplied  with 
all  the  latest  improved  machinery,  steam  presses, 
steam  folders,  etc.,  and  in  connection  with  the 
printing  of  the  paper  they  do  a  large  job  business. 
The  editors  are  wide-awake  and  enterprising 
young  business  men,  who  are  rapidly  pushing 
their  way  to  the  front,  and  in  this,  their  native 
city,  they  are  held  in  high  regard  by  a  large  cir- 
cle of  friends. 

8— ^f^— =2 


ROBERT  MILLER,  who  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  stock-raising 
on  section  21,  Fountain  Green  Township, 
was  born  in  Hancock  County  on  the  16th  of  Au- 
gust, 1844.  As  his  entire  life  has  here  been  passed, 
he  has  seen  much  of  the  growth  and  upbuilding 
of  this  region,  and  has  aided  in  its  development 
and  progress.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  those  things  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
the  community,  and  may  well  be  numbered  among 
the  valued  citizens,  as  well  as  early  settlers,  of  his 
native  county. 

Mr.  Miller  acquired  his  education  in  the  sub- 
scription and  district  schools,  to  which  he  had  to 
walk  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  a-half;  but  his  ad- 
vantages along  that  line  were  somewhat  limited. 
His  training  at  farm  labor,  however,  was  not 
meagre.  At  an  early  age  he  began  work  in  the 
fields,  plowing  and  planting,  and  in  course  of  time 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


383 


became  familiar  with  all  the  departments  of  farm 
labor.  To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his 
services  until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late 
war,  when,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he  re- 
sponded to  the  country's  call  for  troops.  On  the 
1 8th  of  July,  1861,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  of 
Company  G,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  was 
mustered  into  the  United  States  service  at  Quiucy. 
His  first  active  engagement  was  at  Harrison  City. 
Ky.  This  was  followed  by  the  battle  of  Bolivar, 
Tenn.,  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  he  was 
under  fire  for  forty-two  days.  He  also  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  many 
other  engagements  of  lesser  importance.  At  the 
battle  of  Holly  Springs,  on  the  20th  of  December, 
1862,  he  was  wounded  by  a  minie  ball  in  the  right 
arm,  above  the  elbow,  the  ball  lodging  in  the  joint 
of  the  elbow.  He  was  then  placed  upon  ahorse, 
and,  after  riding  nine  miles,  spent  the  night  in  a 
log  cabin,  getting  no  medical  assistance  until  the 
following  day.  For  about  four  weeks  he  was 
forced  to  remain  in  the  regimental  hospital  at 
Holly  Springs.  In  January,  1863,  he  was  given 
a  furlough  and  returned  home,  where  he  re- 
mained until  March  of  that  year,  when,  having 
sufficiently  recovered  from  his  wound,  he  rejoined 
his  regiment  in  Louisiana.  After  the  surrender 
of  Vicksburg,  the  troops  went  to  Jackson,  Miss. 
On  account  of  disability  he  was  discharged  from 
the  sendee  August  12,  1863.  A  few  months  be- 
fore his  discharge  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Corporal . 

Returning  to  Hancock  County,  Mr.  Miller 
aided  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm  for 
about  fifteen  months,  and  then  rented  land  of  his 
father.  In  1 87 1 ,  he  removed  to  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides.  It  comprises  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  good  land,  and  he  is  successfully 
engaged  in  its  cultivation  and  in  stock-raising. 
The  place  is  well  improved,  for  he  devotes  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  its  culti- 
vation. 

In  1863,  Mr.  Miller  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Frances  Grotte.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and  its  princi- 
ples, but  is  not  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to  give 
his  entire  time  to  business  interests.     He  is,  how- 


ever, a  friend  to  all  public  enterprises  which  are 
calculated  to  advance  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity and  promote  the  general  welfare.  He  is 
the  same  loyal  citizen  in  days  of  peace  as  he  was 
in  the  time  of  war,  when  he  faithfully  followed 
the  Old  Flag  that  now  proudly  floats  over  the 
united  nation. 


r~REDERICK  A.  WIESENER,  proprietor  of 
K3  a  furniture  store  at  Nauvoo,  is  a  young  man, 
I  *  but  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  enterprising 
and  progressive  merchants  of  the  place.  He  is  a 
native  of  the  city,  born  June  11,  1869.  His  par- 
ents were  Philip  and  Catherine  (Gethelman) 
Wiesener,  and  their  family  numbered  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Frederick  A.  is  the  eldest.  Four 
of  the  number  are  now  deceased,  and  the  others  are 
Mary,  who  resides  in  Iowa;  and  Annie,  still  at 
home. 

The  father  of  this  family  was  born  in  Gasloe. 
Germany,  June  15,  1830,  and  in  his  youth  there 
learned  the  cabinet-maker's  trade.  He  located  in 
Missouri  in  1852,  having  in  that  year  emigrated 
to  America.  His  first  business  undertaking  in 
this  country  was  as  a  dealer  in  furniture,  and  he 
carried  on  operations  along  that  line  until  1861, 
when  he  entered  the  service  of  his  country.  At 
the  first  call  for  troops  to  aid  in  crushing  out  the 
rebellion,  he  donned  the  blue  and  enlisted  for  three 
months'  service.  In  1862,  he  came  to  Nauvoo, 
where  he  worked  at  the  cooper's  trade,  making 
wine  casks,  until  the  spring  of  1863,  when  he  em- 
barked in  the  furniture  and  undertaking  business, 
which  he  successfully  conducted  until  October, 
1893.  He  then  sold  out  to  his  son  and  has  since 
lived  a  retired  life.  His  wife,  who  was  a  native 
of  Nauvoo,  died  in  this  city  on  the  1st  of  July, 
1882. 

In  the  common  schools,  Frederick  A.  Wiesener 
acquired  a  good  English  education,  and  then  pur- 
sued a  business  course  of  study  in  Quincy,  111. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  left  home  and  went  to 
Chicago,  where  he  secured  a  position  as  stockman 
with  the  Empire  Bedstead  Company.     He  steadily 


3»4 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


worked  his  way  upward  with  that  company  until 
he  became  assistant  manager,  and  his  connection 
with  that  firm  was  continued  until  their  failure  in 
the  spring  of  1893.  He  then  became  general 
salesman  in  the  employ  of  A.  H.  Revell  &  Co., 
of  Chicago,  with  whom  he  continued  until  the  1st 
of  October,  1893,  when  he  came  to  Nauvoo  and 
succeeded  his  father  as  proprietor  of  a  furniture 
store  in  this  place. 

On  the  16th  of  April,  1891,  Mr.  Wiesener  and 
Miss  Annie  Cyrtmus,  of  Chicago,  were  united  in 
marriage,  and  by  their  union  has  been  born  a 
daughter,  Hazel  Annie.  The  young  couple  have 
a  pleasant  home  in  Nauvoo,  and  are  numbered 
among  the  leading  people  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Wiesener  now  carries  quite  a  large  line  of 
furniture  and  carpets,  and  does  an  undertaking 
business.  He  possesses  energy,  industry  and 
perseverance,  qualities  essential  to  success,  and 
we  predict  for  him  a  prosperous  future.  He  also 
has  the  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 

(JOHN  H.  BULLOCK,  who  is  engaged  in 
I  farming  on  section  10,  Fountain  Green 
(~)  Township,  and  who  is  now  serving  as  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  on 
the  15th  of  February,  1838,  and  is  one  of  five 
children  whose  parents  were  William  and  Chris- 
tina (McDougal)  Bullock.  Catherine,  the  eldest 
child,  died  in  Denver,  Colo.;  Thomas  A.  is  now 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Fountain 
Green  Township,  Hancock  County;  John  H.  is 
the  next  younger;  Andrew  R.  is  a  dealer  in  fine 
racehorses  in  La  Harpe;  and  James S.  is  a  farmer 
of  Hancock  Township,  Hancock  County. 

When  our  subject  was  a  child  of  only  four 
years,  his  parents  left  their  Canadian  home  and 
with  their  family  emigrated  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Nauvoo,  Hancock  County.  In  the  spring  of  1843 
they  removed  to  Fountain  Green  Township,  and 
John  H.  Bullock  has  here  since  made  his  home. 
He  was  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  frontier, 
and  with  the  family  shared  in  the  hardships  and 
experiences  of  a  pioneer  life.     His  education  was 


acquired  partly  in  the  district  schools,  and,  to  a 
limited  extent,  he  attended  a  private  school.  He 
thus  became  familiar  with  the  common  branches, 
and  by  reading  and  observation  he  has  become  a 
well-informed  man.  He  continued  to  engage  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm  until  after  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  when,  prompted  by 
patriotic  impulses,  he  responded  to  his  country's 
call  for  troops. 

It  was  on  the  19th  of  July,  1861,  that  Mr. 
Bullock  enlisted,  becoming  a  member  of  Company 
G,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  was  sworn  into 
service  on  the  12th  of  August  following,  and  in 
the  autumn  he  went  to  the  front  with  his  regi- 
ment, which  was  engaged  in  scouting  and  forag- 
ing duty  during  most  of  the  time.  He  participated 
in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  under  Gen.  Grant,  to- 
gether with  all  of  the  engagements  of  that  cam- 
paign, and  after  the  surrender  of  Pemberton  he 
was  transferred  to  the  command  of  Gen.  Banks. 
He  took  part  in  the  expedition  into  western 
Louisiana,  where  several  battles  occurred,  and 
went  on  the  Red  River  expedition,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Baton  Rouge,  where  his  regiment  did 
scouting  duty  throughout  the  summer.  At  that 
place  he  was  mustered  out  on  the  1  ith  of  August, 
1864,  after  three  years  of  faithful  and  meritorious 
service. 

Returning  to  his  home,  Mr.  Bullock  then  con- 
tinued farming  until  the  autumn  of  1874,  when 
he  started  westward  and  went  to  California,  spend- 
ing a  year  on  the  Pacific  Slope,  in  the  hope  of 
benefiting  his  health,  which  had  become  impaired. 
In  the  summer  of  1875  he  returned,  and  in  1877  and 
1878  he  worked  on  the  Chester  Penitentiary,  be- 
ing thus  employed  until  its  completion,  when  he 
was  appointed  one  of  its  keepers.  That  position 
he  filled  for  some  time,  but  at  length  resigned  and 
came  home. 

On  the  10th  of  February,  1887,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Bullock  and  Miss  Linda  J. 
McConnell,  a  native  of  Hancock  County.  Three 
children  were  born  to  them:  Mary  E.,  John  H., 
and  one  son  who  died  in  infancy.  In  politics, 
our  subject  has  always  been  a  stalwart  Republican 
since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  in  1861.     He  warmly  advocates  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


principles  of  his  party,  and  has  the  courage  of  his 
convictions.  He  has  been  honored  with  a  num- 
ber of  local  offices,  having  served  for  ten  years  as 
Township  Supervisor,  for  one  term  as  Tax  Col- 
lector, and  for  one  term  as  Assessor.  In  the 
spring  of  1893  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  which  position  he  is  now  creditably  and 
acceptably  filling.  He  has  always  been  true  to 
his  public  duties  as  well  as  to  private  trusts,  and 
has  therefore  won  the  high  commendation  of  all 
concerned.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  holding  membership  with  La 
Harpe  Lodge  No.  195,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and  La 
Harpe  Chapter  No.  134,  R.  A.  M.;  together  with 
Augusta  Commaudery,  K.  T.  For  a  half-eentury 
Mr.  Bullock  has  resided  in  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship. He  has  witnessed  the  greater  part  of  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  county,  and  in  all 
possible  ways  he  has  aided  in  its  development, 
taking  a  commendable  interest  in  everything  that 
pertains  to  its  welfare.  We  are  glad  to  give  him 
a  place  in  this  volume  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers. 


(JAMES  M.  GLASS,  one  of  the  honored  vet- 
I  erans  of  the  late  war,  who  is  successfully  en- 
G/  gaged  in  general  farming  on  section  19, 
Fountain  Green  Township,  Hancock  County,  is 
a  native  of  the  Keystone  State.  He  was  born 
near  Path  Valley,  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  June 
26,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Rachel 
(Marshall)  Glass.  In  their  family  were  seven 
children,  six  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely:  Robert, 
James  M.,  George  \\\,  John,  Sarah,  Wesley  and 
Silas. 

When  our  subject  was  only  a  year  old,  his  par- 
ents left  the  East  and  emigrated  with  their  family 
to  Hancock  County,  111.,  settling  in  Fountain 
Green  Township,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  on 
the  farm.  The  educational  advantages  which  he 
received  were  those  afforded  by  the  subscription 
schools  of  the  neighborhood.  He  had  to  walk 
two  and  a-half  miles  to  school,  and  was  then 
permitted  to  attend  only  through  the  winter  sea- 
son, for  his  labor  was  needed  upon  the  farm  dur- 


385 

ing  the  summer  months.  He  attended  school 
until  twenty  years  of  age,  and  remained  with  his 
father  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he  be- 
gan working  in  his  own  interest  as  a  farm  hand. 
Later  he  rented  land,  which  he  operated  until  en- 
tering the  service  of  his  country,  during  the  late 
war. 

On  the  20th  of  July,  1861,  Mr.  Glass  responded 
to  President  Lincoln's  call  for  troops,  being  one  of 
the  first  volunteers  to  become  a  member  of  Com- 
pany G,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry.  At  Quincy, 
111.,  he  was  mustered  into  sendee,  and  from  there 
he  was  sent  to  the  front.  He  participated  in  a 
number  of  important  engagements,  including  the 
battle  of  Holly  Springs,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg, 
and  the  battles  of  Memphis  and  Jackson.  He 
then  returned  to  Vicksburg,  whence  he  went  to 
New  Orleans,  took  part  in  the  Red  River  Cam- 
paign, and  then  returned  to  the  Crescent  City. 
He  rose  from  the  ranks  to  the  position  of  Corporal, 
and  was  afterwards  made  a  Sergeant.  When  his 
three-years  term  had  expired  he  was  honorably- 
discharged,  on  the  1  ith  of  August,  1864,  and  was 
mustered  out  at  Springfield,  on  the  24th  of  the 
same  month. 

Mr.  Glass  then  returned  to  his  home  in  Han- 
cock County,  and  purchased  thirty  acres  of  land 
on  section  19,  Fountain  Green  Township,  where 
his  house  now  stands.  By  additional  purchase, 
however,  he  has  added  to  the  tract  from  time  to 
time,  until  he  now  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land,  which  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved. He  now  carries  on  general  farming,  and 
has  been  quite  successful  in  his  business  dealings. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1866,  Mr.  Glass  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  B.  Kerr. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  one  child,  Marion 
B.,  who  died  in  infancy.  The  mother  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  on  the  13th  of  June,  1867.  On 
the  1 8th  of  August,  1871,  Mr.  Glass  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Sarah 
E.  Parker,  daughter  of  WTilliam  and  Mary  M. 
(Young)  Parker.  Two  children  grace  this  union: 
Lula  A.,  wife  of  I.  F.  Robinson;  and  Grace  M., 
who  is  still  with  her  parents. 

In   his  political  views,    Mr.   Glass  is  a  stalwart 


386 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Republican,  and  warmly  advocates  the  principles 
of  that  part}-,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired 
public  office.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  with  La  Harpe 
Lodge  No.  195,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  His  wife  holds 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
This  worthy  couple  are  well-known  people  of  the 
community,  and  in  social  circles  they  hold  an  en- 
viable position.  Mr.  Glass  is  a  faithful  citizen, 
who  manifests  the  same  loyalty  to  his  country  in 
days  of  peace  as  he  did  when  following  the  Old 
Flag  on  southern  battlefields. 


0COTT  G.  LIONBERGER,  who  owns  and 
?\  operates  two  hundred  and  forty-six  acres  of 
Q)  valuable  land  on  section  6,  Fountain  Green 
Township,  Hancock  County,  is  a  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of 
this  locality.  The  farm  upon  which  he  now  re- 
sides is  one  which  his  father  located  at  a  very 
early  day.  His  parents  were  Hamilton  and  Eliza 
Lionberger,  and  their  family  numbered  four  chil- 
dren: John,  who  died  on  the  1st  of  January, 
1854;  Scott,  who  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth; 
Carlos  A. ,  a  farmer  residing  in  Memphis,  Mo. ; 
and  Carolina,  wife  of  George  Schacklett,  who  is 
living  in  Memphis.  The  mother  of  this  family 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  30th  of  April, 
1890. 

Scott  G.  Lionberger  is  a  native  of  Hancock 
County,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  section  4, 
Pilot  Grove  Township,  on  the  22d  of  November, 
1854.  He  was  born  and  reared  on  the  old  home 
farm,  attended  the  district  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood and  completed  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Carthage.  When  twenty-four  years  of  age  he 
left  the  parental  roof  and  started  out  in  life  for 
himself.  He  was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  has  always  given  his  time  and  attention  to 
farm  work.  He  rented  the  old  homestead  and 
continued  its  cultivation  until  after  his  father's 
death,  when  he  purchased  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  forty-six  acres,  upon  which  his  father  had 
located  shortly  after  coming  to  this  county.     It  is 


a  rich  and  valuable  tract  on  section  6,  Fountain 
Green  Township,  and  in  return  for  his  care  and 
cultivation  the  well-tilled  fields  yield  to  him 
a  golden  tribute.  He  carries  on  general  farming 
and  stock-raising,  and  in  his  undertakings  is  very 
successful. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Lionber- 
ger occurred  on  the  24th  of  March,  1880,  when 
was  celebrated  his  marriage  with  Miss  Fannie 
Parker,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  M. 
(Young)  Parker.  Three  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union,  Loy,  Hubert  E.  and  Mary, 
and  the  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken.  The 
parents  are  well-known  people  of  this  commu- 
nity. Their  home  is  noted  for  its  hospitality,  and 
they  have  many  warm  friends  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Socially,  Mr.  Lionberger  is  a  member  of 
the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  and  his  wife  holds  mem- 
bership with  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  ex- 
ercises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
Democratic  party,  but  has  never  sought  or  de- 
sired the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  office. 
The  best  interests  of  the  community  ever  find  in 
him  a  friend,  one  who  is  ready  to  aid  in  the  pro- 
motion of  all  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to 
prove  of  public  benefit.  Having  always  lived  in 
Hancock  Count}',  Mr.  Lionberger  is  widely 
known,  and  those  with  whom  he  has  been  ac- 
quainted since  his  youth  are  numbered  among  his 
stanchest  friends,  a  fact  which  indicates  a  well- 
spent  life. 

6         '       "*""=)  <?'  T  ">  Ira  *"  "~ '  a 

~~  LKANAH  MESECHER.  The  agricultural 
'S  interests  of  Hancock  County  are  well  repre- 
_  sented  by  this  gentleman,  who  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  La  Harpe  Town- 
ship. He  resides  on  section  33,  where  he  owns  a 
good  farm,  well  improved  and  cultivated.  He 
was  born  in  Durham  Township  on  the  20th  of  Au- 
gust, 1843,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Mesecher,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio  County,  W.  Va.,  on  the  nth 
of  October,  1809.  Upon  leaving  his  native  State, 
he  removed  to  Athens  County,  Ohio,  and  thence 
to  Morgan  County,  111.     Later,  he  came  to  Han- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


387 


cock  County,  and  settled  in  Durham  Township. 
On  the  1  ith  of  January,  1839,  he  married  Panthea, 
daughter  of  William  Huston,  and  to  them  were 
born  five  children,  but  one  died  in  infancy.  Those 
still  living  are:  Elkanah,  of  this  sketch;  Paralee, 
wife  of  Martin  A  Bright,  a  farmer  residing  near 
Fall  City,  Richardson  Count}',  Neb. ;  William  R., 
a  resident  fanner  of  Henderson  County;  and  Al- 
gernon, who  also  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Henderson  County. 

Elkanah  Mesecher  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  work  upon  the  home  farm,  and 
in  attendance  at  the  district  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, where  his  education  was  acquired.  Dur- 
ing the  late  war  his  father  enlisted  in  Company 
A,  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry, 
under  Capt.  T.  J.  Campbell,  September  15,  1861, 
and  with  the  troops  went  to  Camp  Butler,  where 
he  contracted  pneumonia.  He  was  then  granted 
a  furlough,  and  returned  home,  but  as  soon  as  he 
was  better  he  started  to  rejoin  his  regiment,  and 
died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  March  30,  1862.  His 
wife  passed  away  on  the  23d  of  October,  1864, 
and  as  our  subject  was  the  eldest  of  the  family,  the 
care  of  the  younger  children  devolved  upon  him. 

Mr.  Mesecher  resided  on  the  old  homestead  un- 
til 1866,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Pilot 
Grove  Township,  which  he  continued  to  operate 
for  four  years.  In  1870  he  purchased  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  34,  La  Harpe  Township, 
and  upon  that  farm  he  resided  for  twenty-two 
years.  In  1882  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
ten  acres  on  section  33,  and  in  1891  purchased 
eighty  acres  on  the  same  section.  To  this  farm 
he  removed  in  the  latter  year,  and  still  makes  it 
his  home. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  1866,  Mr.  Mesecher  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Rebecca  M.  Butler,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  Baxter  and  Lucinda  (Younger) 
Butler,  of  Durham  Township.  They  were  natives 
of  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  the  former  born 
June  5,  1818,  and  the  latter  August  3,  1822.  The 
wedding  ceremony  was  performed  January  12, 
1843,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren: Rebecca,  who  was  born  February  5,  1844; 
Aman  O.,  who  was  born  September  n,  1847, 
and   died   March    13,    1849;  and  Jane,   who   was 


born  May  12,  1850,  became  the  wife  of  Isaac 
Sears,  of  Durham  Township,  Hancock  County, 
and  died  in  April,  1868.  Mr.  Butler  was  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  but  later  in  life  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  farming.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he 
purchased  two  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land 
in  Durham  Township,  and  in  October  following 
moved  his  family  to  the  new  home.  Here  he  re- 
sided until  his  death,  which  occurred  June  1,  1876. 
His  wife  died  in  Muskingum  County  December 
20,  1851.  He  was  a  Whig  in  politics  until  1856, 
when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  Republican 
party.  A  well-educated  man,  and  one  who  was 
deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  community, 
he  was  recognized  as  a  valued  citizen  of  Hancock 
County. 

Four  children  were  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mesecher,  two  sons  and  two  daughters:  Edward 
A.,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  on  section  34,  La 
Harpe  Township;  Lulu  B.,  Samuel  H.  and  Daisy 
D.  The  family  has  a  pleasant  home,  and  its  mem- 
bers are  leading  people  of  the  community.  All 
save  one  hold  membership  with  the  Christian 
Church.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Bristol 
Lodge  No.  653,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  La  Harpe,  and  of 
the  Mutual  Aid  Society.  He  cast  his  first  Pres- 
idential vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864,  and 
has  since  supported  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Republican  party.  For  nine  years  he  has  served 
as  School  Director,  but  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  interests,  in  which  he  has  met 
with  good  success. 


(JOHN  CALVIN  BROWN,  who  carries  on 
I  general  farming  and  stock-raising  on  section 
Q)  3,  Sonora  Township,  Hancock  County,  claims 
Pennsylvania  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  for  he 
was  born  in  Dayton  County,  on  the  27th  of  No- 
vember, 1833.  On  the  paternal  side  the  family 
is  of  German  lineage.  His  parents,  John  and 
Sarah  (Sipherd)  Brown,  were  both  natives  of  the 
Keystone  State,  and  there  lived  until  after  attain- 
ing to  mature  years.     In   1844,    accompanied  by 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  family,  the  father  removed  to  Ohio,  locating 
in  Summit,  where  he  owned  and  operated  a  large 
stoneware  factory.  There  he  made  his  home 
until  i860,  when  he  removed  to  Knoxville,  111. 
In  1861,  he  came  to  Hancock  County,  and  located 
on  section  3,  Sonora  Township,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  good  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres.  He  then  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  July  10,  1879. 
He  was  laid  to  rest  in  Nauvoo  Cemetery  and  many 
friends  mourned  his  loss.  Mr.  Brown  held  mem- 
bership with  the  Masonic  order,  and  in  politics 
was  a  Democrat.  He  was  elected  and  served  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  and  School  Treasurer,  and 
was  also  President  of  the  Appanoose  and  Sonora 
Fire  Insurance  Companies.  His  wife  still  survives 
him,  and  has  reached  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
six  years.  In  their  family  were  six  children: 
Michael,  who  died  in  1880;  John  C.  of  this  sketch; 
Catherine,  who  died  in  1875;  Luther  A.,  a  farmer 
of  Sonora  Township;  Sipherd,  a  lumber-dealer  of 
Des  Moines,  Iowa;  and  William  H.,  who  is  living 
near  Wichita,  Kan. 

Mr.  Brown  whose  name  heads  this  notice  was 
only  about  eleven  years  of  age  when  with  his 
parents  he  removed  to  Ohio.  Under  his  father's 
direction  he  learned  the  potter's  trade,  and  with 
the  family  he  came  to  Hancock  County  in  1861. 
At  the  age  of  twenty,  years  he  began  life  for  him- 
self, and  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his  own 
resources,  so  that  whatever  success  he  has  achieved 
is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  The  educational 
privileges  which  he  received  were  those  afforded 
by  the  subscription  and  district  schools. 

On  the  13th  of  November,  1853,  Mr.  Brown 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Hannah  Schrop, 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Maria  (Geesler)  Schrop. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  them:  George 
W. ,  who  is  now  living  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa ;  Alice, 
wife  of  William  Dayton,  of  Des  Moines;  and  Min- 
nie, wife  of  William  Couloy,  of  Nauvoo. 

Mr.  Brown  has  long  been  numbered  among  the 
honored  and  highly  respected  citizens  of  this  com- 
munity, and  has  frequently  been  called  to  posi- 
tions of  public  trust.  For  fourteen  years  he  served 
as  Township  Clerk,  and  for  fifteen  years  has  served 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace.     His  long  continuance  in 


these  offices  indicates  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him.  He  supports  the 
Democratic  party.  He  was  also  President  of  the 
Appanoose  and  Sonora  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Company,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. A  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen, 
his  hearty  support  and  co-operation  are  given  to 
all  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit. 


^HOMAS  G  WRIGHT,  one  of  the  extensive 
I  C  land-owners  of  Hancock  County,  who  is 
Viy  now  living  on  section  34,  Fountain  Green 
Township,  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the 
community,  for  his  birth  occurred  in  the  township 
which  is  still  his  home,  on  the  9th  of  May,  1836. 
His  father,  Hickerson  Wright,  was  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He 
married  Leatha  Donahue,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  eight  sons  and  four 
daughters,  namely:  Arizela,  S.  A.,  Martha,  S.  M., 
H.  P.,  Basil,  H.  D.,  Thomas  G.,  Leatha  J., 
Charlie  G.,  Cynthia,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  father  of  this  family  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  throughout  life.  He  was  reared  to  man- 
hood on  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Kentucky, 
and  there  remained  until  coming  to  Illinois,  in 
1830.  Hoping  to  benefit  his  financial  condition, 
he  emigrated  to  this  State,  and  cast  in  his  lot 
with  the  earh-  settlers  of  Hancock  County,  locat- 
ing on  section  29,  Fountain  Green  Township, 
where  he  secured  eighty  acres  of  land  from  the 
Government,  paying  the  usual  price  of  $1.25  per 
acre.  He  at  once  erected  a  log  cabin  and  began 
the  development  and  cultivation  of  the  hitherto 
wild  land.  He  spent  his  remaining  days  upon 
that  farm,  and  as  his  financial  resources  were  in- 
creased he  extended  its  boundaries,  until  three 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  were  comprised  within 
its  borders.  A  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  he 
took  an  active  and  leading  part  in  all  that  per- 
tained to  the  development  of  the  county  and  its 
best  interests,  aiding  in  organizing  Fountain  Green 
Township  and  in  laying  out  the  roads.     The  sue- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


389 


cess  which  attended  his  business  career  is  due  to 
his  own  efforts,  for  he  began  life  empty-handed, 
and  by  perseverance  and  good  management 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward.  He  exercised 
his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  On  the  8th  of  January,  1877,  he 
passed  away,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  family 
burying-ground  on  the  old  homestead.  He  long 
survived  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  10th  of  May, 
1846,  and  was  buried  in  the  same  cemetery. 

Mr.  Wright  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
reared  on  the  old  home  farm,  and  with  the  family 
shared  in  all  the  experiences  and  hardships  of  life 
on  the  frontier.  His  education  was  acquired  in 
the  old-time  log  schoolhouse,  and  he  often  had  to 
go  seven  miles  to  school,  making  the  journey  on 
horseback.  He  continued  under  the  parental 
roof  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he  left 
home  and  started  for  New  York  City,  from 
whence  he  made  his  way  by  steamer  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.  Locating  in  Scott's  Valley,  he  was 
there  engaged  in  mining,  and  also  in  the  livery 
business  and  in  blacksmithing.  He  spent  about 
three  years  on  the  Pacific  Slope,  and  returned  to 
Illinois  in  1861.  After  a  short  time,  however,  he 
again  went  to  the  Golden  State.  This  time  the 
trip  was  made  overland,  he  reaching  his  destina- 
tion after  four  months  of  travel.  He  has  made 
the  journey  to  California  twice  by  water  and 
twelve  times  across  the  country.  In  the  Golden 
.State  he  continued  to  make  his  home  until  1874, 
when  he  returned  to  the  county  of  his  nativity. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Wright  had  purchased  the  farm 
upon  which  he  now  resides,  a  tract  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  and  locating  thereon  he  has  since 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  its  cultivation. 
Other  purchases  he  has  made,  and  his  landed  pos- 
sessions now  aggregate  five  hundred  and  fifty- 
seven  acres.  He  carries  on  general  fanning  and 
stock-raising,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful agriculturists  of  the  community.  Prac- 
tical and  progressive,  his  farm  is  well  developed 
and  improved  with  all  modern  accessories  and 
conveniences. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1861,  Mr.  Wright 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Adeline  Ford- 
ham.      By   this  union  two    children    were   born: 


Eva,  the  wife  of  Charles  B.  Coleman;  and  Bennett, 
who  is  now  deceased.  Mr.  Wright's  second  wife 
was  Kitty  Wise,  by  whom  he  had  two  children. 
Thomas  and  Grace,  who  are  living  with  their  fa- 
ther, their  mother  having  died  November  4, 
1SS9.  The  present  wife  of  our  subject  was  for- 
merly Miss  Ada  Parker.  Their  marriage  was 
celebrated  July  2,  1890.  By  this  union  two  chil- 
dren were  born.  One  died  in  infancy,  and  the 
other,  Henry  by  name,  completes  the  family. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Wright  has  always 
been  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles,  but  has 
never  sought  or  desired  public  office,  preferring  to 
devote  his  entire  attention  to  his  business  inter- 
ests. His  trips  to  the  West  proved  very  success- 
ful. He  possesses  good  business  and  executive 
ability,  and  as  a  result  he  has  acquired  a  hand- 
some property.  Coming  back,  he  took  up  fann- 
ing in  his  native  county,  and  is  now  recognized 
as  one  of  the  substantial  agriculturists  of  the  com- 
munity. 

(3  MITH  HOWD,  who  carries  on  general  farm- 
7\  ing  on  section  15,  Pilot  Grove  Township, 
VjJ/  Hancock  County,  has  here  made  his  home 
since  1864.  When  he  first  located  upon  his  pres- 
ent farm,  it  comprised  only  ninety  acres,  but  he 
has  extended  its  boundaries  from  time  to  time  un- 
til now  two  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  arable  land 
pay  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care 
and  cultivation  he  bestows  upon  it.  He  also  owns 
one  hundred  and  forty  acres  elsewhere. 

Mr.  Howd  was  born  in  Oneida  Countv,  N.  Y., 
December  18,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  Isaac  C.  and 
Annie  (Johnson)  Howd,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Connecticut.  The  father  was  of  Scotch,  and 
the  mother  was  of  German  and  Scotch,  lineage. 
Their  family  numbered  nine  children,  six  sons 
and  three  daughters,  namely:  Anson,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Edmund,  who  died  in  1849;  Joel,  who 
died  March  2,  1888;  Otis,  who  died  in  childhood; 
Betsy,  who  died  in  1855;  Smith,  of  this  sketch; 
Julius  C,  a  ranchman  living  near  Salem,  Ore.; 
Julia    C,    twin    sister  of  Julius,    wife  of  E.    B. 


39° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Huckins,  of  Carthage,  111.;  and  Eveline  A.,  who 
died  in  1862.  In  early  life  the  father  of  this  fam- 
ily engaged  in  school  teaching,  but  afterward  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming  as  a  means  of 
livelihood.  He  passed  away  in  1856,  and  his  wife 
departed  this  life  in  1832. 

Born  and  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  our  sub- 
ject early  became  familiar  with  the  duties  of  agri- 
cultural life.  He  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Pennsylvania,  from  whence  they 
came  to  Hancock  County  in  1837.  The  trip 
westward  was  made  by  an  ox-team,  and  inconse- 
quence their  progress  was  very  slow.  Smith  was 
then  a  lad  of  ten  years.  He  grew  to  manhood 
amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  frontier,  and  is  very 
familiar  with  the  history  of  pioneer  life  in  this  lo- 
cality. His  education  was  acquired  in  the  old- 
time  subscription  schools,  which  were  held  in  a 
log  cabin,  and  to  which  he  had  to  walk  a  distance 
of  two  and  a-half  miles.  Although  his  advantages 
were  not  of  the  best,  he  has  made  himself  a  well- 
informed  man  by  reading  and  observation,  and  in 
the  school  of  experience  has  acquired  a  practical 
knowledge.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  started 
out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and  began 
working  as  a  farm  hand,  in  which  capacity  he  was 
employed  for  a  few  months.  He  then  began  farm- 
ing in  his  own  interest,  and  purchased  forty  acres 
of  land  on  section  16,  Pilot  Grove  Township,  which 
he  still  owns,  and  upon  which  he  lived  until  the 
spring  of  1854. 

In  that  year,  Mr.  Howd  started  for  California. 
He  left  Pontoosuc,  crossed  the  Missouri  River  at 
Council  Bluffs,  and  then  with  ox-teams  continued 
on  his  journey.  He  had  left  home  on  the  25th  of 
April,  and  on  Christmas  Eve  reached  his  destina- 
tion, San  Bernardino.  The  next  year  he  went  to 
San  Joaquin,  where  he  began  prospecting  and 
mining.  Thence  to  Mariposa,  where  he  followed 
mining.  He  succeeded  in  gathering  together  not 
a  little  of  the  precious  dust,  and  altogether  the  trip 
was  a  successful  one.  He  remained  on  the  Pacific 
Slope  until  1863,  when  he  returned  home  byway 
of  the  ocean  route  and  New  York  City.  Since 
that  time  he  has  continuously  made  his  home  in 
Hancock  County.  In  the  year  after  his  return 
he  purchased  a  part  of  his  present  farm,  and  has 


since  made  his  home  thereon.  In  connection  with 
the  cultivation  of  his  land  he  engages  in  stock- 
raising,  and  his  business  is  proving  to  him  a  prof- 
itable source  of  income. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1864,  a  marriage  ceremony 
was  performed  which  united  the  destinies  of  Mr. 
Howd  and  Miss  Catherine  Yetter.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  seven  children :  Olive  J. ,  who 
died  in  1865;  Emma,  wife  of  Albert  Houseman, 
who  resides  in  Burnside;  Martin  C,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  school  teaching,  and  who  married  Edith 
Thornburg;  Flora  B.,  engaged  in  teaching,  at 
home;  and  Joel  J.,  John  B.  and  Albert  O.,  all  of 
whom  are  still  with  their  parents.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Houseman  one  child,  Smith,  Mr.  Howd's 
only  grandchild,  has  been  born. 

Mr.  Howd  holds  membership  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  belonging  to  the  Blue  Lodge  of  Burn- 
side.  The  best  interests  of  the  community  always 
find  in  him  a  friend,  one  ever  ready  to  aid  in  the 
promotion  of  all  enterprises  calculated  to  advance 
the  general  welfare.  His  career  has  been  a  pros- 
perous one,  owing  to  his  industry,  resolute  char- 
acter and  good  management.  He  has  met  with 
obstacles,  but  by  determined  effort  has  overcome 
these,  and  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  to 
success.  Those  who  know  him  esteem  him  highly 
for  his  sterling  worth,  and  we  feel  assured  that 
this  sketch  will  prove  of  interest  to  his  many 
friends  and  acquaintances  throughout  the  county. 

SEORGE  C.  WAGGENER,  a  retired  farmer 
now  residing  on  section  31,  Pilot  Grove 
Township,  has  been  one  of  the  industrious 
and  enterprising  citizens  of  Hancock  County,  and 
as  the  result  of  his  perseverance  and  well-directed 
efforts  acquired  a  competence  which  now  enables 
him  to  lay  aside  business  cares.  His  success  is 
well  deserved,  for  it  is  the  just  reward  of  his  la- 
bors. 

As  Mr.  Waggener  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  this  community,  we  feel  assured  that  the 
record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of 
our  readers.     A  native  of  Kentucky,  he  was  born 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


393 


in  Jefferson  County,  near  Louisville,  April  6, 
1S17,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (O'Xeil ) 
Waggener.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  as  a  means  of  livelihood  he  always  followed 
farming.  His  death  occurred  in  Kentucky,  and 
his  wife  also  passed  away  in  that  State.  They 
were  the  parents  of  three  children,  a  son  and 
two  daughters:  George  C,  of  this  sketch;  Man 
E.,  deceased;  and  Ellesif,  wife  of  B.  G.  Ander- 
son. 

Upon  his  father's  farm,  Mr.  Waggener,  our 
subject,  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  the  old-time  sub- 
scription schools,  which  were  held  in  a  log  school- 
house,  to  which  he  walked  a  distance  of  three  and 
a-half  miles.  He  has  added  greatly  to  his  knowl- 
edge, however,  by  reading  and  business  experi- 
ence, becoming  a  well-informed  man.  He  con- 
tinued under  the  parental  roof  until  seventeen 
years  of  age,  and  in  1837  he  emigrated  to  Illinois. 
The  trip  westward  was  made  by  team,  and  he 
chose  Hancock  County  as  the  scene  of  his  future 
labors.  After  renting  land  in  Carthage  Town- 
ship, he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  on  section  31,  Pilot  Grove  Township,  a 
wild  and  unimproved  tract,  whereon  not  a  furrow 
had  been  turned.  He  erected  a  log  cabin  18x26 
feet,  and  in  that  primitive  home  lived  for  several 
years  in  true  pioneer  style.  This  community  was 
then  but  sparsely  settled.  There  was  only  one 
house  between  his  home  and  the  Mississippi 
River,  and  the  Indians  often  visited  the  neigh- 
borhood, but  they  were  usually  friendly  in  their 
relations  with  the  white  people.  Warsaw  was 
the  nearest  market-place,  and  the  prices  that 
could  be  obtained  for  farm  produce  were  very  low, 
corn  selling  for  six  cents  per  bushel  and  wheat  for 
twenty-five.  Mr.  Waggener  was  also  actively 
interested  in  the  Mormon  War,  being  a  strong 
opponent  of  that  sect.  He  lived  upon  the  farm 
where  he  first  located  until  1851 ,  when  he  re- 
moved to  another  tract  of  unimproved  land,  where 
he  resided  until  1872.  The  succeeding  year  he 
passed  in  Burnside,  and  then  purchased  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides,  an  eighty-acre  tract  on 
section  31,  Pilot  Grove  Township. 

On  the  6th   of  August,    1835,   Mr.  Waggener 


was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  F.  An- 
derson, daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Sarah  (Bullock) 
Anderson.  The  lady  is  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  there  spent  the  days  of  her  maidenhood. 
Six  children  have  been  born  unto  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  namely:  James  N.,  wdio  now  resides  in 
Carthage;  William  J.,  who  is  living  in  Missouri; 
Jasper  B.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  banking  busi- 
ness in  Missouri;  George,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Sarah,  wife  of  Charles  Thompson,  a  prosperous 
agriculturist  of  Pilot  Grove  Township;  and  Mary 
O.,  who  is  living  at  home. 

Mr.  Waggener  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  Henry  Clay,  and  since  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party  has  been  one  of  its  stanch  sup- 
porters. He  has  served  in  the  office  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  but  has  never  sought  political  prefer- 
ment. He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  this  worthy  couple  have  the  high 
regard  of  all  who  know  them.  Mr.  Waggener 
may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for  he  started 
out  in  life  a  poor  boy,  and  is  now  the  possessor  of 
a  handsome  competence. 

S  ,5~~S)  <"  T  ">  l=a    3  I! 

(JOSEPH  MORRIS  MARTIN,  who  for  many 
I  years  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
(2/  best-known  citizens  of  Macomb,  was  born 
near  Troy,  Miami  County,  Ohio,  on  the  6th  of 
January,  1823,  and  was  a  son  of  Abia  and  Sarah 
Martin.  When  he  was  only  four  years  old  his 
parents  removed  to  Indiana,  settling  in  Mont- 
gomery County.  His  educational  privileges  were 
very  limited,  being  confined  to  two  years'  atten- 
dance at  the  district  schools;  but  he  read  exten- 
sively and  became  familiar  with  the  best  literature, 
as  well  as  with  all  the  current  topics  of  the  da}-. 
Few  men  of  the  community  in  which  he  made  his 
home  had  a  better  general  knowledge.  He 
worked  upon  a  farm  until  seventeen  years  of  age, 
when,  with  the  family,  he  removed  to  Thorntown, 
Ind.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to  Craw- 
fordsville,  Ind.,  where  he  began  learning  the  car- 
penter's trade,  which  he  followed  throughout  the 
remainder  of  his  life. 


394 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


On  the  ioth  of  February,  1845,  in  Indiana,  Mr. 
Martin  married  Miss  Henrietta  Gerard  Westfall, 
who  was  born  near  Troy,  Ohio,  March  18,  1823, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Levi  and  Margaret  Westfall. 
For  almost  fifty  years  they  traveled  life's  journey 
together.  Unto  them  were  born  eight  children: 
Harriet  L-,  wife  of  S.  J.  Clarke,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  publishing  business  in  Chicago;  Edgar  P., 
a  contractor  and  builder  of  Macomb;  Edwin,  who 
was  a  twin  brother  of  Edgar,  and  died  in  infancy; 
Fielding  O.,  who  is  now  engaged  in  farming  near 
Lincoln,  Neb.;  Isaac  M.,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  La  Harpe;  Henrietta, wife 
ofT.  B.  Campbell,  of  Bushnell;  Charles,  who  is 
engaged  in  farming  near  Lincoln;  and  Mary  E., 
who  died  on  the  20th  of  May,  1SS1. 

In  1848,  Mr.  Martin  started  with  his  family  for 
Illinois,  and  on  the  1st  of  November  reached  Ma- 
comb, where  he  made  his  home  throughout  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  He  engaged  in  contracting 
and  building  in  that  city,  and  his  excellent  work- 
manship and  his  fidelity  to  the  terms  of  his  con- 
tracts soon  won  him  a  large  share  of  the  business 
of  the  place.  He  did  much  toward  building  up 
the  town,  both  in  the  line  of  his  trade  and  in  other 
ways.  He  was  always  recognized  as  one  of  its 
leading  and  best  citizens,  and  held  a  number  of 
its  offices.  On  several  different  occasions  he 
served  as  Mayor  of  the  city,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education. 
His  public  duties  were  discharged  in  a  prompt 
and  able  manner,  that  won  him  the  respect  of  even 
those  opposed  to  him  politically.  In  his  early  life 
he  was  a  Democrat,  and  then  became  a  Whig. 
In  1856,  he  supported  John  C.  Fremont,  and  from 
that  time  was  ever  a  stalwart  Republican,  who 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  issues  of  the  day.  Few 
men  were  better  informed  on  political  questions 
than  he.  Socially,  Mr.  Martin  was  a  prominent 
Mason,  and  attained  to  a  high  degree  in  that  or- 
der. For  man)-  years  he  served  as  Secretary  of 
the  Royal  Arch  Chapter  of  Macomb,  and  contin- 
ued his  membership  with  it  until  the  last.  In  re- 
ligious belief,  he  was  a  Universalist,  and  did  much 
for  the  upbuilding  and  support  of  the  church  with 
which  he  held  membership.  He  died  at  the  old 
home  where  he  had  so  long  resided  February  21, 


1893,  and  with  the  honors  of  Masonry  he  was  laid 
to  rest  in  Oak  wood  Cemetery.  He  was  noted  for 
his  justice,  and  his  strict  adherence  to  what  he  be- 
lieved to  be  right,  and  his  honorable,  straightfor- 
ward career  won  him  the  respect  of  all  with  whom 
he  was  brought  in  contact.  Mrs.  Martin  now 
makes  her  home  in  Bushnell  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Campbell. 

6>G)ILLIAM  W.  McCULLOCH,  one  of  the 
\  A  /  self-made  men  of  Hancock  County,  who  is 
Y  V  now  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  on  sections  18  and  19,  Fountain  Green 
Township,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  this 
county,  for  his  birth  occurred  in  Pilot  Grove 
Township,  January  20,  1845.  His  parents  were 
William  H.  and  Man*  (Nicholson)  McCulloch, 
the  former  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and 
the  latter  of  England.  The  father  was  reared  in 
his  native  city,  acquired  a  good  education  in 
the  common  schools,  and  remained  in  Scotland 
until  1830,  when,  bidding  adieu  to  friends  and  na- 
tive land,  he  sailed  for  America,  landing  in  Bos- 
ton, Mass.  For  some  time  he  there  made  his 
home,  earning  his  living  by  work  in  the  cotton 
factories.  After  seven  years  spent  in  Boston,  he 
left  the  Bay  State  for  Illinois,  making  the  trip 
westward  by  water.  At  length  he  reached  Han- 
cock Count}-,  and  cast  in  his  lot  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Pilot  Grove  Township. 

Here  Mr.  McCulloch  took  up  agricultural  pur- 
suits. Purchasing  a  tract  of  unimproved  land, 
he  erected  thereon  a  log  cabin,  and  began  the  de- 
velopment of  a  farm.  Upon  the  once  raw  prairie 
the  furrows  were  soon  turned,  crops  were  planted, 
and  in  course  of  time  abundant  harvests  were 
garnered.  Mr.  McCulloch  continued  the  culti- 
vation of  that  farm  until  1855,  when  he  sold  out 
and  purchased  land  in  Pilot  Grove  Township, 
where  he  continued  to  make  his  home  until  1864. 
In  that  year  he  came  to  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship, and  within  its  borders  he  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
the  24th  of  June,  1869,  at  the  age  of  eighty -five 


POkTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


395 


years.  He  was  laid  to  rest  in  La  Harpe  Ceme- 
tery, and  many  friends  mourned  his  loss,  for  he 
was  a  valued  citizen  of  the  community.  His  wife 
still  survives  him,  and  is  now  living  with  our  sub- 
ject, in  the  ninety-first  year  of  her  age.  They 
were  married  in  Illinois  in  1839,  and  for  thirty 
years  traveled  life'sjourney  together.  Their  fam- 
ily numbered  only  two  children:  Elizabeth  J., 
who  is  now  the  widow  of  Calvin  Westfall,  and  a 
resident  of  Burnside;  and  William  \V.,  of  this 
sketch. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject.  He  lived 
quietly  upon  the  home  farm,  and  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  neighborhood  until  sixteen 
years  of  age.  He  started  out  in  life  for  himself 
at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  by  working  on  a  farm 
by  the  month.  He  was  thus  employed  for  a  pe- 
riod of  five  years,  after  which  he  rented  land — a 
part  of  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  He 
continued  its  cultivation  for  five  years,  and  then 
purchased  sixty  acres  of  land.  This  was  his  first 
property,  but  he  has  since  made  additional  pur- 
chases, until  his  farm  now  comprises  one  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  acres. 

Mr.  McCulloch  was  married  October  28,  1869, 
the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Anna  M. 
Miller,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Margaret  Miller. 
Three  children  graced  this  marriage:  Fanny  J., 
who  was  born  October  6,  1870:  Lena  M.,  who 
died  on  the  4th  of  August,  1S79;  and  Ethel  M., 
whose  death  occurred  on  the  2d  of  February, 
1884.  On  the  10th  of  February,  1892,  Fanny  J. 
became  the  wife  of  Dennis  Sharp,  a  resident  of 
La  Crosse,  and  to  them  one  child,  Skyles  M.  by 
name,  was  born  March  6,  1893. 

Mr.  McCulloch  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic 
party  and  its  principles,  and  has  been  honored 
with  the  office  of  Assessor  of  his  township,  which 
he  filled  in  an  efficient  and  capable  manner.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging 
to  Burnside  Lodge  No.  681,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Ik- 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  practical  and  progress- 
ive fanners  of  the  neighborhood,  and  the  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance  of  his  place  indicates  the  care- 
ful supervision  of  the  owner.  He  is  a  good  busi- 
ness man,  for  he  started  out  in  life  empty-handed, 


and  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  acquir- 
ing a  handsome  competence.  He  is  also  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the 
county,  and  for  many  years  has  been  a  witness  of 
the  growth  and  development  of  this  community. 

3<"T">C 


0AVID  BYLER,  who  passed  away  April  2, 
1894,  was  an  honored  pioneer  of  Hancock 
County,  who  lived  on  section  9,  Durham 
Township.  He  was  a  native  of  East  Tennessee, 
and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Hayworth) 
Byler.  They  too  were  natives  of  Tennessee,  and 
the  father,  who  was  born  April  19,  1798,  died  in 
1875.  The  mother  was  born  in  1797,  and  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  in  1862. 

During  the  boyhood  of  our  subject,  he  left  his 
native  State  and  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Adams  County,  111.  He  acquired  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  that  locality,  and  con- 
tinued his  residence  in  Adams  County  from  1836 
until  1851.  In  the  spring  of  the  latter  year  he 
purchased  the  homestead  now  occupied  by  his 
widow,  and  removed  to  Hancock  County,  where 
he  made  his  home.  He  first  bought  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land,  but  as  his  financial  re- 
sources increased,  he  from  time  to  time  made  ju- 
dicious investments  in  real  estate,  until  his  landed 
possessions  aggregated  twelve  hundred  and  sev- 
enty acres.  This  comprises  some  of  the  richest 
prairie  land  for  which  Illinois  is  famous. 

Mr.  Byler  was  married  in  1840  to  Gracey  J. 
Levi,  and  to  them  were  born  four  children:  Joel, 
who  is  now  deceased;  John  P.,  Silas  H,  and  one 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  mother  of  this  family 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  31st  of  August, 

1850,  and  Mr.    Byler  was  again  married,  May  4, 

1851,  his  second  union  being  with  Matilda  C. 
Cunningham,  of  Adams  County.  She  died  April 
12,  1857,  leaving  a  family  of  four  children:  Gracey 
J.,  Joseph,  Henry  C.  and  George  W.  On  the 
14th  of  February,  1858,  in  McDonough  County, 
Mr.  Byler  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Eliz- 
abeth Thompson,  and  three  children  graced  this 
marriage,  a  son   and  two   daughters:    Sarah  A., 


396 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


William  N.  and  Mary  B.  The  family  is  one  of 
prominence  in  this  county,  and  its  members  rank 
high  in  social  circles. 

For  a  period  of  thirty-one  years  David  Byler 
was  a  member  in  good  standing  of  Dallas 
City  Lodge  No.  235,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  had 
filled  nearly  all  of  its  offices.  In  politics,  he  was 
a  Democrat.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  William  Henry  Harrison,  and  was  a  supporter 
of  the  Whig  party  until  1852,  when  he  joined  the 
Democracy,  of  which  he  was  always  afterward  a 
warm  advocate.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Old- 
School  Baptist  Church  for  over  fifty  years,  becom- 
ing connected  with  that  denomination  in  Adams 
County  in  1840.  He  was  honoied  with  a  number 
of  public  offices,  having  served  as  Township  Su- 
pervisor for  about  fourteen  years,  and  as  County 
Supervisor  for  fifteen  years.  For  the  long  period 
of  thirty  years  he  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  for  twenty-eight  years  was  Township 
Treasurer.  During  all  this  time  the  school  fund 
did  not  lose  a  cent.  In  his  public  duties  he  was 
ever  faithful  and  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in 
him,  and  no  higher  testimonial  of  his  service  could 
be  given  than  his  long  retention  in  office.  It  also 
indicates  the  confidence  and  high  regard  reposed 
in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen. 

In  connection  with  general  farming,  Mr.  Byler 
was  engaged  in  stock-raising  for  ten  years,  and 
was  one  of  the  leading  stock-dealers  of  this  com- 
munity. He  made  a  specialty  of  raising  hogs, 
and  sold  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  head  each 
year.  This  added  not  a  little  to  his  income.  His 
excellent  success  in  business  was  not  the  result  of 
chance  or  fortunate  combination,  but  resulted  from 
well-directed  efforts,  careful  attention  to  all  details, 
judicious  investment,  and  good  management. 

On  the  20th  day  of  June,  1892,  Mr.  Byler  was 
stricken  with  paralysis,  which  affected  his  right 
side,  and  for  weeks  his  life  was  despaired  of,  but 
he  recovered  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  walk  about 
by  the  aid  of  a  chair,  but  suffered  more  or  less 
pain  all  the  time.  His  last  illness  was  only  of  a 
week's  duration.  He  bore  his  suffering  with  pa- 
tience, although  it  sometimes  seemed  unbearable. 
He  seldom,  if  ever,  complained. 

He  united  with  the    regular  Baptist  Church  in 


1840,  and  was  a  devoted  member  to  his  death.  It 
was  his  delight  to  talk  of  the  goodness  and  mer- 
cies of  God.  His  trust  and  faith  in  Him  were  a 
help  and  consolation,  and  he  had  no  fear  of  death. 
He  was  always  ready  to  help  the  needy,  and  no 
one  hungry  ever  went  from  his  door  unfed. 

^H-^g- 1 

ULLIAM  D.  HIBBARD,  an  attorney-at-law 
of  Nauvoo,  was  born  in  the  city  which  is 
still  his  home,  on  the22d  of  October,  1848, 
and  is  the  only  child  of  William  T.  and  Gertrude 
(Yates)  Hibbard.  His  father  was  also  a  native  of 
this  city,  and  a  representative  of  one  of  the  hon- 
ored pioneer  families  of  the  county.  The  grand- 
father, Davison  Hibbard.  was  born  in  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  and  emigrated  westward  in  1829, 
taking  up  his  residence  on  the  site  of  Nauvoo. 
Here  he  entered  land  from  the  Government  and 
carried  on  farming  throughout  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  He  was  also  a  mechanic.  He  lived  here 
through  all  the  Mormon  trouble,  but  took  no  part 
in  it.  His  death  occurred  in  1852,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six  years. 

William  T.  Hibbard  was  reared  in  his  father's 
home,  and  when  a  young  man  studied  medicine, 
but  never  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
for  in  1850,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California,  he  crossed  the  plains  to  the  Pacific 
Slope,  and  there  died  in  the  same  year,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two  years.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  came  to  Nauvoo  with  her  parents  dur- 
ing her  early  girlhood.  She  is  still  living  here, 
and  has  reached  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  Her 
father,  Christopher  Yates,  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  locality,  and  one  of  its  most  prom- 
inent citizens.  He  and  his  wife  were  both  natives 
of  New  York. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Nauvoo,  and  at  Notre 
Dame  University,  Ind.,  our  subject  acquired  his 
literary  education,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
began  the  study  of  law.  After  pursuing  a  thor- 
ough course,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  on  at- 
taining his  majority,  and  at  once  began  practice 
in  his  native  town.      In  connection  with  his  legal 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


397 


work,  he  was  also  manager  of  a  newspaper  for 
about  eleven  years,  and  was  its  proprietor  for  a 
period  of  five  years.  He  spent  much  of  the  year 
1SS4  in  Kansas,  after  which  he  returned  to  Nau- 
voo  and  opened  a  law,  insurance  and  loan  office, 
which  he  still  conducts.  He  now  does  a  good 
business  in  the  courtroom,  and  also  along  other 
lines,  receiving  from  the  public  a  liberal  patronage, 
which  he  well  deserves. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1S68.  Mr.  Hibbard 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mittie  C.  Whit- 
field, of  Nauvoo,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  but 
Willi. 1111.  the  eldest,  died  in  1890,  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years.  Posie  E.  is  engaged  in  teaching, 
and  also  does  some  work  as  an  artist.  Robert  I. 
is  still  attending  the  home  school. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Hibbard  is  a  stanch 
Democrat,  and  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in 
local  politics,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  aid  in  the 
growth  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party.  He 
has  served  for  two  terms  as  Mayor  of  Nauvoo,  and 
also  as  City  Clerk.  He  has  been  Supervisor  of 
his  township,  which  office  he  is  now  filling,  and 
at  this  writing  he  is  serving  as  City  Attorney,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  High  School  Board.  In  all 
the  offices  which  he  has  filled  he  has  discharged 
his  duties  with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  which 
have  won  him  high  commendation.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  Society,  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America. 


(Stephen  Jacobs,  one  of  the  self-made 

?\  men  of  Hancock  County,  and  one  of  its  hon- 
\*fj  ored  pioneers,  is  now  living  on  section  3, 
Pilot  Grove  Township.  He  came  to  this  county  in 
the  spring  of  1837,  and  for  fifty-four  years  has  been 
one  of  its  citizens.  He  has  therefore  witnessed 
the  greater  part  of  its  growth  and  development, 
has  seen  its  wild  land  transformed  into  beautiful 
homes  and  farms,  has  witnessed  the  introduction 
of  the  railroads,  and  has  watched  with  interest  the 
progress  of  civilization,  which  by  its  advancement 


has  made  Hancock  one  of  the  leading  counties  in 
the  State.  The  pioneers  laid  the  foundation  for 
the  county's  prosperity,  and  to  them  all  honor  is 
due.  As  one  of  the  early  settlers,  Mr.  Jacobs 
well  deserves  mention  in  this  volume. 

A  native  of  the  Empire  State,  our  subject  was 
born  Jul}-  30,  181 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Udney  H.  and 
Elizabeth  (Hubbard )  Jacobs.  The  former  was  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  of  German  de- 
scent, while  the  latter  was  of  English  lineage. 
Their  family  numbered  the  following  children: 
Norton,  Jason  K.  and  Prosper,  who  are  now  de- 
ceased; Stephen,  of  this  sketch;  Elisha,  deceased; 
Eliza,  widow  of  M.  Andrews,  and  a  resident  of 
Colorado;  and  Mary,  wife  of  Milton  Hamilton,  of 
Washington.  Of  the  four  sons  of  the  family  who 
are  now  deceased,  three  of  them  were  ministers. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  Stephen 
Jacobs  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth.  His  edu- 
cational privileges  were  those  afforded  by  the  old- 
time  subscription  schools,  but  his  advantages  in 
that  direction  were  meagre.  When  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  he  left  home  and  began  life  for  him- 
self. He  remained  in  New  York  until  1836,  when 
he  came  West,  making  the  journey  by  water,  and 
located  in  what  is  now  Durham  Township,  Han- 
cock County.  111.  In  the  autumn  of  that  vear. 
however,  he  returned  to  his  native  State,  but  in 
the  spring  of  1837  he  came  West  witli  his  family. 
He  was  married  on  the  8th  of  July,  1834,  to  Miss 
Minerva  Ostrander,  and  to  them  were  born  nine 
children:  Margaret  A.,  who  is  now  engaged  in 
the  millinery  business  in  LaHarpe;  Man,  wife 
of  William  H.  Grove,  a  resident  farmer  of  Pilot 
Grove  Township;  Abraham,  a  dentist  of  Lamed, 
Pawnee  County,  Kan.;  Marvin,  who  is  living  on 
a  farm  in  Pilot  Grove  Township;  Emma  C,  who 
is  at  home;  Edward  P.,  an  agriculturist  and 
farmer  of  Dallas  Township,  Hancock  County; 
Eliza,  who  died  in  1878;  Prosper  H.,  who  aids  in 
the  operation  of  the  home  farm:  and  Stephen, 
who  died  in  1878. 

On  coming  to  this  county,  Mr.  Jacobs  located 
in  Durham  Township,  but  after  a  year  removed 
to  a  farm  in  Pilot  Grove  Township,  purchasing  a 
forty-acre  tract  of  unimproved  prairie  land  on 
section  3.     He  erected  a  small  log  cabin,  and  with 


39« 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


characteristic  energy  began  the  development  of 
his  farm,  upon  which  he  has  since  lived.  It  now 
comprises  one  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  arable 
land,  and  is  cultivated  by  the  sons  of  our  subject, 
for  he  is  practically  living  a  retired  life.  In  all 
of  his  labors  he  has  found  in  his  wife  an  able 
helpmate,  who  has  assisted  him  by  her  thrifty 
ways,  and  by  her  encouragement.  She  was  born 
in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  in  the  town  of  Still- 
well,  October  6,  181 1,  and  their  marriage  was  cel- 
ebrated in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  An- 
drew Jackson,  Mr.  Jacobs  has  been  an  advocate 
of  the  Democracy,  and  by  his  ballot  has  supported 
its  men  and  measures.  He  has  been  elected  to  a 
number  of  local  offices,  the  duties  of  which  he  has 
performed  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  was  Highway 
Commissioner  and  School  Treasurer,  and  helped 
to  lay  out  the  roads  in  an  early  day.  He  also 
took  an  active  part  in  the  Mormon  troubles.  He 
has  always  favored  those  enterprises  which  are 
calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit  and  to  ad- 
vance the  general  welfare,  and  is  recognized  as  a 
valued  citizen  of  the  communitv. 


HH^E 


[~\ARKHURST  WARD  CUTLER  is  a  worthy 
L/  representative  of  the  agricultural  interests  of 
|*3  Hancock  County,  and  resides  on  section  28, 
Carthage  Township,  where  he  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  farming.  Numbered  among  the  native 
sons  of  Illinois,  he  was  born  in  Fulton  County, 
near  Canton,  on  the  27th  of  February,  1848,  and 
is  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Hannah  (Ward)  Cutler. 
His  father  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  and  is 
descended  from  an  old  English  family  founded  in 
America  about  1636  by  John  Cutler.  The  mother 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  The  family  of  this 
worthy  couple  numbered  five  sons  and  two 
daughters,  as  follows:  Amanda,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Parkhurst,  of  this  sketch;  Atwood  and 
Ebenezer,  who  also  died  in  infancy;  James  C, 
who  is  engaged   in   farming   in    Carthage  Town- 


ship; Francis  M.,  a  grain-buyer  in  the  city  of 
Carthage;  and  Martha  E.,  wife  of  M.  F.  Turner, 
of  Tyler,  Tex. 

The  father  of  this  family  has  made  farming  his 
life  occupation.  He  remained  in  the  Empire 
State  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  then  emi- 
grated westward,  locating  in  Fulton  County,  111., 
in  1838.  He  settled  upon  a  farm  near  Canton, 
and  there  made  his  home  until  1853,  when  he 
came  to  Hancock  County,  and  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Pilot  Grove  Township.  Purchasing 
land,  he  made  his  home  thereon  for  a  year,  and 
then  bought  one  hundred  and  seventy-three  acres 
of  wild  prairie  land  on  section  28,  Carthage 
Township.  This  he  at  once  began  to  develop 
and  improve,  and  made  it  a  highly -cultivated  and 
valuable  tract,  which  is  still  in  possession  of  the 
family.  Mr.  Cutler  is  yet  living,  and  has  reached 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  He  has  served  as 
Township  Supervisor,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  and  influential  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. He  is  now  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  His  wife  passed  away  in  May,  1886, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Moss  Ridge  Cemetery,  of 
Carthage. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Hancock 
County  when  five  years  of  age.  He  was  reared 
to  manhood  upon  the  old  homestead,  spending 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  as  most  farmer 
lads  do.  He  had  to  walk  three  and  a-half  miles 
to  the  subscription  schools,  and  it  was  in  this  way 
that  he  acquired  his  education.  His  training  at 
farm  work  began  at  an  early  age,  and  ere  many 
years  had  passed  he  was  familiar  with  it  in  all  of 
its  departments.  He  continued  at  home  for  two 
years  after  he  had  attained  his  majority,  and  then 
began  farming  for  himself,  on  a  tract  of  land  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  section  28, 
Carthage  Township.  Here  he  has  made  his  home 
continuously  since,  with  the  exception  of  four 
years  spent  in  the  city  of  Carthage. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  1871,  Mr.  Cutler  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Fannie  G.  Barker, 
daughter  of  Judge  Francis  A.  and  Catherine 
Barker.  Mrs.  Cutler  comes  of  good  old  Revolu- 
tionary stock,  her  grandfather,  Samuel  A.  Bar- 
ker, having  served    as   aide-de-camp  to  Gen.   La 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


399 


Fayette,  during  the  War  for  Independence.  Her 
father,  Francis  A.  Barker,  was  bom  in  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  there  received  a  good  educa- 
tion for  those  times.  His  paternal  ancestors  were 
English,  and  his  mother  was  of  French  origin. 

About  1826,  Mr.  Barker  removed  to  Washing- 
ton County,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  mercantile 
business,  and  two  years  later  married  Miss  Cath- 
erine Barker,  who  was  born  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  of 
parents  who  came  from  New  England.  He  con- 
tinued his  residence  in  the  Buckeye  State  until 
1S44,  when  he  removed  with  his  family,  consist- 
ing of  seven  children,  to  central  Iowa,  settling  in 
what  afterwards  became  Marion  County,  where 
he  bought  laud  and  engaged  in  farming.  Being 
an  intelligent,  public-spirited  man,  he  soon  rose  to 
prominence  in  that  part  of  the  State,  and  was 
called  upon  to  fill  various  important  public  offices. 
On  the  organization  of  Marion  County  he  was 
elected  its  first  County  Judge.  He  was  Chief 
Clerk  of  the  Iowa  State  Legislature  for  two  years 
in  Iowa  City,  and  for  one  year  after  the  capital 
was  moved  to  Des  Moines,  and  was  Warden  of 
the  State  Penitentiary  at  Ft.  Madison  during 
1855  and  1856.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  became  a  resident  of  Knoxville,  Marion  Coun- 
ty, and  lived  retired  until  his  death,  which  occur- 
red in  1 87 1.  His  faithful  wife  survived  him  sev- 
eral years,  and  died  at  the  home  of  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Cutler,  of  Carthage,  111.,  in  18S5.  In  this 
family  were  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  but 
only  four  are  living  at  this  writing.  Emma  C. 
married  Mr.  McVay,  and  died  at  Knoxville,  Iowa; 
Edward  C.  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  during  the 
rebellion,  and  died  in  Texas,  in  the  service  of 
his  country ;  Francis  C.  was  also  a  Union  soldier 
during  the  Civil  War,  and  is  now  in  the  employ 
of  the  Government  in  Washington,  D.  C;  Fan- 
nie G.  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  Cutler  of  this  notice; 
William  H.  served  in  Company  K,  Third  Iowa 
Cavalry,  for  four  years,  and  is  now  a  dentist  of 
Huron,  S.  Dak.;  Mary  A.  is  the  wife  of  J.  C. 
Cutler,  of  Carthage  Township;  and  George  \\\, 
who  fought  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union, 
died  in  Knoxville  in  1869,  from  disease  contracted 
while  in  the  army. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cutler  have   two  sons:     Nathan 


B.,  who  was  born  April  24,  1873,  and  Ward  A., 
born  on  the  4th  of  November,  1875.  Both  are 
attending  college  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Cutler  is  a  warm 
friend  to  education  and  is  determined  that  his 
children  should  have  good  advantages  along  that 
line.  In  politics,  he  votes  with  the  Prohibition 
party,  for  he  warmly  advocates  the  cause  of  tem- 
perance, and  does  all  in  his  power  to  gain  the  sup- 
port of  the  people  for  temperance  measures.  In 
religious  belief,  he  is  a  Baptist.  The  poor  and 
needy  find  in  him  a  warm  friend,  as  he  is  a  char- 
itable and  benevolent  man.  His  life  has  been 
well  spent,  and  his  upright  career  has  gained 
for  him  universal  confidence  and  esteem.  In  his 
business  dealings  he  has  been  very  successful, 
and  has  become  the  owner  of  five  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  valuable  land. 

RUDOLPH  ANTON  has  been  prominently 
connected  with  the  official  interests  of  Nau- 
voo  for  a  number  of  years,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing as  the  efficient  Postmaster.  He  was  born  on 
the  22d  of  September,  1S54,  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
and  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of 
six  children,  five  sons  and  a  daughter.  The  par- 
ents were  John  and  Elizabeth  (Wagner)  Anton, 
both  natives  of  Bavaria,  Germany.  The  father 
was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  land,  and 
when  a  young  man  sailed  for  the  New  World,  for 
he  believed  that  he  might  thereby  better  his  finan- 
cial condition.  Having  crossed  the  Atlantic,  he 
took  up  his  residence  in  St.  Louis,  where  for  a 
short  time  he  worked  at  the  barber's  trade.  The 
year  1855  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Nauvoo,  where 
he  continued  to  make  his  home  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1864,  at  the  age  of  forty-one 
years.  His  wife  survived  him  for  several  years, 
and  departed  this  life  in  Nauvoo,  in  1877,  at  the 
age  of  forty-eight  years. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject.  He  re- 
mained quietly  at  home,  and  attended  the  public 
schools  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time 
he  started  out  in  life    for    himself.      Going   to  St. 


400 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Louis,  he  there  learned  the  barber's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  four  years,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Nauvoo,  and,  opening  a  barber  shop,  conducted 
the  same  for  a  period  often  years.  His  next  un- 
dertaking was  fruit-culture.  He  became  owner 
of  a  good  vineyard,  and  gave  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  its  cultivation  until  March,  1886,  when  he 
was  appointed  Postmaster.  He  filled  the  position 
until  June,  1889,  and  then  during  President  Har- 
rison's administration  was  out  of  office,  but  in  Ju- 
ly, 1893,  he  was  again  appointed.  His  capable 
administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  office  has  won 
him  high  commendation,  and  that  he  is  an  accept- 
able officer  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  was  again 
given  the  position. 

On  the  21  st  of  January,  1879,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Anton  and  Miss  Lizzie  Boe- 
decker,  who  was  born  in  Germany.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  by  two  children:  Annie  M.,  born 
November  15,  1879,  and  George  E.,  born  Febru- 
ary 22,  1888,  who  are  still  with  their  parents. 

Since  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Anton  has 
been  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy,  and  warmly 
advocates  its  principles.  He  has  served  as  Tax 
Collector  for  two  terms,  was  Superintendent  of 
Highways  for  two  terms,  was  Alderman  for  two 
terms,  was  Mayor  of  the  city  for  two  terms,  and 
City  Clerk  for  the  same  length  of  time,  and  is  now- 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education. 
Whether  in  official,  business  or  private  life,  he  is 
ever  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  has  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  the  entire  community. 
He  holds  membership  with  the  Catholic  Church. 

© _^l  <-.  J.  .->  E-^  * 

(JOHN  SIBERT,  who  is  now  engaged  in  farm- 
I  ing  on  section  21,  Fountain  Green  Town- 
O  ship,  Hancock  County,  is  one  of  the  honored 
veterans  of  the  late  war,  who  for  three  years  wore 
the  blue  and  valiantly  aided  in  defense  of  the  Old 
Flag  and  the  cause  it  represented.  He  claims 
Virginia  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  for  he  was 
born  near  Furrisville,  on  the  17th  of  March,  1841. 
On  the  paternal  side  he  is  of  German  descent, 
his    father,  John  Sibert,   having  been  a  native  of 


Germany.  In  that  country  he  lived  until  1838, 
when,  in  a  sailing-vessel,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  America,  and  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks 
reached  the  shores  of  the  New  World.  He  lo- 
cated in  Baltimore,  Md.,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  1849,  in  which  year  he  emigrated  to  Ohio. 
Settling  in  Ross  County,  he  there  continued  to 
reside  until  1854,  when  he  removed  to  McDon- 
ough  County,  111.  Five  years  later  he  came  to 
Hancock  County  and  made  a  settlement  in  Foun- 
tain Green  Township,  where  he  spent  his  remain- 
ing days,  his  death  occurring  on  the  14th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1892.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  the  community,  and  during  his  long  residence 
here  became  both  widely  and  favorably  known. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine 
Cuba,  is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  In 
their  family  were  nine  children,  of  whom  John  is 
the  eldest.  The  others  are,  Lizzie;  Gabriel; 
Christian:  Mary  J.  and  Betsy  A.,  twins;  Aman- 
da and  Fannie,  twins;  and  Sarah. 

Mr.  Sibert  whose  name  heads  this  record  spent 
the  first  eight  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  State, 
and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Ohio.  He  was  a  youth  of  thirteen  when 
he  came  to  Illinois,  and  since  the  age  of  eighteen 
he  has  lived  in  Hancock  Count}-.  His  educa- 
tion was  acquired  in  the  district  schools,  but  his 
advantages  in  that  direction  were  quite  meagre. 
He  was  still  at  home  on  the  breaking  out  of  the 
late  war.  Prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  he 
enlisted  as  a  private  on  the  15th  of  August,  1862, 
joining  Company  A,  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  mustered 
into  service  at  Camp  Butler,  and  the  first  active 
engagement  in  which  he  participated  was  in  Ar- 
kansas. He  was  in  the  long-fought  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  and  participated  in  a  number  of  other 
important  engagements.  On  the  13th  of  October, 
1865,  he  received  his  discharge,  having  been  in 
the  mean  time  elected  Corporal.  He  was  always 
found  at  his  post,  faithful  to  his  duty,  and  is  de- 
serving of  the  honor  which  is  paid  to  the  brave 
boys  in  blue  who  went  to  the  front  in  the  defense 
of  their  country  in  her  hour  of  peril. 

On  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr.  Sibert  began 
working  for  his  father  on  the  home  farm,  but  after 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


401 


a  short  time  he  removed  to  his  present  farm  on 
sections  16  and  21,  Fountain  Green  Township. 
Here  he  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
rich  land,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  well  improved.  In  addition  to  this  he 
has  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  acres  else- 
where in  the  county,  and  from  his  property  he  de- 
rives a  good  income,  for  it  is  well  kept  up,  and  the 
cultivation  he  bestows  upon  his  land  makes  it 
very  fertile. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  1866,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Sibert  and  MissS.  Ellen  Mil- 
ler. To  them  was  born  a  son,  Henry  Guy.  The 
mother  died  on  the  14th  of  November,  1890,  and 
Mr.  Sibert  was  again  married,  October  6,  1891, 
his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Mary  (Walker) 
Young,  an  estimable  lady,  who  has  many  friends 
in  the  community. 

Mr.  Sibert  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in  po- 
litical affairs,  keeps  himself  well  informed  on  the 
issues  of  the  day,  and  votes  with  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  Road  Commis- 
sioner and  Assessor,  and  discharged  his  duties 
with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  that  won  him  high 
commendation.  He  holds  membership  with  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  he  and 
his  wife  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In 
this  community,  which  has  so  long  been  their 
home,  they  have  a  wide  acquaintance,  and  by  all 
who  know  them  are  held  in  high  regard  for  their 
many  excellencies  of  character  and  sterling  worth. 

SlNDERSON  D.  WILLIAMS,  who  devotes 
Ll  his  time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
|  I  suits  on  section  27,  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  Hancock  County,  and  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  its  pioneer  families.  He  was 
born  in  Hancock  Township,  on  the  16th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Lemuel  and  Cassan- 
der  I  Simmons)  Williams.  His  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  South  Carolina,  and  the  family  is  of  Irish 
origin.  Our  subject  was  the  second  of  ten  chil- 
dren. Edna,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of  James  V. 
Nelson.      Seth  T.,  an  honored  veteran  of  the  late 


war,  is  now  living  in  Kansas.  Amanda  is  the 
wife  of  John  H.  Tyler.  Sheba  is  the  wife  of 
James  R.  Shields.  Robert  M.  died  in  Texas  in 
1890.  John  F.  is  the  next  younger.  Ava  is  the 
widow  of  William  Redman.  Two  children  died 
in  infancy. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  In 
the  common  schools  of  his  neighborhood  he  con- 
ned his  lessons  and  gained  a  fair  English  educa- 
tion. He  began  life  for  himself  upon  rented  land, 
and  continued  its  cultivation  until  after  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  late  war,  when,  feeling  that  his 
country  needed  his  sen-ices,  he  abandoned  the 
plow  and,  donning  the  blue,  enlisted  on  the  20th 
of  July,  1861.  He  was  assigned  to  Company  G, 
Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  was  mustered  into 
sen-ice  at  Springfield.  Going  to  the  South,  he 
participated  in  the  long-fought  siege  of  Yieksburg 
and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Holly  Springs,  but 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  was  engaged 
in  scouting  duty  in  Kentucky,  Mississippi,  Ten- 
nessee and  Louisiana.  From  New  Orleans  he 
went  to  Peusacola,  Fla.,  then  back  through  Ala- 
bama to  Yieksburg.  He  was  very  fortunate,  in 
that  he  was  never  wounded  or  taken  prisoner, 
although  he  saw  some  arduous  and  difficult  serv- 
ice After  four  years  spent  in  the  South  as  a 
faithful  defender  of  the  Old  Flag  and  the  cause  it 
represented,  he  was  honorably  discharged  with 
the  rank  of  Orderly-Sergeant,  on  the  6th  of  July, 
1865. 

Mr.  Williams  then  returned  to  Hancock  County, 
and  has  since  made  his  home  in  Fountain  Green 
Township,  with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent 
in  Missouri.  He  was  married  on  the  29th  of 
October,  1866,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss 
Louisa  Bryant.  Nine  children  have  graced  their 
union,  namely:  Nellie  G..  now  the  wife  of 
Thomas  J.  Latherow,  a  fanner  of  Fountain  Green 
Township;  Cora  G.;  Hiram:  Katie,  who  died  in 
November,  1872;  George  E.;  Mary  A.,  who  died 
on  the  3d  of  April,  1892;   Roy.  Ethel  and  Edith. 

Socially,  Mr.  Williams  is  connected  with  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  is  a  member  of 
the   Methodist  Church.      In  politics,  he  is  a  sup- 


4o2 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


porter  of  Republican  principles,  and  has  held  the 
offices  of  Township  Collector  and  Commissioner, 
discharging  his  duties  with  a  promptness  and  fi- 
delity that  won  him  high  commendation.  He  is 
a  loyal  and  faithful  citizen,  who  supports  the  best 
interests  of  the  community,  and  during  the  late 
war  he  was  a  valiant  defender  of  the  Union. 

(?|ILAS  H.  BYLER,  who  carries  on  general 
Ny  fanning  on  section  16,  Durham  Township, 
Q)  Hancock  County,  has  the  honor  of  being  a 
native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Adams  County,  this  State,  on  the  20th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1847.  He  is  a  son  of  David  Byler,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  fam- 
ily came  to  this  county  at  an  early  day,  and  the 
education  of  our  subject  was  acquired  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  community, where  he  obtained 
a  fair  knowledge  of  the  common  English  branches, 
and  thus  fitted  himself  for  the  practical  duties  of 
life. 

On  the  29th  of  January,  1872,  Mr.  Byler  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Alexina  B.  Moyes, 
eldest  daughter  of  David  and  Mary  A.  (Ross) 
Moves,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Scotland. 
Mrs.  Byler  was  also  born  in  that  country,  the 
date  of  the  event  being  December  4,  1845.  By 
the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born 
four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  but 
one  son  died  in  infancy,  and  Mary  E.  is  also  de- 
ceased. Grace  E.  and  David  E.  are  still  with 
their  parents. 

Mr.  Byler  whose  name  heads  this  record  con- 
tinued upon  the  old  home  farm  until  he  had  at- 
tained his  majority,  when  he  started  out  in  life 
for  himself.  He  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land 
in  the  southern  part  of  Durham  Township,  and, 
locating  thereon,  turned  his  attention  to  its  culti- 
vation and  development.  The  farm  was  divided 
into  fields  of  convenient  size  by  good  fences,  a 
pleasant  residence  was  erected,  and  other  improve- 
ments necessary  to  a  model  farm  of  the  nineteenth 
century  were  made.  For  five  years  he  lived 
there,  and  then  removed  to  his  present  home  on 


section  16,  Durham  Township.  Here  he  lives  on 
eighty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land,  and  the  neat 
and  thrifty  appearance  of  the  farm  indicates  the 
careful  supervision  of  the  owner  and  his  practical 
and  progressive  spirit. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Byler  is  a  supporter 
of  the  Democracy,  and  is  a  firm  believer  in  its 
principles.  He  has  held  the  office  of  School  Di- 
rector for  four  years,  and  was  Township  Collector 
for  one  year.  The  cause  of  education  finds  in 
him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  has  ever  labored  to 
secure  good  schools  for  the  community.  Socially. 
he  has  been  connected  for  four  years  with  Dallas 
City  Lodge  No.  235,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  for 
two  years  has  been  its  Treasurer.  In  1880,  he 
united  with  the  Friendship  Church,  of  Durham 
Township,  a  church  of  the  Baptist  denomination. 
Mr.  Byler  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in 
Hancock  County,  where  he  is  both  widely  and 
favorably  known,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we 
present  to  our  readers  this  record  of  his  life 
work. 

6= 4-=]  -C  f  S  GEj  ® 

EVI  LONG,  who  for  a  half-century  has  re- 
I  C  sided  upon  his  present  farm  on  section  8, 
l~/  Hancock  Township,  is  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneers  of  Hancock  County.  He  was 
born  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  near  Lancaster 
City,  March  17,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
and  Mary  (Yetter)  Long,  natives  of  the  Keystone 
State.  The  Long  family  is  of  German  descent. 
The  father  remained  in  Pennsylvania  until  1835, 
when,  accompanied  by  his  family,  he  emigrated  to 
Sangamon  County,  111.  A  few  months  later  he 
came  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  settling  in  Bear 
Creek  Township,  where  he  lived  until  1S44.  I" 
that  year  he  removed  to  Hancock  Township,  pur- 
chasing eighty  acres  on  section  8,  the  present  farm 
of  our  subject.  Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or  an 
improvement  made  upon  the  place.  He  erected 
a  log  cabin,  14x2s  feet,  and  upon  that  farm  made 
his  home  until  his  death.  He  became  the  owner  of 
one  hundred  acres,  which  he  cleared  and  improved, 
making  it  a  valuable  tract.  Mr.  Long  took  an  act- 
ive part  in  the  development  of  this  region,  aided 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


403 


in  laying  out  the  roads,  and  filled  the  offices  of  Tax 
Collector,  Assessor,  Township  Trustee,  Commis- 
sioner and  Justice  of  the  Peace,  discharging  his 
duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  In  politics, 
he  was  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious  belief  was  a 
Lutheran.  He  died  January  26,  1886,  in  his 
seventy-ninth  year,  and  his  remains  were  laid  to 
rest  in  the  Yetter  Cemetery.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  1835.  They  were  the  parents  of  two 
children,  but  Mary  died  at  the  age  of  five  years. 

Our  subject,  who  is  now  the  only  survivor  of 
the  family,  was  a  child  of  only  three  summers 
when  he  came  with  his  father  to  Illinois.  He  was 
reared  to  manhood  upon  the  old  homestead  farm 
in  Hancock  Township,  and  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  subscription  schools,  which  were  held 
in  a  log  schoolhouse,  a  mile  and  a-half  from  his 
home.  The  furniture  in  that  structure  was  very 
primitive,  consisting  of  slab  seats,  rough  desks  and 
a  huge  fireplace.  In  1850,  Mr.  Dong  entered 
from  the  Government  forty  acres  of  land,  and  at 
once  began  its  development,  transforming  the  raw 
prairie  into  a  rich  and  fertile  tract,  which  was  made 
to  yield  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the 
care  and  labor  he  bestowed  upon  it.  He  now  owns 
two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land, 
and  is  successfully  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
stock-raising. 

Mr.  Long  has  been  twice  married.  On  the  26th 
of  January,  1858,  he  wedded  Miss  Susan  Pentz, 
who  died  on  the  2  2d  of  October  of  the  same  year. 
On  the  1 8th  of  October,  1862,  he  married  Miss 
Sarah  Callahan,  and  eleven  children  were  born  of 
their  union,  namely:  Mary  E.,  William  L.,  Reu- 
ben H.,  Margaret  F.,  Sarah  B.,  John  H.,  Charles 
P.,  Lena  E.,  Ethel  G. ,  Harvey  C.  and  Samuel. 
The  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by  the 
hand  of  death.  The  Longs  are  people  of  promi- 
nence in  the  community,  and  parents  and  children 
are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know  them. 

Mr.  Long  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party 
and  its  principles,  and  has  been  honored  with 
some  local  offices.  He  served  as  Commissioner 
for  the  long  period  of  twelve  years,  and  for  fifteen 
years  was  School  Director.  His  continuance  in 
office  well  indicates  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow-townsmen. 


He  holds  membership  with  the  Farmers'  Alliance, 
and  is  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen, 
who  manifests  a  commendable  interest  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community, 
and  does  all  in  his  power  for  the  promotion  of  its 
leading  enterprises.  He  has  been  an  eye-witness 
of  almost  the  entire  growth  of  the  county,  and  well 
deserves  mention  among  the  honored  pioneers. 


SEORGE  THOMAS  PEARCE,  one  of  the 
prominent  farmers  and  extensive  property 
owners  of  Henderson  County,  now  living  on 
section  35,  Gladstone  Township,  was  born  in 
Warren  County,  111.,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1855,  and 
is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  earliest  families  of 
that  county.  His  father,  Andrew  G.  Pearce,  was 
born  in  Champaign  County,  Ohio,  in  1816.  The 
latter' s  father,  Thomas  Pearce,  was  a  native  of 
Holland,  and  his  mother  of  Ireland.  Emigrating 
to  this  country,  they  lived  for  a  time  in  the  Buck- 
eye State,  but  afterwards  settled  in  Warren  Coun- 
ty, where  they  spent  theii  remaining  days.  They 
lived  to  quite  an  advanced  age,  and  were  buried 
at  Berwick. 

A.  G.  Pearce  became  a  resident  of  Warren 
County  in  1832.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he 
began  preaching,  and  continued  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry  until  1837,  when  he  was  forced  to  aban- 
don it,  for  his  voice  had  failed  him.  He  married 
Eliza  Powers,  daughter  of  Aaron  Powers,  who, 
with  his  wife,  emigrated  to  Warren  County, 
where  they  both  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  and  when 
they  passed  away  were  laid  to  rest  in  Greenbush 
Cemetery.  By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pearce 
were  born  four  children:  Mrs.  MattieJ.  Lattimer, 
Theodore  C,  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Brooks  and  George 
T.  of  this  sketch. 

Upon  the  old  home  farm  in  his  native  county 
our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth,  attending  the  common  schools  through  the 
winter  season,  and  aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  farm 
during  the  summer  months.  After  arriving  at 
years  of  maturity,  he  was  married,  on  the  13th 
of  June,    1882,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss 


4o4 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Man-  A.  Brook,  who  was  born  in  Henderson 
County,  July  24,  1853,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Isaiah 
J.  and  Jennie  Brook.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  in  an  early  day  emigrated  westward. 
He  took  up  his  residence  in  Henderson  County, 
and  entered  the  land  on  which  our  subject  now 
resides.  Here  he  successfully  carried  on  farming 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  August,  1891. 
His  wife  still  survives  him,  and  has  reached  the 
age  of  seventy-five  years. 

Five  children  grace  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pearce:  Jessie  B.,  born  May  26,  1884;  Edwin  G., 
January  1,  1886;  Jennie  E.,  June  30,  1887;  Hugh 
M.,  June  6,  18S9;  and  Lora  M.,  September  29, 
1892. 

Mr.  Pearce  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  progress- 
ive and  enterprising  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of 
Henderson  County,  and  this  reputation  is  well 
deserved.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  five  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  valuable  land  all  in  one  body, 
and  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Warren 
County .  This  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation , 
and,  in  consequence,  yields  to  him  a  good  income. 

He  has  engaged  in  the  raising  of  cattle  on 
quite  an  extensive  scale,  and  this  has  to  him 
proved  a  profitable  venture.  In  his  political 
views,  Mr.  Pearce  has  always  been  a  stalwart 
Republican,  and  warmly  advocates  the  principles 
of  his  party.  He  has  always  lived  either  in  War- 
ren or  Henderson  County,  and  has  therefore  a 
wide  acquaintance  throughout  this  part  of  the 
State.  His  well-spent  life  has  gained  him  uni- 
versal confidence  and  esteem,  and  throughout  the 
community  he  has  many  friends. 


3OHN  A.  BARR,  M.  D.,  who  is  extensively 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Foun- 
tain Green,  claims  Kentucky  as  the  State  of 
his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Breck- 
enridge  County  on  the  17th  of  February,  1849. 
He  comes  of  an  old  family  of  that  State.  His 
grandfather,  Adam  Barr,  was  a  resident  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  his  father,  Elias  Barr,  was  there  born 
and  reared.     The  latter,  who  owned  considerable 


property,  became  a  planter,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  State  Legislature  for  eighteen  consecutive 
years.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sallie 
Beauchamp.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents 
of  twelve  children:  Daniel  T.  and  Newell  R.,  de- 
ceased; Elmira  A.,  widow  of  J.  N.  Hurdle;  Mary 
L.,  wife  of  Thomas  Ray;  Luford  B.,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Prescott,  Iowa;  George  W.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Colusa,  111.;  Sarah  E.,  widow  of  David 
Wright:  Kittie  A.,  deceased,  wife  of  S.  T.  Tur- 
ney;  John  A.,  of  this  sketch;  Martha  J.,  wife  of 
Merrill  Bross,  of  Prescott,  Iowa;  Franklin  P., 
who  is  living  in  Clarinda,  Iowa;  and  Amanda 
M.,  wife  of  D.  C.  Sowers,  of  Nebraska. 

Dr.  Barr  spent  the  first  ten  years  of  his  life  in 
the  State  of  his  nativity,  and  then  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  in  1S59,  the  father  purchasing  land  in 
Rock  Creek  Township.  John  A.  was  reared  on 
the  old  homestead  farm,  and  in  his  youth  at- 
tended the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood; 
but  his  early  educational  privileges  were  after- 
wards supplemented  by  a  course  of  study  in  La 
Harpe  Seminary,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  1870.  Wishing  to  enter  the  medi- 
cal profession  and  make  its  practice  his  life  work, 
when  his  literary  course  was  completed  he  en- 
tered on  the  study  of  medicine,  and  in  1875  was 
graduated  under  Prof.  Carpenter  from  the  Keokuk 
Medical  College.  Two  years  later  he  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  of 
Philadelphia  in  the  Class  of  '77. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation,  Dr.  Barr  lo- 
cated in  Buruside,  Hancock  County,  opened  an 
office,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession. There  he  remained  for  five  years,  when, 
in  1882,  he  removed  to  Fountain  Green,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  now  has  an  ex- 
tensive practice,  which  has  come  to  him  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  skill  and  ability.  He  always  keeps  in 
advance  of  the  recognized  standard  in  the  pro- 
fession, and  makes  a  constant  study  of  this,  his 
life  work.  He  has  therefore  won  success,  and  his 
prosperity  is  well  deserved.  In  connection  with 
his  other  interests,  he  also  superintends  his  farm 
of  three  hundred  acres. 

A  marriage  ceremony  performed  on  the  22d  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


405 


February,  18S2,  united  the  destinies  of  Dr.  Barr 
and  Miss  Mollie  W.  Walker,  daughter  of  Capt. 
Samuel  and  Sallie  (McGinley)  Walker.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  one  child,  Tressler. 
The  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  a  wide  acquaintance 
in  this  community,  and  are  numbered  among  its 
prominent  and  influential  citizens,  their  many  ex- 
cellencies of  character  having  gained  them  the 
high  regard  of  their  friends.  In  his  political 
views,  Dr.  Barr  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served 
as  Supervisor.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with 
Fountain  Lodge  Xo.  50,  A.  O.  U.  W.:  with  the 
I.  O.  M.  A.,  and  holds  membership  with  the 
Christian  Church  of  Burnside.  His  residence  in 
Hancock  County  covers  a  period  of  thirty-five 
years,  and  he  therefore  well  deserves  mention 
among  its  early  settlers. 


s —   ■      '■■gj'?  9  Sej  a 

y/|RS.  EMILY  M.  MITCHELL,  who  for 
Y I  many  years  has  resided  upon  the  farm 
(g I  where  she  now  makes  her  home,  on  section 
16,  Gladstone  Township,  Henderson  County,  was 
born  in  Washington  County,  Iud.,  on  the  27th  of 
August,  1832.  Her  father  was  John  Salladay. 
He  died  about  1855,  and  his  wife,  Nancy  (Dris- 
coll)  Salladay,  survived  him  for  many  years, 
passing  away  about  1873.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children,  eight  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely: 
John  W.,  Elisha  D.  and  Jacob  (twins),  Mark  O., 
Mrs.  Parthenia  Crutchfield,  Isaac  M.,  Mrs.  Emily 
Mitchell,  Isaiah  R.,  Milton  and  Elijah. 

Mrs.  Mitchell  spent  the  days  of  her  girlhood  in 
her  parents'  home,  becoming  familiar  with  all  the 
duties  of  the  household.  There  she  remained 
until  her  marriage,  on  the  14th  of  November. 
1849,  when  she  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  Mit- 
chell, a  sou  of  Joseph  Mitchell.  He  was  born  in 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  was  one  of  a  family  of  ten 
children.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mit- 
chell was  blessed  with  a  family  of  five  children, 
namely:  Emma  C,  who  was  born  November  19, 
1 861,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  J.  P.  Scully;  John  C, 
who  was  born  August  27,  1864;  Iona  Amelia, 
December  3,  1867:  Ida  O.,  June  10,  1871;  and 
one  who  died  in  early  childhood. 


When  a  young  man.  Samuel  Mitchell  came  to 
Henderson  County,  and  here  spent  his  remaining 
days.  In  his  youth  good  school  privileges  had 
been  afforded  him,  and  he  had  acquired  an  excel- 
lent education.  He  located  in  the  southern  part 
of  this  county,  and  soon  began  teaching,  which 
profession  he  followed  for  several  years.  While 
still  quite  young,  he  was  elected  County  Clerk  of 
Henderson  County,  and  proved  a  faithful  and 
efficient  officer,  discharging  his  duties  with 
promptness  and  fidelity.  Before  his  marriage  he 
purchased  the  home  farm,  and  to  this  place 
brought  his  bride.  He  there  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  throughout  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  placing  the  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  making  many  improvements,  so  that  his 
farm  became  one  of  the  valuable  ones  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. Mr.  Mitchell  lived  a  quiet  and  unassum- 
ing life,  devoting  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  business  interests.  He  always  had 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  for  he  was  honorable  and  upright 
in  all  things.  He  held  membership  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and,  in  politics,  was 
a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and  its  prin- 
ciples. He  passed  away  February  2,  1882,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four  years,  and  his  death  was  deeply 
mourned  by  many  friends. 

Mrs.  Mitchell  yet  lives  upon  the  home  farm 
with  her  children,  and  since  her  husband's  death 
has  managed  its  affairs,  displaying  good  business 
and  executive  ability.  She  is  a  most  estimable 
lady,  and  with  her  children  ranks  high  in  social 
circles.  Her  eldest  daughter  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  the  two  youngest  children 
hold  membership  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


(JOSEPH  A.  JAMES,  M.  D.,  who  is  success- 
I  fully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
O  Bentley,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Scott  County,  Ind. 
He  was  born  near  Lexington,  April  13,  1832,  and 
is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Parks)  James, 
the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the  latter  of 


406 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


South  Carolina.  On  the  paternal  side  he  is  of 
Welsh  descent,  and  on  the  maternal  side  is  of 
Irish  lineage.  The  father  was  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  throughout  his  life.  He  re- 
moved from  his  native  State  to  Kentucky,  and 
thence  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Scott  County  in  an 
early  day.  There  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  passing  away  on  the  24th  of  August,  1834. 
His  wife  also  died  on  the  same  day.  They  were 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three 
daughters,  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  who  died  in 
1890;  George  W.,  who  died  about  two  years  later; 
Mary  A. ,  wife  of  Samuel  Staples,  a  resident  of 
Pratt  Center,  Kan.;  Rebecca,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Hugh,  who  was  accidentally  shot  in  1852,  and 
died  from  the  effects  of  the  injury  in  1S54;  Jona- 
than, a  retired  farmer  living  in  Boone,  Iowa;  Jo- 
seph A.,  of  this  sketch ;  and  William,  who  died  in 
1872. 

Dr.  James  was  born  on  his  father's  farm,  but 
his  parents  having  died  when  he  was  a  child,  he 
was  reared  in  Jefferson  County,  where  he  attend- 
ed the  subscription  schools,  which  were  held  in  a 
log  schoolhouse,  and  where  he  received  but  a 
meagre  education.  Afterwards  he  went  to  Green- 
castle,  Ind. ,  and  entered  the  Asbury,  now  DePauw, 
University,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  two 
years.  This  completed  his  literary  course.  In 
1853  he  began  teaching,  and  followed  that  pro- 
fession until  1856.  In  the  mean  time  he  began 
reading  medicine  with  a  view  to  entering  the 
profession,  and  in  1857  he  became  a  student  in 
the  Keokuk  Medical  College.  On  leaving  that 
institution  he  opened  an  office  in  Terre  Haute, 
111.,  where  he  continued  in  practice  for  five  years, 
when  he  abandoned  that  work  to  enter  his  coun- 
try's service. 

In  1862,  Dr.  James  organized  what  became 
Company  B  of  the  Ninety-first  Regiment  of  Illi- 
nois Volunteers,  and  was  chosen  Captain.  The 
troops  were  mustered  into  service  in  September, 
1862,  and  the  first  active  engagement  in  which  he 
participated  was  at  Bacon  Creek,  Ky.,  where  they 
built  a  stockade  and  were  stationed  to  guard  the 
railroad  and  bridges.  His  command  consisted  of 
only  sixty-three  men  when  they  were  attacked 
by   Morgan,  commanding   about  nine    thousand 


soldiers.  They  were  under  a  steady  fire  for  six 
hours,  but  so  securely  were  they  protected  that 
he  did  not  lose  a  man,  and  had  only  five  slightly 
wounded,  while  Morgan  lost  fifteen,  and  had  a 
number  injured.  Among  the  killed  Morgan  lost 
one  of  his  most  daring  officers,  Capt.  Wolfe,  a 
Texas  ranger,  who  lost  his  life  while  trying  to 
set  fire  to  the  bridge.  As  it  was  useless  to  con- 
tinue the  struggle  against  such  overwhelming 
numbers,  Capt.  James  agreed  to  surrender,  with 
the  understanding  that  all  private  property  rights 
of  himself  and  men  should  be  respected,  and  that 
they  should  be  paroled  at  the  earliest  opportunity. 
This  was  in  the  afternoon  or  evening  of  December 
27,  1862,  and  they  were  paroled  about  ten  o'clock 
that  night.  They  then  went  to  Atchafalaya  Riv- 
er, where  Capt.  James  was  wounded  by  a  musket- 
ball.  After  being  confined  for  three  weeks  on  a 
boat  hospital,  he  went  to  Brownsville,  Tex.,  and 
down  the  Gulf.  He  spent  one  year  on  the  Gulf, 
then  returned  to  New  Orleans,  from  whence  he 
went  to  Mobile.  For  twelve  days  he  was  engaged 
in  the  siege  of  Spanish  Fort,  and  also  took  part  in 
the  siege  of  Ft.  Blakely.  He  aided  in  the  capture 
of  Mobile,  and  followed  the  enemy  to  Mcintosh's 
Bluff.  When  the  war  was  over  and  the  country 
no  longer  needed  his  services,  he  was  honorably 
discharged,  July  24,  1865. 

Dr.  James  then  came  to  Illinois,  and  located  in 
Bentley.  He  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  this  locality.  The  greater  part 
of  his  time  and  attention,  however,  has  been  given 
to  the  practice  of  medicine,  which  he  still  contin- 
ues with  good  success.  His  knowledge  of  the 
science,  and  his  skill  and  ability,  have  won  him  a 
foremost  place  among  his  professional  brethren, 
and  gained  him  the  confidence  and  patronage  of 
the  community. 

Dr.  James  has  been  three  times  married.  In 
1854  he  wedded  Miss  Mary  J.  Jones,  who  died  the 
same  year,  and  in  1858  he  married  Miss  Cynthia 
M.  Paul,  whose  death  occurred  in  1859.  In  1867 
Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Allison  became  his  wife.  Six 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union,  namely: 
Maggie,  who  died  in  infancy;  Austin  F.,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  dentistry  in  Oak  Park, 
111.;  Charles  W.,  who  is  attending  a  dental  school; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


407 


Clarence  A.,  who  is  still  at  home;  Eula  L.,  who 
is  yet  under  the  parental  roof;  and  one  child  who 
died  in  infancy. 

In  connection  with  the  practice  of  medicine,  Dr. 
James  has  carried  on  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  the  owner 
of  three  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  the 
farm  yields  to  him  a  good  income  in  return  for  the 
care  and  cultivation  which  are  bestowed  upon  it. 
In  politics  he  has  always  been  a  stalwart  advocate 
of  Republican  principles,  but  has  never  sought  or 
desired  public  office.  He  holds  membership  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  and  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  He  and  his  family  have  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance in  this  community,  and  occupy  an  enviable 
position  in  social  circles.  Few  men  are  better 
known  in  this  locality  than  Dr.  James,  the  physi- 
cian, honored  veteran,  and  valued  citizen. 

6-        .      -    ^l^JL^J^— c  a 

g l ""ST^T^S-^ a) 


WEORGE  M.  BRANDON,  a  farmer  living  on 
I—  section  33,  Fountain  Green  Township,  Han- 
^|  cock  County,  is  numbered  among  the  native 
sons  of  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  Macomb,  Me- 
Donough  County,  on  the  1  7th  of  January,  1842, 
and  comes  of  a  family  of  Scotch  descent.  His 
parents,  Richard  and  Magdelene  (Favorite)  Bran- 
don, were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
former  continued  in  the  Keystone  State  during 
the  early  years  of  his  life,  and  then  removed  to 
Dayton,  Ohio,  where  he  continued  to  make  his 
home  until  1839,  when  he  emigrated  westward 
to  Macomb,  111.  Soon  after  he  settled  upon  a 
farm  in  McDonough  County,  and  there  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  until  1846,  which  year  wit- 
nessed his  arrival  in  Fountain  Green  Township, 
Hancock  County.  Here  his  remaining  days  were 
passed,  and  the  community  numbeied  him  among 
its  best  citizens.  He  was  actively  interested  in 
the  Mormon  War,  and  bore  his  part  in  many  pub- 
lic enterprises.  His  death  occurred  in  October. 
1857,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in  Iowa  City  Ceme- 
tery. His  wife  long  survived  him,  and  departed 
this  life  May  29,  1891. 

In  the  family  of  Richard  and  Magdelene  Bran- 


don were  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters. The  eldest,  T.  C,  died  in  1889;  James  F. 
is  now  living  in  Fountain  Green  Township;  G. 
Linn,  a  veteran  of  the  late  war,  makes  his  home 
in  Bloomington,  Iud.;  George  M.  is  the  next 
younger;  Richard  B.,  who  served  during  the  late 
war  as  a  private  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred 
and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  died  from  dis- 
ease contracted  in  the  service,  March  15,  1863; 
Mary-  is  also  deceased;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of 
Robert  P.  Geddis,  a  fanner  of  Fountain  Green 
Township;  Elias  M.  is  station  agent  on  the  Tole- 
do, Peoria  &  Warsaw  Railroad  at  Blandinsville; 
Edward  B.  is  proprietor  of  a  hotel  in  Hampton, 
Iowa;  Julia  A.  is  the  wife  of  John  Miller,  an  ag- 
riculturist of  Fountain  Green  Township;  and  one 
child  died  in  infancy. 

George  M.  Brandon  was  only  four  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Hancock  Coun- 
ty. In  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
he  acquired  his  education,  and  in  the  fields  he  was 
developed  physically.  He  early  became  familiar 
with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life,  and  to  his  father 
gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  after  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  when,  on  the  15th  of 
August,  1862,  he  donned  the  blue  and  became  a 
member  of  Company  A.  One  Hundred  and  Eigh- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  mustered  into 
service  at  Camp  Butler,  in  Springfield,  111.,  and 
the  first  active  engagement  in  which  he  partici- 
pated was  at  Arkansas  Post.  This  was  followed 
by  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  battle  of  Cham- 
pion Hills,  after  which  his  regiment  was  largelv 
engaged  in  doing  guard  duty.  In  1863  Mr.  Bran- 
don was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Sergeant,  and 
thus  served  until  receiving  his  discharge  in  Spring- 
field, on  the  15th  of  September,  1865. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  services 
and  the  victorious  armies  returned  home,  Mr. 
Brandon  again  came  to  Hancock  County,  and  re- 
sumed work  upon  his  father's  farm,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1S71.  On  the  28th  of  December  of 
that  year,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Laura  A.  Geddis,  and  their  union  was  blessed 
with  six  children:  Maud,  who  is  attending  school 
in  Galesburg;  Royal  B.,  Robert  P.,  Linn  G.  and 
two  who  died  in  infancy. 


408 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Since  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Brandon  has 
been  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Republican  party, 
but  has  never  sought  political  preferment  for 
himself.  He  has,  however,  held  the  office  of  Com- 
missioner and  School  Director.  Socially,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men, and  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 
also  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  has 
resided  upon  his  present  farm  since  1S73.  It  is 
located  on  section  33,  Fountain  Green  Township, 
and  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich 
and  arable  land,  which  he  has  placed  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation. 

[""  RANCIS  WHEATLEY,  one  of  the  early 
Yy  settlers  of  Henderson  County,  who  now  car- 
I  ries  on  general  farming  on  section  11,  Glad- 
stone Township,  was  born  in  Breckenridge 
County,  Ky.,  on  the  29th  of  January,  1824.  His 
parents,  Thomas  and  Susan  (Mattingley)  Wheat- 
ley,  were  also  natives  of  the  same  county.  The 
former  was  born  about  1791,  and  the  latter  in 
1787.  Their  childhood  days  were  spent  in  the 
State  of  their  nativity,  and  after  attaining  to  ma- 
ture years  they  were  united  in  marriage,  in  1814. 
Nine  children  were  born  to  them,  three  sons  and 
six  daughters,  namely:  Austin,  Ignatius,  Francis, 
Maria,  Mrs.  Nancy  Lewis,  Mrs.  Jane  Coons,  Mrs. 
Amelia  Wheatley,  Sarah  A.  and  Lucy.  The 
father  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  in  connection 
with  that  pursuit  followed  farming.  He  remained 
in  Kentucky  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
August,  1 84 1.  The  mother  was  then  left  with  a 
family  of  nine  children  to  support. 

Francis  Wheatley,  who  was  a  young  man  of 
seventeen  years  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death, 
remained  at  home  until  twenty -eight  years  of  age, 
and  aided  his  mother  in  the  care  of  the  family. 
She  was  called  to  the  home  beyond  in  1867.  Thus 
to  farm  work  Francis  Wheatley  gave  his  time  and 
attention  from  early  life.  He  unselfishly  devoted 
his  labors  to  the  interest  of  the  family,  and  the 
mother  placed  much  dependence  on  her  son.  At 
length  he  left  home,  and  on  the  iSth  of  April, 
1865,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Ef- 


fort, a  daughter  of  James  and  Melinda  (Stemper) 
Effort,  who  were  numbered  among  the  early  set- 
tlers of  this  locality.  The  daughter  was  born  in 
Tennessee,  on  the  23d  of  January,  1841,  and  when 
a  maiden  of  eight  summers  came  with  the  family 
to  Illinois.  They  settled  in  Henderson  County, 
and  were  soon  recognized  as  leading  citizens  of 
the  community. 

Mr.  Wheatley  dates  his  arrival  here  from  the 
spring  of  1856,  at  which  time  he  located  a  mile 
east  of  his  present  farm.  He  there  remained  for 
eleven  years,  after  which  he  purchased  his  present 
farm,  and  when  married  began  his  domestic  life 
thereon.  He  now  has  twenty-three  acres  of  good 
land  and  a  comfortable  home,  and  although  he 
started  out  in  life  empty-handed  he  has  always 
managed  to  live  well. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheatley  were  born  five 
children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely: 
Cora  A.,  born  November  30,  1866;  Laura  J.,  Au- 
gust 20,  1869;  Edgar  W.,  December  18,  1873; 
Mary  F.,  November  20,  1876;  and  Charles  A., 
April  1,  1879. 

Mr.  Wheatley  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  has 
never  sought  or  desired  political  preferment,  de- 
siring rather  to  give  his  entire  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  interests.  He  has  lived  in  Hender- 
son County  for  thirty-five  years,  and  has  seen 
much  of  its  growth  and  upbuilding.  He  has  also 
aided  in  its  advancement,  and  gives  his  support 
to  all  interests  which  are  calculated  to  promote 
the  general  welfare.  Although  his  life  has  been 
quiet  and  unassuming,  it  has  been  an  honorable 
one,  and  has  gained  him  universal  confidence  and 
esteem. 


S^HH^ 


NENRY  C.  BYLER  owns  and  operates  a  good 
farm  on  section  32,  Durham  Township, 
Hancock  County.  He  here  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  good  land,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
There  is  a  comfortable  home,  good  barns  and 
outbuildings,  and  well  kept-fences,  which  divide 
his  farm  into  fields  of  convenient  size.  In  con- 
nection with  the  raising  of  crops  suitable  to  this 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


"X,      ^ 


F.  A.  Matthews 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


411 


climate,  he  also  is  engaged  in  stock-raising  to  a 
limited  extent.  He  ships  mostly  to  the  towns  in 
this  locality. 

Mr.  Byler  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Hancock 
County,  for  he  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Durham  Township,  on  the  30th  of  August,  1855. 
He  conned  his  lessons  in  the  district  schools  of 
the  neighborhood,  and  thus  acquired  a  good 
practical  English  education.  His  training  in 
farm  work  was  received  under  the  instruction  of 
his  father,  to  whom  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his 
sen-ices  until  he  had  attained,  his  majority.  He 
then  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and  has  since 
made  his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  first  rented 
eighty  acres  of  his  father,  and  operated  that  for 
five  years.  He  next  purchased  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres  on  section  16,  Durham  Township,  and  for 
eleven  years  made  his  home  thereon,  engaged  in 
the  cultivation  of  his  land.  From  that  farm  he 
removed  to  the  one  on  which  he  now  resides. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1877,  a  marriage  cere- 
mony was  performed  which  united  the  destinies 
of  Mr.  Byler  and  Miss  Emma  J.  Toof,  daughter 
of  Benjamin  and  Mary  A.  (Atherton)  Toof,  the 
former  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  in  Franklin 
County  February  29,  1820.  The  latter,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  was  born  July  24,  1823.  Mr.  and 
Mrs  Byler  have  become  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  a  daughter,  Frankie  L.  and 
Ressie  V.,  who  are  at  home,  and  J.  Iven,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  three  years.  The  parents  both  hold 
membership  with  the  Old-School  Baptist  Church, 
belonging  to  what  is  known  as  the  Friendship 
Church  of  Durham  Township.  For  six  years 
Mr.  Byler  has  been  a  Master  Mason,  belonging  to 
Dallas  City  Lodge.     In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat. 


""RANCIS  A.  MATTHEWS,  deceased,  was  a 
r^  native  of  Rhode  Island,  born  in  Providence 
I  f  on  the  22d  of  November,  1816.  His  father, 
Arthur  Matthews,  was  a  native  of  England,  born 
in  1764.  He  married  Lucretia  Bartlett,  who  was 
born  on  the  Island  of  Nantucket  in  1779,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  six  sons 


and  two  daughters.  When  our  subject  was  a 
child  of  only  two  years,  they  removed  with  their 
family  to  South  Carolina,  making  the  journey  by 
water  to  Charleston,  thence  going  to  Spartanburg. 
There  Francis  Matthews  remained  until  fourteen 
years  of  age.  He  acquired  a  limited  education  in 
the  public  schools,  and  when  a  youth  of  fourteen 
years  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  remained 
until  1838.  In  that  year  he  located  near  Law- 
renceburg,  Ind.,  where  he  with  his  brothers  estab- 
lished a  saw  and  grist  mill.  For  eight  years  he 
carried  on  business  along  that  line,  after  which  he 
came  to  Illinois. 

Hoping  to  benefit  his  financial  condition  thereby, 
Mr.  Matthews  removed  to  Henderson  County 
in  the  year  1843.  He  located  in  Rozetta  Town- 
ship, purchasing  eighty  acres  of  unimproved  land 
on  section  10.  A  log  cabin  was  the  only  building 
upon  the  place,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  land 
was  still  in  its  primitive  condition,  but  he  at  once 
began  its  cultivation,  and  as  the  result  of  his  plow- 
ing and  planting  the  wild  tract  was  soon  trans- 
formed into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  He  added 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  there  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  until  1876,  when  he  removed 
to  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  where  he  lived  a  retired  life 
during  the  succeeding  five  years. 

On  the  10th  of  November,  1859,  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Charlotte  M.  Dean, 
daughter  of  George  L.  and  Irene  (Wheeler)  Dean, 
the  former  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Connecticut.  Mrs.  Matthews  was  born  in 
Athens,  Ohio,  and  by  her  marriage  became  the 
mother  of  three  children:  Charles  Dean,  who  mar- 
ried Maud  M.  Wilson,  and  is  now  operating  the 
old  home  farm;  Grace  T. ;  and  Harry  L.,  who 
completes  the  family.  All  are  well  known  in  this 
community,  and  Mrs.  Matthews  and  her  children 
occupy  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles. 

Mr.  Matthews  continued  to  make  his  home  in 
Ft.  Madison  until  the  autumn  of  1881,  when  he 
returned  to  Henderson  County,  and  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  his  widow  yet  resides.  At  his 
death  he  owned  a  valuable  tract  of  four  hundred 
acres,  well  improved.  He  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising,  and  in  his  dealings  met  with 
prosperity,  becoming  one  of  the  substantial  citizens 


412 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  the  community.  Although  his  life  was  a  busy 
one,  he  always  found  time  to  take  a  commendable 
interest  in  those  enterprises  which  are  calculated 
to  prove  of  public  benefit.  He  voted  the  Repub- 
lican ticket,  but  never  sought  or  desired  political 
preferment  for  himself.  All  who  knew  him  re- 
spected him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  integrity, 
and  during  his  long  residence  in  Henderson 
County  he  made  many  warm  friends.  He  passed 
away  on  December  27,  1886,  and  was  laid  to 
rest  in  Rozetta  Cemetery.  To  his  family  he  left 
an  untarnished  name,  and  his  memory  will  ever  be 
cherished  by  his  children. 


(ILLIAM  W.  BALDWIN,  who  carries  on 
general  farming  on  section  23,  township 
12  north,  range  4  west,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Henderson  County  since  1865.  He  was  born 
in  Fayette  County,  Ind.,  on  the  18th  of  August, 
1844,  and  comes  of  a  family  of  Scotch  origin.  His 
parents  were  Louis  M.  and  Sarah  (Cooper)  Bald- 
win. They  had  a  family  of  only  two  children, 
the  sister  of  our  subject  being  Rebecca  A.,  wife  of 
John  Spencer,  a  resident  of  Cambridge  City,  Ind. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  making 
that  pursuit  his  life  work.  He  died  when  our 
subject  was  only  three  years  of  age. 

William  W.  Baldwin  then  went  to  live  with  an 
uncle,  by  whom  he  was  reared.  Midst  play  and 
work  his  boyhood  days  were  spent.  He  early 
became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life, 
for  at  an  early  age  he  began  work  in  the  fields. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  the  district  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  but  his  privileges  in  that 
direction  were  rather  meagre;  however,  practical 
business  experience  and  observation  have  made 
him  a  well-informed  man.  He  remained  in  the 
Hoosier  State  until  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
when,  in  1865,  he  bade  adieu  to  his  old  home  and 
came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Henderson  County. 
He  took  up  his  residence  near  where  he  now  re- 
sides and  has  since  lived  in  this  locality. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1867,  Mr.  Baldwin  was 
united   in   marriage  with    Miss  Sarah  Crawford, 


and  by  their  union  have  been  born  eleven  chil- 
dren, six  sons  and  five  daughters:  Mary,  who  is 
now  the  wife  of  Newton  Gordon;  William,  de- 
ceased; and  Ella,  James,  Frank,  Eli,  Louis,  Mar- 
tha, Amos,  Ida  and  Lena,  who  are  still  at  home. 
In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  Repub- 
lican, supporting  the  men  and  measures  of  that 
party.  He  has  once  filled  the  office  of  Super- 
visor and  has  also  been  School  Director.  He  was 
true  and  faithful  to  his  official  duties,  but  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention  has  been 
devoted  to  his  business  interests.  He  is  an  en- 
terprising and  industrious  man,  and  his  life  has 
been  a  busy  and  useful  one.  He  has  therefore 
provided  comfortably  for  his  family,  and  has 
gained  a  pleasant  home  and  good  farm.  He  pos- 
sesses many  excellencies  of  character,  and  all  who 
know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling 
worth. 

0AMUEL  MILLAN  DAVENPORT,  who  is 
v\  engaged  in  farming  on  section  26,  township 
\~J  11  north,  range  5  west,  was  born  July  21, 
1841,  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  is  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  He  is  one  of  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, whose  parents  were  William  S.  and  Emily 
(Poulson)  Davenport,  the  former  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Virginia.  When  our  sub- 
ject was  only  three  months  old  the  father  brought 
his  family  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  locating  at 
Oquawka.  The  six  sons  and  three  daughters  of 
the  family  are  as  follows:  William,  now  living  in 
Montana;  Thomas,  deceased;  Samuel  M.;  Mary 
J.,  wifeof  D.  A.  Campbell,  a  fanner  of  Oquawka; 
Marion  W.,  who  carries  on  fanning  in  Oquawka 
Precinct,  Henderson  County;  John  W.,  an  agri- 
culturist living  in  Rozetta,  111. ;  Charlotte,  wife 
of  William  Welsh,  who  carries  on  fanning  in  Fall 
Creek  Precinct,  Henderson  County,  111. ;  and 
Perry  and  Ellen,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Davenport  of  this  sketch  has  lived  in  Hen- 
derson County  since  his  early  infancy,  and  was 
reared  to  manhood  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the 
frontier.  The  family  experienced  many  of  the 
hardships  and  trials  of  pioneer  life.     His  educa- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


4i3 


tion  was  acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
community,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  be- 
gan earning  his  own  livelihood  by  working  as  a 
farm  hand,  receiving  in  compensation  for  his  serv- 
ices $20  per  month.  He  was  thus  employed 
until  he  entered  the  army. 

On  the  5th  of  August,  1862,  Mr.  Davenport 
enlisted,  and  was  assigned  to  Company  G,  Eighty- 
fourth  Illinois  Infantry,  under  the  command  of 
Col.  L.  H.  Waters.  He  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Perry  ville,  Stone  River,  Woodbury,  Chick - 
amauga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge, 
Dalton,  Buzzard's  Roost,  Resaca,  Burnt  Hickory, 
Kennesaw  Mountain,  Smyrna,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro, 
Franklin,  Nashville,  and  many  skirmishes.  He  was 
in  the  hospital  at  Pulaski  for  two  weeks,  but  with 
the  exception  of  this  short  period  he  was  always 
found  with  his  regiment,  faithful  to  the  Old  Flag 
and  the  cause  it  represented.  He  enlisted  as  a 
private,  but  was  afterwards  made  Corporal,  and 
later  became  Sergeant  When  the  war  was  over, 
he  was  honorably  discharged  in  .Springfield,  111. , 
June  19,  1865. 

After  his  return  home,  Mr.  Davenport  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  laud  in  Pottawattamie  Coun- 
ty, Iowa,  and  began  farming.  To  this  tract  he 
added  until  he  had  sixty  acres,  to  the  cultivation 
of  which  he  devoted  his  time  and  attention  until 
1876,  when  he  returned  to  Henderson  County, 
111.  He  was  then  employed  as  a  laborer  until 
1893,  when  he  resumed  farming.  He  now  has 
thirty -five  acres,  pleasantly  located  a  mile  and  a- 
half  to  the  southeast  of  Oquawka,  and  his  farm  is 
well  cultivated. 

On  the  14th  of  January,  1876,  Mr.  Davenport 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Talford, 
daughter  of  William  Talford,  and  by  their  union 
have  been  born  four  children,  three  sons  and  a 
daughter,  namely:  Jessie,  wife  of  Burke  Logan,  of 
Oquawka  Precinct;  Paul,  deceased;  and  John  and 
Cephas,  who  are  still  at  home.  The  parents  and 
their  daughter  hold  membership  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  Mr.  Davenport  is  a 
member  of  Ellsworth  Post  No.  172,  G.  A.  R.,  of 
which  he  has  served  as  Junior  Commander.  He 
exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
Republican  party,  with  which    he    has    affiliated 


since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Abra 
ham  Lincoln.  He  is  now  serving  as  School  Di- 
rector, and  for  six  years  has  filled  the  office  of 
Supervisor.  He  is  a  valued  and  highly-respected 
citizen  of  the  community,  and  his  many  excel- 
lencies of  character  and  sterling  worth  have 
gained  for  him  the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle 
of  friends  and  acquaintances. 

%>  ""*•  c=j<?'t">E5    '  — m 

(Joseph  hollingsworth,  a  worthy  rep- 

I  resentative  of  the  agricultural  interests  of 
(2/  Henderson  County,  who  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  on  section  36,  township  12,  range  4 
west,  has  probably  the  honor  of  being  the  oldest 
citizen  of  this  community.  He  was  born  on  the 
22d  of  August,  1805,  in  South  Carolina,  but  dur- 
ing his  infancy  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Ohio. 
His  father,  John  Hollingsworth,  was  a  native  of 
Man-land,  and  when  a  young  man  left  that  State, 
emigrating  to  South  Carolina,  where  he  became 
acquainted  with  and  wedded  Miss  Rachel  Wright. 
By  their  union  were  born  nine  children,  namely: 
James,  Henry,  Jane,  Charity,  John,  Nathan, 
George,  Hannah  and  Joseph. 

Our  subject,  who  is  the  only  one  now  living, 
acquired  his  education  in  Lebanon,  Ohio,  but  his 
advantages  in  that  direction  were  very  limited. 
In  1817,  when  twelve  years  of  age,  he  went  with 
the  family  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Wayne  County 
upon  a  farm,  where  he  continued  to  make  his 
home  until  1844.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois, and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of 
Henderson  County.  This  locality  was  then  a 
wild  and  sparsely  settled  region,  which  was  just 
opened  up  to  civilization.  Mr.  Hollingsworth  is 
one  of  its  honored  pioneers,  and  for  half  a  cen- 
tury has  been  prominently  identified  with  its 
growth  and  development.  On  his  arrival  he  lo- 
cated upon  a  farm,  and  built  a  mill  in  township 
12,  range  4  west.  From  that  time  until  1876, 
he  carried  on  general  farming  and  also  engaged 
in  the  operation  of  his  mill.  His  business  career 
was  marked  by  energy  and  industry,  his  life  be- 
ing a  busy  and  useful  one. 


414 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  1828,  Joseph  Hollingsworth  married  Miss 
Rachel  Vestal,  and  to  them  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren: Ervvin,  who  is  now  living  in  Kansas;  Ad- 
dison and  Louis,  both  deceased:  Enoch,  who 
makes  his  home  in  Lyndon,  Kan.;  Allen,  a  resi- 
dent of  Henderson  County;  Nelson,  who  is  also 
located  in  Lyndon,  Kan. ;  and  Willard,  of  Burling- 
ton, Iowa.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  February  9,  1858,  and  on  the 
15th  of  September,  1859,  Mr.  Hollingsworth  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mrs. 
Adeline  (Taliaferro)  Bell.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  three  children:  Elizabeth  J.,  now  de- 
ceased; Brady,  of  Burlington,  Iowa;  and  Joseph, 
deceased. 

Joseph  Hollingsworth  has  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  been  one  of  its  stanch 
supporters.  He  was  originally  a  Whig,  and  cast 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  Few 
men  have  lived  through  more  administrations 
than  he.  He  has  witnessed  the  most  important 
events  which  have  occurred  in  the  history  of  this 
country,  has  lived  through  three  of  its  wars,  and 
has  seen  the  rapid  strides  of  progress  which  have 
placed  this  country  on  a  par  with  those  of  Eu- 
rope in  many  lines,  while  in  others  it  takes  the 
lead.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Friends'  Church, 
and,  in  harmony  with  his  profession,  has  lived  a 
quiet  and  honorable  life,  well  worthy  of  emula- 
tion. Since  1876  he  has  made  his  home  with  his 
sou,  resting  after  the  toil  of  former  years. 

§ A  c=ii  <^r*>  e— — ' — 3) 


EAPT.  JOHN  A.  PENCE,  a  well-known  citi- 
zen of  Oquawka,  and  one  of  the  honored  vet- 
erans of  the  late  war  who  wore  the  blue  in 
defense  of  the  Union,  is  numbered  among  Hender- 
son County's  native  sons.  He  is  not  only  one  of 
the  honored  pioneers,  but  also  bears  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  the  first  white  child  born  in  the 
county,  the  date  being  August  12,  1830.  His 
father,  John  Pence,  was  born  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  in  Virginia,  and  during  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  followed  farming,  but  at  different  times 
was  interested  in    other   business  enterprises,  in- 


cluding that  of  milling.  In  1827  he  emigrated 
westward  to  Illinois,  locating  near  Rock  Island, 
where  he  lived  in  a  bark  house  for  a  year.  In 
1828  he  came  to  Henderson  County  and  purchased 
a  farm  three  and  a-half  miles  northeast  of  Oquaw- 
ka, on  the  Henderson  River,  where  he  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  for  thirteen  years,  his  death 
occurring  in  1841.  He  had  married  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth (Heaton)  Record,  and  to  them  were  born 
three  sons  and  two  daughters:  Andrew  J.,  who 
died  in  California  in  1854;  John  A.,  of  this  sketch ; 
William  H.,  deceased;  Caroline,  wife  of  George 
Shores,  of  Swan  Creek,  111. ;  and  Charlotte,  wife 
of  John  Madden,  a  Government  employe  located  in 
San  Francisco,  Cal. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Judge  Pence's 
fort,  which  was  erected  for  the  protection  of  the 
settlers  against  the  Indians,  Capt.  Pence  of  this 
sketch  was  born.  In  1843  his  mother  died,  leav- 
ing him  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years. 
He  then  went  to  live  with  some  older  half-broth- 
ers, and  later  spent  about  four  years  in  Jackson 
County,  Iowa.  His  mother  had  left  a  farm  to  be 
divided  among  the  five  children,  but  Mr.  Pence 
turned  his  attention  not  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
but  to  tailoring,  which  he  began  at  the  age  of 
eighteen.  After  a  short  time,  however,  he  em- 
barked in  the  carding  business  in  Mercer  County, 
111.,  having  charge  of  the  carding-machines  in  a 
woolen-mill  owned  by  Joseph  Glaucey. 

On  the  20th  of  March,  1850,  Capt.  Pence  start- 
ed for  California,  making  the  trip  with  ox-teams, 
and  on  the  18th  of  August  reached  Placerville, 
then  called  Hangtown.  He  there  engaged  in 
mining  for  about  a  year,  after  which  he  spent  two 
years  in  prospecting  on  the  American  River,  at 
Shasta  City  and  elsewhere.  In  1853  he  went  to 
Pescadero,  Cal.,  about  forty  miles  below  San 
Francisco,  where  he  engaged  in  raising  potatoes 
for  three  years.  In  1855  he  returned  to  the  mines 
and  was  engaged  in  freighting  with  a  team  in  the 
mountains  until  June,  1859,  when  he  returned 
home  by  way  of  the  Panama  route  and  New  York. 
The  following  winter  was  to  him  a  season  of  rest, 
but  in  i860  he  embarked  in  the  livery  business, 
which  he  carried  on  until  the  spring  of  1865. 

In    the   mean   time,    however,    he  entered  his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


4i5 


country's  service,  enlisting  September  1,  1861,  as 
a  member  of  Company  D,  Seventh  Missouri  Cav- 
alry. He  enlisted  as  a  private,  but  was  elected 
Second  Lieutenant  before  going  into  service.  At 
Independence,  Mo.,  he  was  wounded  in  the  right 
thigh  by  a  minie-ball,  and  for  more  than  a  month 
was  unfitted  for  service.  At  the  time  of  the  bat- 
tle he  was  serving  as  Post  Quartermaster  and 
Commissary  of  Subsistence,  so  that  his  duties  did 
not  call  him  to  the  field;  but  nevertheless  he  en- 
tered the  engagement  and  was  wounded,  cap- 
tured and  paroled.  When  he  had  recovered  he 
went  to  St.  Louis  and  was  mustered  out,  for  a 
person  captured  by  guerrillas  could  not  be  ex- 
changed, the  guerrillas  not  being  recognized  as 
Confederate  troops;  so  in  the  fall  of  1S62  he  re- 
turned home. 

On  the  19th  of  December  of  the  same  year,  Mr. 
Pence  wedded  Miss  Mary  A.  Chapin,  a  daughter 
of  Ebenezer  and  Catherine  (Dagget)  Chapin. 
They  have  no  children  of  their  own,  but  reared 
an  adopted  daughter.  On  his  return  from  the  war 
Capt.  Pence  resumed  the  livery  business,  which 
he  carried  on  until  the  spring  of  1865,  when  he 
began  farming,  having  purchased  land  three  miles 
northeast  of  Oquawka.  He  carried  on  agricult- 
ural pursuits  until  1871,  when  he  became  a  travel- 
ing salesman.  In  the  fall  of  1874,  he  embarked 
in  the  greenhouse  and  nursery  business  in 
Oquawka,  and  continued  the  same  until  the  spring 
of  1884,  when  he  accepted  a  position  as  manager 
of  the  springs  owned  by  the  Kirkwood  Mineral 
Springs  Company.  The  succeeding  four  seasons 
were  thus  passed,  and  in  the  summer  of  1888  he 
went  to  Biggsville,  111.,  spending  one  year  in  a 
store  in  that  place. 

Capt.  Pence  has  also  traveled  to  a  considerable 
extent  in  the  West.  In  March,  1877,  he  started 
for  the  Black  Hills,  making  the  trip  from  Chey- 
enne by  the  ' '  Fast  Freight  Line  ' '  of  mule-teams. 
He  spent  some  five  months  prospecting  in  the 
Black  Hills,  and,  returning  by  way  of  Ft.  Pierre, 
reached  home  in  August,  1877.  In  1873,  he 
made  an  extensive  trip  through  Texas  and  pur- 
chased and  shipped  to  Kansas  thirty-five  hundred 
head  of  cattle.  In  the  winter  of  1889,  Capt. 
Pence  was  in  Springfield,  and  had  charge  of  the 


janitors  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  Shortly 
after  he  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Oquawka,  and 
has  since  been  in  the  employ  of  Robert  Hodson. 

Our  subject  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Winfield  Scott,  and  was  a  Whig  until  i860,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party  and  its  principles.  He  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  Town  Board  three  terms,  and 
was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  but  after  a  few 
months  resigned  on  account  of  pressing  business 
interests.  He  belongs  to  Oquawka  Lodge  No. 
122,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and  to  Ellsworth  Post  No. 
172,  G.  A.  R.,  in  which  he  has  filled  nearly  all 
the  offices,  including  that  of  Commander.  He 
well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume,  for  he 
has  witnessed  the  entire  growth  and  development 
of  the  county,  and  has  long  been  numbered  among 
its  valued  citizens. 


0ANIEL  W.  MUMEY,  one  of  the  prosperous 
fanners  of  Henderson  County,  who  owns  and 
operates  three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  acres 
of  valuable  land  on  section  19,  township  12  north, 
range  4  west,  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  na- 
tivity, for  his  birth  occurred  in  Pickaway  County, 
on  the  14th  of  June,  185 1.  His  father,  Solomon 
Mumey,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Having 
attained  to  years  of  maturity,  he  married  Lucinda 
Winsted,  and  to  them  were  born  seven  children, 
six  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely:  William;  David, 
who  resides  in  Wisconsin ;  Daniel  W.  of  this  sketch ; 
Joseph,  a  resident  of  Nebraska;  Solomon,  who  is 
located  in  the  same  State;  Samuel,  deceased;  and 
Mary,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Daniel  W.  Mumey  was  a  child  of  only  six  sum- 
mers when  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illi- 
nois. The  family  located  in  Henderson  County, 
upon  the  prairie,  but  after  a  short  time  removed 
to  a  farm  four  miles  northeast  of  Oquawka.  where 
the  father  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land,  and  began  the  cultivation  and  de- 
velopment of  the  farm.  Our  subject  acquired  his 
education  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, which  he  attended  through  the  winter  sea- 


416 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


son,  while  in  the  summer  months  he  aided  in  the 
labors  of  the  farm.  He  was  reared  to  manhood 
upon  the  old  homestead,  and  has  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  throughout  his  entire  life.  He 
was  early  inured  to  the  arduous  labors  of  the  field, 
and  became  familiar  with  all  the  departments  of 
farm  work;  so  that  when  he  began  business  for 
himself  he  had  a  stock  of  practical  experience, 
which  proved  of  much  value  to  him. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  Mumey  chose  Miss  Katie  Welsh,  a  daughter 
of  John  Welsh,  their  marriage  being  celebrated 
on  the  4th  of  June,  1870.  By  their  union  were 
born  seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters: 
John,  Solomon,  Mary,  Ella,  Daniel,  Michael  and 
Peter,  and  with  the  exception  of  Daniel,  who  is 
now  deceased,  all  are  with  their  parents.  The 
Mumey  household  is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and 
the  family  is  held  in  high  regard  throughout  the 
community. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Mumey  purchased  a  part  of  his 
present  farm,  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  to  which  he  has  added  from  time  to  time, 
until  he  now  has  three  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
acres  of  rich  land,  constituting  one  of  the  valuable 
farms  of  this  locality.  Everything  about  the 
place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  and  the 
well -tilled  fields  and  good  improvements  indicate 
to  the  passer-by  the  careful  supervision  of  the 
owner.  In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Mumey  is  a 
Democrat,  and  by  his  first  Presidential  vote  sup- 
ported Samuel  J.  Tilden.  He  has  served  as  Town- 
ship Supervisor  and  as  School  Director,  and  the 
cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend. 

g_  ^-S^,  J,, >^-^o.  «> 

^51  SA  JACKSON,  who  is  numbered  among  the 
I  I  early  settlers  of  Henderson  County,  his  home 
/  I  now  being  on  section  4,  Rozetta  Township, 
was  bom  on  the  28th  of  January,  18 17,  in  Jack- 
son County,  Ind.,  and  is  a  son  of  Willington  and 
Elsie  (Davis)  Jackson.  The  father  was  born  in 
Virginia,  and  was  of  English  descent.  In  the 
family  were  thirteen  children,  twelve  sons  and  a 
daughter,  and,    with  one  exception,    all  grew  to 


mature  years,  but  only  three  are  living  at  this 
writing  (in  the  spring  of  1894),  namely:  Asa  of 
this  sketch;  Elisha,  who  now  follows  farming  in 
Kansas;  and  L,ewis,  who  is  an  agriculturist  of  the 
same  State.  The  father  continued  to  live  in  the 
Old  Dominion  until  about  thirty  years  of  age, 
when  he  emigrated  westward  to  Indiana,  making 
the  journey  by  team.  He  became  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Jackson  County,  and  there  entered 
land  from  the  Government,  his  claim  being  located 
near  Brownstown.  After  erecting  a  log  cabin, 
he  began  to  clear  and  improve  the  farm,  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  forest  developed  a  good  home. 
The  Indians  were  still  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
the  white  settlers,  therefore,  were  frequently  com- 
pelled to  seek  protection  in  forts.  Mr.  Jackson 
remained  in  the  Hoosier  State  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1840.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  a  highly-respected 
citizen.  His  wife  passed  away  several  years  pre- 
vious. 

Asa  Jackson  was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm  in  the  count)-  of  his  nativity,  and  attended  a 
subscription  school,  which  was  held  in  a  log 
schoolhouse  two  miles  from  his  home.  He  is 
largely  self-educated,  however,  for  he  could  at- 
tend school  only  through  the  winter  season,  when 
there  was  a  lull  in  the  farm  work.  He  began  to 
earn  his  own  livelihood  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  at  $8  per 
month.  He  was  thus  employed  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  rented  land  and  began  farming  in 
his  own  interest.  He  continued  the  cultivation 
of  property  belonging  to  others  until  1849,  when 
he  left  his  native  State  and  came  to  Illinois. 

Previous  to  his  removal,  Mr.  Jackson  was  mar- 
ried, having  in  1836  led  to  the  marriage  altar 
Miss  L.  Henlider.  By  their  union  have  been 
born  seven  children:  Michael,  who  is  nowdeceased; 
Adeline,  widow  of  John  Morse;  Eveline,  wife  of 
Eli  Beaty;  Eavina,  wife  of  George  Brown;  Eliza, 
wife  of  Alexander  Smith;  Mahala,  wife  of  Hugh 
Haines;  and  Ellen,  wife  of  David  Penrose. 

It  was  in  1849  that  Mr.  Jackson  came  to  Hen- 
derson Count}-,  and  purchased  eighty-one  acres 
of  land  on  section  8,  Rozetta  Township.  Only  a 
few  acres  had  been  broken,  the  greater  part  of  it 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


4'7 


being  still  in  its  primitive  condition;  but  he  at 
once  began  to  cultivate  it,  and  soon  the  entire 
amount  was  placed  under  the  plow.  Good  build- 
ings and  other  improvements  were  made,  and  in 
course  of  time  the  farm  became  one  of  the  best  in 
the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Jackson  continued  to 
make  his  home  thereon  until  1893,  when  he  sold 
his  first  property,  and  removed  to  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides.  His  life  has  been  a  busy 
and  useful  one,  and  as  the  result  of  his  industry, 
perseverance  and  good  management  he  has  ac- 
quired a  comfortable  competence.  In  his  political 
views,  Mr.  Jackson  has  long  been  a  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church.  During  his  long  residence  in 
this  county  he  has  made  many  warm  friends,  and 
it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  this  record  of 
his  life  to  our  readers. 


i=*=S<*HT^"G 


(TAMES  MADISON  THOMAS,  who  since 
I  1854  nas  been  engaged  in  farming  on  the  old 
(2/  Thomas  homestead,  on  section  14,  township 
1 1  north,  range  5  west,  in  Henderson  County, 
here  owns  and  operates  two  hundred  acres  of 
valuable  land.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  community,  and  is 
also  numbered  among  the  honored  early  settlers. 
He  claims  Kentucky  as  the  State  of  his  nativity, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Nelson  County,  De- 
cember 20,  1819.  He  is  of  Welsh  and  German 
extraction,  and  is  a  sou  of  Eleazor  and  Annie 
(  Garrett)  Thomas,  who  were  also  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky. The  paternal  grandfather,  Isaac  Thomas, 
was  born  in  Loudoun  Counts-,  Va.,  and  his  wife, 
Elizabeth,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  Robert  Garrett,  was  born  in 
the  same  State  where  his  daughter's  birth  oc- 
curred. His  wife  was  of  Scotch  descent  and  bore 
the  name  of  McDowell.  The  parents  had  a  fam- 
ily of  six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely:  Shelby,  who  is  now  deceased;  James  M., 
of  this  sketch;  Isaac,  a  farmer  of  Henderson 
County;  Reason,  who  is  living  in  Pottawattamie 
County,  Iowa;  and  Ellen  and  Elizabeth,  who  are 
deceased. 


In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  James 
M.  Thomas  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  He  worked  in  the  fields  during  the  sum- 
mer months,  and  in  the  winter  season  attended 
the  subscription  schools  of  Kentucky,  thus  acquir- 
ing a  limited  education.  When  he  was  about 
sixteen  years  of  age,  his  father  died,  and  he  then 
bound  himselfout  to  Henry  Amed,  whom  he  served 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  working  as  a 
farm  hand.  After  reaching  man's  estate,  he  con- 
tinued with  Mr.  Amed  for  another  year.  When 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  began  farming  on  the 
old  homestead,  and  was  thus  employed  until  the 
age  of  twenty-five.  In  the  spring  of  1S49,  he 
emigrated  to  Illinois,  landing  in  Oquawka,  hav- 
ing made  the  journey  by  steamer.  For  a  year  he 
worked  on  a  farm  near  the  county  seat,  and  then, 
in  1850,  went  to  California,  driving  an  ox-team 
across  the  plains  to  the  Pacific  Slope.  He  started  on 
the  14th  of  April,  and  after  a  long  and  tedious 
journey  reached  Hangtown  (now  Placerville)  on 
the  17th  of  August.  There  he  engaged  in  pros- 
pecting and  mining  until  December,  when  he 
started  for  home  by  way  of  the  Panama  route  and 
New  Orleans.  On  the  29th  of  January,  1851,  we 
again  find  him  in  Oquawka,  and  soon  after  he  be- 
gan farming  on  the  Judge  Pence  place,  where  he 
remained  until  1854.  Since  that  time  he  has 
lived  on  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home.  It 
comprises  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  this  he  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  elsewhere. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1845,  Mr.  Thomas  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  .Sarah,  daughter  of 
Andrew  and  Catherine  (Holmes)  Figg.  The 
former  was  a  son  of  John  Figg,  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, of  Irish  lineage,  and  the  latter  was  a 
daughter  of  William  Holmes,  a  native  of  England, 
who  emigrated  to  America  in  an  early  day,  and 
served  as  a  drummer  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Ten  children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  namely:  Henry,  now  of  Oquawka  Pre- 
cinct: Craven,  a  farmer  of  Henderson  County; 
Joseph,  who  carries  on  fanning  in  Mercer  Coun- 
ty; James,  an  agriculturist  of  Plainville,  Kan.; 
Hal  leek,  a  farmer  of  Henderson  County;  Char- 
lotte, wife  of  A.  Martin,  of  Perkins,  Okla.:  Susan, 


418 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


wife  of  William  Figg,  a  Captain  in  the  Fire  De- 
partment of  Chicago;  Kate,  wife  of  Walter  Cha- 
pin,  who  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Rooks  County,  Kan.;  Alice,  wife  of  J.  C.  Bentley, 
an  attorney  of  Wichita,  Kan.;  and  Eliza  A.,  who 
died  in  infancy. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Thomas  was  originally  a  Whig, 
but  since  the  dissolution  of  that  party  has  been  a 
Democrat.  He  has  served  as  School  Director  and 
School  Trustee,  and  the  cause  of  education  finds 
in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  belongs  to  Tran- 
quil Lodge  No.  193,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  he  and  his 
wife  hold  membership  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  They  are  honored  and  worthy 
citizens  of  the  community,  and  by  his  well-di- 
rected efforts  Mr.  Thomas  has  risen  from  a  hum- 
ble position  to  one  of  affluence. 

pCjlLLIAM  H.  SNODGRASS,  a  farmer  of 
X  A  /  Henderson  County ,  now  living  on  section 
YY  15,  township  12  north,  range 4  west,  claims 
Illinois  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Warren  County  on  the  9th  of 
June,  1856.  He  was  one  of  twelve  children  born 
unto  Daniel  and  Mary  E.  (Wimmer)  Snodgrass. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  through- 
out his  life  followed  the  occupation  of  farming. 
The  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Wimmer. 
The  children  of  the  family  are:  John,  who  now 
makes  his  home  in  Kansas;  George  W.,  a  farmer 
of  Nebraska;  Jacob,  a  resident  of  Monmouth,  111. ; 
William  H;  Thomas,  who  is  located  in  Kirk- 
wood,  111.;  Mary,  deceased;  Lynn,  now  of  Ne- 
braska; Hattie,  widow  of  James  Hanley,  of  Chi- 
cago; Charles,  who  resides  in  Nebraska;  Martha, 
wife  of  N.  Bitterman;  and  Daniel,  deceased. 

William  H.  Snodgrass  spent  the  first  six  years 
of  his  life  in  his  native  county,  and  then  came 
with  the  family  to  Henderson  County,  where  his 
time  was  passed  in  work  upon  the  farm  or  in  con- 
ning his  lessons  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  Thus  his  education  was  acquired. 
He  lived  at  home  until  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
and  then,  starting  out  in  life  for  himself,  he  began 


fanning  in  Des  Moines  County,  Iowa.  For  four 
years  he  made  his  home  in  the  Hawkeye  .State, 
after  which  he  returned  to  Illinois,  and  since 
1882  he  has  lived  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  his 
place  of  residence. 

On  the  9th  of  October,  1879,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Snodgrass  and  Miss  Laura 
L.  Rozell,  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  (Hoveyj 
Rozell.  Eight  children  have  been  born  to  them, 
two  sons  and  six  daughters:  Ida  M.,  Pearl  E., 
Sarah  A.,  Maude  E.,  Jennie  M.,  Henry  E.,  Rob- 
ert J.  and  Minnie  R.  The  family  circle  yet  re- 
mains unbroken,  and  the  children  are  still  with 
their  parents. 

Mr.  Snodgrass  votes  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  holds  membership  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  He  is  a  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen,  who  takes  an  active  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. He  has  lived  a  quiet  and  unassuming 
life,  giving  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  farm  work,  yet  is  recognized  as  a  valued 
citizen  of  the  community,  and  therefore  it  is  with 
pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  this  record 
of  his  life  work. 


^-H* 


-§> 


HIRAM  SYLVESTER  TWEED,  who  now 
carries  on  general  farming  on  section  12, 
Gladstone  Township,  has  the  honor  of  being 
a  native  of  Henderson  County,  for  his  birth  here 
occurred  on  the  15th  of  May,  1837.  He  is  there- 
fore a  pioneer  of  the  county,  and  is  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  its  first  families.  His  father, 
Abraham  Tweed,  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  1800, 
and  when  he  had  reached  man's  estate  he  married 
Miss  Eliza  Reed,  who  was  also  born  in  the  Old 
Dominion.  They  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  namely:  John,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Leary, 
Thomas,  William,  Mrs.  Mary  Lusk,  Hiram  (who 
died  in  infancy) ,  and  Hiram  S. ,  of  this  sketch.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died  when  our  subject  was 
only  three  years  old,  after  which  Abraham  Tweed 
was  again  married,  and  by  the  second  union  had 
a  daughter,  Mrs.  Jane  A.  Bell.     About  1835,  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


419 


father  emigrated  westward  and  cast  his  lot  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Henderson  County,  111.  He 
entered  land  on  section  28,  township  10  north, 
range  5  west,  and  at  once  began  the  development 
of  a  farm,  which  he  continued  to  cultivate  and 
improve  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1845. 
He  was  well  known  throughout  the  county,  being 
one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens  in  that 
early  day. 

Amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  frontier,  Hiram  S. 
Tweed  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  shared  in  the 
hardships  and  trials  of  pioneer  life,  and  early  be- 
came inured  to  hard  labor.  He  was  only  eight 
years  of  age  when  his  father  died,  and  from  that 
time  he  had  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world, 
striving  hard  to  secure  a  livelihood  in  the  days  of 
his  youth  and  early  manhood.  He  has  always 
worked  hard,  being  an  industrious  and  energetic 
man.  His  school  privileges  were  limited,  but  he 
has  made  the  most  of  his  opportunities  through 
life. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1862,  Mr.  Tweed  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  E.  Sage, 
daughter  of  Gideon  and  Mary  (Clarke)  Sage,  who 
were  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  this 
community.  Mr.  Sage  laid  out  the  present  town 
of  Gladstone,  which  was  for  many  years  called 
Sagetown,  in  his  honor.  He  lived  to  be  nearly 
ninety-six  years  old.  Seven  children  have  been 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  six  sons  and  a 
daughter:  John  \\\,  born  November  2,  1862; 
James  T.,  March  12,  1864;  Hiram  L.,  September 
16,  1865;  Edd  Ray,  November  30,  1867;  Gideon 
A.,  January  9,  1S69;  Charles  E.,  August  29,  1871 ; 
and  Katie  M.,  May  17,  1873.  Three  of  thisnum- 
ber  are  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Tweed  and  her 
daughter  hold  membership  with  the  United  Pres- 
byterian Church.  Their  home  is  the  abode  of 
hospitality,  and  the  members  of  the  family  rank 
high  in  the  social  circles  in  which  they  move. 

Throughout  his  entire  life,  Mr.  Tweed  has  car- 
ried on  general  fanning,  and  he  now  raises  all 
kinds  of  stock.  Long  acquaintance  with  the  busi- 
ness has  made  him  a  master  of  it,  and  he  is  now 
meeting  with  success,  although  in  his  earlier  years 
he  had  to  overcome  many  obstacles  and  difficulties 
in  the  path  to  prosperity.     His  own  energy  and 


good  management  have  been  ably  assisted  by  that 
of  his  wife,  who  has  proved  a  true  helpmate 
to  him.  Socially,  Mr.  Tweed  is  a  Mason,  belong- 
ing to  Oquawka  Lodge  No.  123,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
In  politics,  he  usually  supports  the  Democratic 
party,  but  occasionally  votes  the  Prohibition 
ticket.  In  the  history  of  his  native  county  he 
well  deserves  representation,  for  he  has  long  been 
numbered  among  its  best  citizens. 

EF.  WILLIAM  FROEHLICH,  pension  attor- 
ney and  Notary  Public  of  Oquawka,  is  one 
of  the  worthy  citizens  that  German}-  has 
furnished  this  locality,  for  he  was  born  in  the 
Rhine  Province  in  Prussia.  The  date  of  this 
event  was  March  21,  1S35.  His  father,  Peter 
Froehlich,  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  and  lived  and 
died  in  Germain-.  The  family  numbered  seven 
children,  but  four  of  the  number  died  in  infancy, 
and  another,  Francis,  is  also  now  deceased.  Jo- 
seph, a  ranchman  of  San  Diego,  Cal.,  and  Gott- 
fried Frederick  William,  of  this  sketch,  are  the 
only  ones  now  living. 

Our  subject  lost  his  mother  when  he  was  only 
four  days  old,  and  was  reared  by  his  grandmother. 
He  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  village 
schools,  but  afterwards  pursued  his  studies  in  the 
High  School  of  Bonn.  In  1851,  he  entered  the 
chemical  factory  of  that  place,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  clerk  for  a  year,  and  in  1852  he  emi- 
grated to  America.  The  voyage  was  made  in  a 
sailing-vessel,  and  after  fifty-two  days  spent  upon 
the  bosom  of  the  Atlantic,  anchor  was  dropped  in 
the  harbor  of  New  Orleans,  and  the  human  cargo 
was  landed  in  the  Crescent  City.  Mr.  Froehlich 
did  not  tarry  long  in  the  South,  however,  but  by 
boat  he  at  once  proceeded  up  the  Mississippi  and 
located  in  Oquawka.  For  a  year  after  his  ar- 
rival, he  was  clerk  in  the  store  of  F.  Odendahl, 
which  position  he  filled  until  he  began  learning 
the  harness-maker's  trade  in  Warsaw.  There  he 
remained  from  1853  until  1856,  when  he  went  to 
Carthage,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  journey- 
man until  1857.     The  following   year  was  spent 


420 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  working  at  his  trade  through  Illinois  and  Iowa, 
and  in  1858  he  returned  to  Oquawka,  where  he 
engaged  in  harness-making  and  in  teaching  school 
until  1 86 1. 

Mr.  Froehlich  had  given  considerable  time  to 
the  study  of  the  questions  which  brought  on  the 
Civil  War,  and,  warmly  advocating  the  Union 
cause,  he  at  once  responded  to  the  President' s 
first  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  volunteers. 
On  the  23d  of  April,  1861,  he  enlisted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  D,  Tenth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
at  Cairo,  111.,  was  mustered  out,  July  29,  1861. 
On  the  1  ith  of  September  of  the  same  year,  how- 
ever, he  again  entered  the  service  as  a  member  of 
Company  G,  Tenth  Missouri  Infantry,  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Iuka,  Corinth,  Yazoo 
Pass  Expedition,  Raymond,  Jackson,  Cham- 
pion Hills,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  bat- 
tle of  Mission  Ridge.  At  Corinth,  on  the  4th 
of  October,  1862,  he  was  wounded  in  the  fore- 
head, and  at  the  battle  of  Champion  Hills  was 
wounded  in  the  right  leg.  His  injuries  were 
quite  serious,  but,  nevertheless,  he  remained  with 
his  company  until  honorably  discharged,  Septem- 
ber 29,  1864.  He  was  then  employed  in  the 
civil  sen*ice  in  Nashville,  as  clerk  in  the  Ordi- 
nance Department.  At  his  own  expense,  he  re- 
turned home  to  vote  for  Lincoln,  and  then  again 
went  to  Nashville,  where  he  remained  until  Sep- 
tember, 1865,  when  we  once  more  find  him  at 
Oquawka,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

Mr.  Froehlich' s  eye-sight  having  failed  him,  so 
that  he  could  no  longer  follow  his  trade,  he  en- 
gaged as  clerk  for  a  time,  and  was  then  elected 
Constable,  in  1866,  filling  the  office  for  two  years. 
He  served  as  Deputy  Assessor  in  1867,  1868  and 
1869,  having  half  of  the  county  in  charge,  and  in 
1868  became  Deputy  County  Clerk,  which  office 
he  filled  until  1877,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year.  He  was  then  elected  County  Clerk,  which 
position  he  continuously  filled  until  1890,  when 
he  became  pension  attorney  and  Notary  Public. 
Other  offices  he  has  filled,  having  served  as  Dep- 
uty Circuit  Clerk  and  as  Deputy  Sheriff,  and 
for  five  terms  he  has  been  Village  Clerk,  a  position 
which  he  now  occupies.  When  first  elected 
County  Clerk  he  received  a  majority  of  one  hun- 


dred and  ten.  At  the  second  election  he  carried 
the  county  by  three  hundred  and  seventy-nine; 
and  at  the  third  election  by  a  majority  of  eleven 
hundred  and  twenty -five.  No  higher  testimonial 
to  his  efficient  and  faithful  service  could  be  given. 
The  prompt  and  able  manner  in  which  he  dis- 
charged his  duties  has  gained  him  the  confidence 
and  trust  of  the  entire  community,  and,  feeling 
that  no  better  officer  could  be  secured,  many  of 
the  opposing  party  gave  him  their  votes. 

Mr.  Froehlich  was  married  November  2 1 ,  1865, 
to  Mrs.  Margaret  Herbertz,  who  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Germany.  There  are  four  children  by  Mrs. 
Froehlich' s  former  marriage,  namely:  Charles 
Herbertz,  a  miner  in  Colorado;  Sophie,  residing 
with  her  mother;  William  P.,  a  traveling  insur- 
ance and  building  association  agent;  and  Her- 
man J.,  editor  of  the  Times  at  Roseville,  Warren 
County,  111. 

Our  subject  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret 
the  fact  that  he  sought  a  home  in  the  New 
World  about  the  time  he  started  out  in  life  for 
himself,  for  here  he  has  made  for  himself  a  good 
living,  and  has  won  many  friends,  who  give  him 
their  high  regard.  In  politics,  he  has  been  a 
stanch  Republican  since  casting  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  belongs  to 
Ellsworth  Post  No.  172,  G.A.R.,  and  has  served 
as  its  Commander,  as  Adjutant,  Quartermaster, 
Sergeant-Major  and  as  Quartermaster-Sergeant. 

S-  ,    c3 jg^L^r^  ■> . 9 

(3QILLIAM  CORADEN  HOVEY,  who  is 
\  A  /  now  practically  living  a  retired  life  on  his 
VV  farm  in  Henderson  County,  on  section  24, 
township  1 1  north,  range  5  west,  is  a  native  of  the 
Buckeye  State.  He  was  born  in  Raccoon  County, 
Ohio,  September  21,  1S44,  and  is  of  Welsh  lineage. 
His  father,  Lorenzo  Hovey,  was  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, and  by  occupation  was  a  ship  carpenter 
and  miller.  He  married  Harriet  Stevens,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  nine  children,  four 
sons  and  five  daughters:  Marinda,  wife  of  E. 
Wyckoff,  oflndianola,  Neb.;  George  L.  and  Sarah 
M.,  who  are  now  deceased;  Charlotte  L-,  of  Indi- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


421 


anola;  Jasper  A.,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga  during  the  late  war;  William  C; 
Deborah  F. ,  deceased;  Lorenzo  D.,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Nebraska;  and  Harriet  A.,  wife  of 
Calvin  Newberry,  of  Red  Willow  County,  Neb. 

William  C.  Hovey  was  a  lad  of  only  seven 
summers  when,  with  his  parents,  he  came  to 
Henderson  County,  111.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  district  schools,  and  under  his 
father's  direction  he  became  familiar  with  all  the 
departments  of  farm  labor.  He  continued  to  en- 
gage in  the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm  until 
eighteen  years  of  age,  when,  on  the  nth  of  Aug- 
ust, 1862,  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
troops,  and  was  assigned  to  Company  C,  Ninety- 
first  Illinois  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Day.  With  his  regiment  he  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Mobile,  Whistler,  Mt.  Vernon  Ar- 
senal and  Brownsville,  Tex.,  as  well  as  many 
minor  engagements.  He  was  captured  by  Morgan 
in  Kentucky,  but  was  paroled  the  same  night  and 
had  tn  walk  home.  This  was  on  the  24th  of  De- 
cember, 1862,  and  he  reached  his  home  on  the 
12th  of  January,  1863.  In  May,  following,  he 
was  exchanged  and  rejoined  his  regiment.  When 
the  war  was  over  he  was  honorably  discharged, 
011  the  28th  of  May,  1S65,  at  the  Mobile  hospital, 
where  he  had  remained  for  about  a  month  pre- 
vious. 

During  the  time  he  spent  at  home  Mr.  Hovey 
was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte  Smith,  daughter  of 
John  and  Amanda  (Gilbert)  Smith.  The  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  January  22,  1863,  and  was 
blessed  with  three  children,  but  two  died  in  in- 
fancy. John  A.,  who  is  still  living,  now  follows 
farming  in  Rock  Island  County,  111. 

On  his  return  from  the  South  Mr.  Hovey  re- 
sumed farming,  which  he  carried  on  until  1867, 
when  he  embarked  in  the  milling  business,  which 
he  continued  for  fifteen  years.  In  1882  he  went 
to  Gladstone,  and  for  one  year  was  employed  in  a 
sugar  refinery,  but  in  18S3  he  returned  to  his 
farm,  where  he  has  since  practically  lived  a  retired 
life.  Mr.  Hovey  has  acquired  a  comfortable  com- 
petence through  industry,  perseverance  and  good 
management,  and  is  now  enabled  to  surround 
himself  with  the  comforts  of  life.     He  is  a  leading 


citizen  of  the  community,  and  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  all  those  enterprises  which  are  calculated 
to  promote  the  general  welfare.  He  has  voted 
with  the  Republican  party  since  casting  his  first 
presidential  ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  is  a 
member  of  Ellsworth  Post  No.  173,  G.  A.  R.  In 
all  positions  of  trust,  whether  public  or  private, 
he  is  as  true  to  his  duty  as  when,  in  days  gone 
by,  he  followed  the  Stars  and  Stripes  on  southern 
battlefields. 


(TOHN  H.  RICKETTS,  who  is  engaged  in 
I  the  operation  of  a  good  farm  on  section  24, 
Q)  town  11  north,  range  5  west,  has  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Henderson  County,  and  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  its  early  families.  Mention  is 
made  of  his  parents  in  connection  with  the  sketch 
of  Samuel  A.  Ricketts  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  Our  subject  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead, April  29,  1852,  and  midst  play  and  work 
his  boyhood  days  were  passed.  His  educational 
privileges  were  quite  limited,  being  confined  to 
those  afforded  by  the  common  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  the  schools  of  that  day  were 
not  of  the  best.  His  physical  training,  however, 
was  ample,  for  as  soon  as  old  enough  he  began 
work  on  his  father's  farm,  and  soon  took  his  place 
in  the  fields  as  a  regular  hand. 

Mr.  Ricketts  remained  with  his  parents  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  left  home 
to  begin  life  for  himself.  He  took  up  the  pursuit 
to  which  he  had  been  reared,  and  has  made  it  his 
life  occupation,  following  it  continuously  until 
1888,  when  he  engaged  in  the  butchering  busi- 
ness. He  was  thus  employed  for  about  a  year, 
when  he  returned  to  his  father's  farm,  which  he 
has  since  operated.  The  land  is  now  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  and  there  are  good  im- 
provements upon  the  place.  Everything  is  neat 
and  thrifty  in  appearance  and  well  indicates  the 
careful  supervision  of  Mr.  Ricketts. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1879,  our  subject  was 
married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Delia 
Forgey,  who  has  been  to  him  a  faithful  companion 


422 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  helpmeet.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  four  children,  all  daughters:  Jessie,  Mary, 
vSadie  and  Annie. 

Mr.  Rieketts  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Samuel  J.  Tilden,  and  has  since  been  an  advocate 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  its  principles,  but 
has  never  had  time  or  inclination  to  seek  public 
office.  He  holds  membership  with  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  has  led  an  honorable, 
upright  life,  worthy  the  esteem  and  confidence 
which  are  his. 


B£+^ 


flOHN  W.  GOFF,  who  devotes  his  time  and 
I  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  owning  a 
G)  farm  of  seventy -five  acres  on  section  31, 
township  12  north,  range  4  west,  Henderson 
County,  was  born  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind., 
on  the  1 8th  of  December,  1850,  and  is  of  Scotch 
lineage.  His  father,  James  R.  Goff,  was  also 
born  in  the  Hoosier  State,  and  he  too  carried  on 
farming  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  When  he  had 
arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Miss  Lu- 
anda, daughter  of  John  and  Betsy  E.  (Crouch) 
Crose,  and  to  them  were  born  eight  children, 
five  of  whom  are  yet  living:  George  A.,  a  farmer 
residing  in  Iowa;  John  W.;  Elizabeth,  deceased; 
one  who  died  in  infancy;  Andrew  F.,  who  has 
also  passed  away ;  Sarah  C. ,  wife  of  E.  P.  McNall, 
a  farmer  of  Mercer  County,  111.;  James  W.,  who 
carries  on  farming  in  Henderson  County;  and 
William  G.,  who  follows  the  same  pursuit  in  Mer- 
cer County. 

When  Mr.  Goff  of  this  sketch  was  only  two 
years  old,  his  parents  came  to  Henderson  County, 
111.  He  was  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  fron- 
tier life,  for  the  country  was  then  but  slightly  im- 
proved. He  acquired  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  and  remained  upon  the  home  farm 
until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  giving  his  father 
the  benefit  of  his  services.  He  then  left  the  par- 
ental roof,  and  began  farming  for  himself  on 
rented  land,  for  he  had  no  capital  with  which  to 
purchase  property.  The  following  year  he  worked 
by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  and  in   1877  again 


rented  land.  In  this  way  he  carried  on  farming 
until  1880,  when  he  once  more  began  working  by 
the  month.  He  saved  his  money,  and  when  he 
had  acquired  a  sufficient  sum  he  purchased,  in  the 
spring  of  1882,  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  re- 
sides, comprising  seventy-five  acres.  The  entire 
amount  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation, and  the  well-tilled  fields  are  thus  made  to 
yield  to  him  a  good  income. 

Asa  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  Goff  chose  Miss  Nancy  E.  Forgey,  daughter 
of  Amos  and  Elizabeth  (Launin)  Forgey.  Their 
marriage  was  celebrated  on  the  20th  of  January, 
1876,  and  has  been  blessed  with  a  family  of  five 
children:  Annie  M.,  wife  of  James  M.  Smith,  a 
farmer  of  Henderson  County;  William  W.,  at 
home;  two  who  died  in  infancy;  and  John  F. , 
who  is  still  with  his  parents.  The  Goff  household 
is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  the  members  of 
the  family  rank  high  in  the  social  circles  in  which 
they  move. 

Socially,  Mr.  Goff  is  a  member  of  Oquawka 
Camp  No.  1037,  M.  W.  A.  He  has  served  as 
School  Director,  and  on  the  jury,  but  the  greater 
part  of  his  time  and  attention  has  been  devoted  to 
private  interests.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  Horace  Greeley,  but  has  since  supported 
the  Republican  party,  and  is  a  stanch  adherent  of 
its  principles.  The  greater  part  of  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  Henderson  County,  and  here  he  is 
both  widely  and  favorably  known. 

@_  ,    c=i-r ,  J,  >!=■  .p.       .        s 

g=  S=M<  T   >[=■    Sl  a 

SREENUP  STILLWELL,  who  now  carries  on 
farming  on  section  4,  Rozetta  Township, 
Henderson  Count}-,  is  a  native  of  the  Hoosier 
State,  having  been  born  in  Clarke  County,  on  the 
29th  of  October,  18 17.  He  is  the  only  child  of 
Isaiah  and  Nancy  (Huckleberry)  Stillwell.  His 
father  died  when  he  was  an  infant,  and  he  was 
reared  by  his  mother's  people.  In  his  youth  he 
received  no  special  advantages.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and  has 
since  been  dependent  on  his  own  resources,  so 
that  whatever  success  he  has  achieved  is  due  en- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


423 


tirely  to  his  own  efforts.  He  began  as  a  cabinet- 
maker, working  at  that  trade  for  two  years.  He 
then  followed  the  river  for  about  two  years,  serv- 
ing as  pilot  on  the  United  States  mail  line  be- 
tween Louisville  and  Cincinnati. 

At  length  Mr.  Stillwell  determined  to  seek  a 
home  in  Illinois,  and  in  1840  came  to  Henderson 
County,  which  was  just  being  opened  up  to  civil- 
ization. He  is  therefore  numbered  among  its  pio- 
neer settlers,  and  may  also  be  classed  among  its 
founders,  for  in  the  fifty-four  years  which  have 
passed  since  his  arrival  he  has  ever  borne  his  part 
in  its  upbuilding  and  development.  He  began 
work  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  has  fol- 
lowed more  or  less  ever  since  that  time.  In  1846, 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  4, 
Rozetta  Township,  and  is  now  making  his  home 
upon  that  farm. 

Mr.  Stillwell  has  been  twice  married.  In  1835, 
he  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Margaret 
Metheny,  and  to  them  was  born  a  daughter, 
Susan.  For  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Stillwell  chose 
Mrs.  Pereann  Morris,  and  their  union  was  cele- 
brated January  24,  1847.  The  lady  is  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Joanna  Adams.  The  father  was 
a  native  of  Wales,  born  in  1812.  When  young, 
he  came  to  America,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  a 
sailing-vessel,  and  located  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  lived  for  several  years.  He  later  removed  to 
Ohio,  and  afterward  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Henderson  County  in  1840.  Purchasing  a  farm 
in  Rozetta  Township,  he  there  made  his  home  un- 
til 1875,  when  he  removed  to  Kansas,  where  his 
death  occurred  in  his  ninety-third  year.  He  fol- 
lowed farming  throughout  his  entire  life,  was  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  in  political 
belief  was  a  Democrat.  His  wife  passed  away  in 
1877,  in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of  her  age. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stillwell  have  been  born 
nine  children:  Alonzo,  who  died  in  infancy;  Ger- 
trude, wife  of  Harry  Van  Winkle;  Clara  J.,  wife 
of  J.  B.  Reynolds;  Greenup  O. :  Nathaniel,  who  died 
in  infancy;  Luna  F.,  who  died  in  1893;  MelvinT. ; 
William  H.  H. ;  and  Helen,  who  completes  the  fam- 
ily. The  parents  and  their  children  are  widely  and 
favorably  known  in  this  locality  and  occupy  an 
enviable  position  in  social  circles.     Mr.   Stillwell 


cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  William  Henry 
Harrison,  but  since  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  has  been  one  of  its  stanch  support- 
ers. He  holds  membership  with  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  has  lived  an  honorable,  upright  life, 
that  has  not  only  gained  him  many  friends,  but 
has  won  him  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  business  or  social  relations  have  brought 
him  in  contact. 


(JOHN  WALTERS,  who  owns  and  operates  a 
I  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  on 
(2/  section  12,  township  12  north,  range  4  west, 
is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens  Britain  has  fur- 
nished to  Henderson  County.  He  was  born  in 
Lauitian  Parish,  Monmouthshire,  on  the  12th  of 
February,  1820,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth (Baldwin)  Walters.  Of  their  family  of  sev- 
en children,  he  is  the  eldest,  and  was  followed 
by  Thomas  and  Amelia,  who  are  now  deceased; 
Charlotta;  Elizabeth,  deceased;  and  Mary, widow 
of  Alex  Christie. 

John  Walters  was  reared  by  his  grandfather, 
with  whom  he  remained  until  sixteen  years  of 
age,  during  which  time  he  attended  the  common 
schools.  When  he  had  attained  that  age  he 
started  out  in  life  for  himself,  working  as  a  farm 
hand,  and  has  since  been  dependent  on  his  own 
resources,  so  that  the  success  which  he  has 
achieved  in  life  is  the  just  reward  of  his  own  la- 
bors. During  his  entire  residence  in  England 
he  worked  for  wages.  Believing  that  he  could 
better  his  financial  condition  by  emigrating  to 
America,  he  made  arrangements  to  cross  the  At- 
lantic. On  the  4th  of  May,  1852,  he  boarded  a 
sailing-vessel  at  Liverpool,  England,  and  after 
forty-three  days  spent  upon  the  briny  deep  landed 
in  New  York  on  the  20th  of  June.  Coming  at 
once  to  the  West,  he  took  up  his  residence  in 
Henderson  Count)-,  locating  in  Oquawka. 

Mr.  Walters  was  married  ere  leaving  his  native 
land,  having  in  1851  wedded  Miss  Frances  Ed- 
wards. On  the  13th  of  May,  1858,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Olive  Jenkinsou,  and  by 


424 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


their  union  were  born  eight  children,  five  sons 
and  three  daughters:  Thomas;  Frances,  wife  of 
L.  Lauver;  Wesley;  George;  William;  Nettie, 
wife  of  S.  Simons;  Joseph,  deceased;  and  Amanda, 
wife  of  W.  Brock. 

Mr.  Walters  made  his  first  purchase  of  land  in 
Henderson  County  in  1853,  becoming  owner  of  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he 
operated  for  a  year  and  then  sold.  In  1855,  he 
bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  com- 
prising one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  but  its 
boundaries  he  has  since  extended,  until  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  rich  land  now  pay  tribute 
to  his  care  and  cultivation.  It  is  a  well-improved 
place,  supplied  with  all  the  accessories  and  con- 
veniences of  a  model  farm,  and  the  buildings 
thereon  stand  as  monuments  to  the  enterprise  and 
progressive  spirit  of  the  owner.  Mr.  Walters  is 
independent  in  politics,  preferring  to  support  the 
men  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  the  office, 
regardless  of  party  affiliations.  He  has  served  as 
School  Director,  and  the  cause  of  education  finds 
in  him  a  warm  friend.  For  thirty-five  years  he 
has  been  a  faithful  and  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  during  nearly 
all  this  period  he  has  held  some  church  office. 
He  is  a  charitable  and  benevolent  man,  whose 
many  excellencies  of  character  have  won  him 
high  esteem,  and  his  example  is  well  worthy  of 
emulation. 

is        __-= gg  <.,  J,  ,>  p1  «,  » 


(JOSEPH  HURKA  is  a  well-known  farmer  of 
I  Henderson  County,  residing  on  section  24, 
G)  township  1 1  north,  range  5  west.  Here  he 
has  lived  since  1866,  and  his  farm  of  ninety-one 
acres  is  now  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  well  improved  with  all  modern  accessories 
and  conveniences.  He  is  a  native  of  Schwehau, 
Bohemia,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  1st  of 
April,  1836.  His  father,  Ignatz  Hurka,  was  born 
in  the  same  locality,  and  was  a  weaver  by  occu- 
pation. His  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  Loyda.  In  the  family  were  seven  children, 
five  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Joseph,  whose  name 


heads  this  record;  Annie,  at  home;  Jacob,  who  is 
living  in  St.  Genevieve,  Mo.;  Ignatz,  still  living 
in  Schwehan;  and  Maggie,  wife  of  Franz  Byer, 
of  Vienna,  Austria. 

In  the  common  schools  of  his  native  laud  our 
subject  acquired  his  education,  and  there  re- 
mained until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when,  in  1852, 
he  sailed  for  America.  The  voyage  consumed 
seven  weeks,  but  at  length  he  landed  in  New  Or- 
leans, and  made  his  way  up  the  Mississippi  River 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  remained  for  two  years, 
learning  his  trade  of  cigar-making.  In  1854  he 
came  to  Oquawka,  where  he  followed  that  business 
for  a  period  of  seven  years,  and  then  entered  the 
Union  army. 

Opposed  to  slavery  and  to  secession,  Mr.  Hurka 
responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlist- 
ing in  October,  1861,  as  a  musician  of  the  Tenth 
Illinois  Infantry;  but  when  regimental  bands  were 
dispensed  with,  he  was  mustered  out,  on  the  1st 
of  January,  1862.  He  then  returned  to  his  home 
in  Oquawka,  where  he  remained  for  about  a  year, 
and  in  1863  went  to  Muscatine,  Iowa,  where  he 
spent  two  years,  working  at  his  trade.  In  1865 
he  became  a  resident  of  Burlington,  where  he 
again  engaged  in  cigar-making  until  1866,  when, 
his  health  preventing  him  from  working  longer 
at  his  trade,  he  returned  to  Henderson  County. 
Here  he  purchased  a  farm  of  thirty  acres,  and  has 
since  made  his  home  thereon,  but  its  boundaries 
he  has  since  extended  until  ninety-one  acres  of 
land  now  pay  tribute  to  his  care  and  cultivation. 

On  the  21st  of  November,  i860,  Mr.  Hurka 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Gertrude  Kessel,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  Kessel,  of  Burlington,  Iowa. 
She  died  December  13,  1886.  By  that  union  were 
born  four  sons  and  five  daughters,  and  eight  of 
the  number  are  now  living:  Josephine,  wife  of  A. 
Boden,  a  farmer  of  Oquawka;  Annie,  at  home; 
Carrie,  wife  of  Henry  Johnson,  an  agriculturist 
of  Oquawka;  Lottie,  wife  of  Charles  Knox,  who 
carries  on  farming  in  Rozetta,  111.;  John,  of 
Oquawka;  and  William  A.,  Robert  and  Luzetta 
B. ,  at  home.  Joseph,  the  third  child,  is  deceased. 
By  his  first  Presidential  vote,  Mr.  Hurka  sup- 
ported Abraham  Lincoln,  and  has  since  been  a 
warm  advocate  of  the   Republican  party  and  its 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


425 


principles,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  politi- 
cal preferment  for  himself.  He  is  a  member  of 
Ellsworth  Post  No.  172,  G.  A.  R.,  and  has  filled 
a  number  of  its  offices.  He  is  now  successfully 
engaged  in  farming,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  and  enterprising  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. He  need  never  have  occasion  to  regret 
that  he  left  his  native  land  for  America,  for  here 
he  has  met  with  prosperity,  and  has  gained  a 
pleasant  home  and  many  friends. 

(lOHN  THOMAS  GARRETT,  who  since  1885 
I  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm  of  one  hun- 
(2/  dred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  25,  Raritan 
Township,  Henderson  County,  has  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  in  this  section  of  the  State. 
He  was  born  in  Schuyler  County,  111.,  September 
20,  1843,  and  is  one  often  children  whose  parents 
were  Coleman  and  Mildred  (Willis)  Garrett.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  of  Irish 
descent.  On  leaving  the  Old  Dominion,  he  re- 
moved to  Kentucky,  settling  near  Elizabethtown, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  1837.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Schuyler 
County,  near  Augusta.  There  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which  was  largely 
covered  with  timber,  and  after  erecting  a  log  cabin 
began  to  clear  and  improve  his  farm,  on  which  he 
made  his  home  until  1848.  In  that  year  he  came 
to  Henderson  County,  and  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  wild  prairie  land  on  section  36,  Walnut  Grove 
Township.  To  this  he  added  from  time  to  time 
until  he  had  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  con- 
stituting one  of  the  best  farms  of  the  community. 
In  connection  with  its  cultivation,  he  was  also 
extensively  engaged  in  horse-raising.  He  pos- 
sessed good  business  ability,  and  the  success 
which  crowned  his  undertakings  made  him  a  well- 
to-do  farmer.  He  held  membership  with  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  died  July  6,  1878.  His 
wife,  who  survived  him  several  years,  passed 
away  November  22,  1888. 

In  the  Garrett  family  were  the  following  chil- 
dren: James,  a  farmer  of  Nebraska;  Elijah,  who 


died  in  18S7;  Harvey,  a  fanner  and  stock-raiser 
of  Walnut  Grove  Township,  Henderson  County; 
Isaac  and  William,  who  carry  on  agricultural 
pursuits  in  Mahaska  County,  Iowa;  Other  S.,  a 
farmer  of  Henderson  County;  Susan,  wife  of  John 
F.  Pendarvis,  of  Nebraska;  Amanda,  wife  of 
George  Gilmore,  who  is  living  near  Biggsville, 
111.;  and  Man-  E.,  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  J.  T.  Gar- 
rett we  present  to  our  readers  the  life  record  of 
one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Hen- 
derson County,  for  here  he  has  made  his  home 
since  the  age  of  ten  years.  During  his  boyhood 
he  had  to  walk  four  miles  to  a  log  schoolhouse, 
and  the  school  was  conducted  on  the  subscription 
plan.  He  was  still  at  home  at  the  breaking  out 
of  the  late  war,  but  in  July,  1862,  he  responded  to 
the  President's  call  for  volunteers,  and  became  a 
member  of  Company  B,  Ninety-first  Illinois  In- 
fantry. After  being  mustered  in  at  Camp  Butler, 
he  was  sent  to  the  front,  and  at  the  battle  of  Ba- 
con Creek,  Ky.,  was  taken  prisoner  with  all  his 
regiment,  which  was  engaged  in  guarding  rail- 
roads. The  following  day,  however,  he  was  pa- 
roled and  returned  to  St.  Louis,  where  after  six 
months  he  was  exchanged.  He  then  went  with  his 
regiment  down  the  Mississippi  River,  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Red  River,  for  two  weeks  was  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  then  went  to  New  Orleans, 
where  he  did  guard  duty  for  three  months.  Cross- 
ing the  Gulf,  he  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Brazos 
Island,  Tex.,  after  which  he  marched  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Rio  Grande,  and  thence  to  Brownsville, 
Tex. ,  where  his  regiment  built  forts  and  did  guard 
duty  for  several  months.  Subsequently,  Mr.  Gar- 
rett took  part  in  the  battles  of  Mobile  and  Ft. 
Blakely,  and  was  at  the  former  place  when  the 
war  closed.  He  was  wounded  at  the  siege  of 
Mobile  by  a  shell  that  burst  over  his  head.  In 
Springfield,  111.,  he  received  his  final  discharge, 
Juh-  12,  1865,  <and  at  once  returned  home. 

For  two  years,  Mr.  Garrett  engaged  in  operat- 
ing rented  land,  and  then  purchased  a  tract  of 
eighty  acres  in  Walnut  Grove  Township.  He  was 
married  October  11,  1867,  to  Miss  Emma  Thomp- 
son, and  their  home  was  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren, but  one  died  in  infancy.      Mazieand  Nellie, 


426 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


however,  are  still  with  their  parents.  The  family 
lived  in  Walnut  Grove  Township  until  1885,  when 
they  came  to  Raritan  Township,  where  they  have 
a  very  pleasant  home,  which  is  the  abode  of  hos- 
pitality and  good  cheer.  Mr.  Garrett  now  owns 
two  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres  of  rich  and 
valuable  land,  and  is  successfully  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising.  In  politics,  he  is 
a  stalwart  Republican,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  A  faithful  and 
loyal  citizen,  he  discharges  all  duties,  whether 
public  or  private,  with  the  same  fidelity  which  he 
manifested  while  following  the  Old  Flag,  which 
now  floats  so  triumphantly  over  the  united  nation. 


HARRY  F.  MCALLISTER,  of  Oquawka,  has 
for  many  years  been  prominently  connected 
with  business  and  official  interests  in  Hen- 
derson County,  and  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
in  this  locality.  He  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
County,  Pa.,  April  27,  1840,  and  is  of  Scotch 
descent.  The  family  was  probably  founded  in 
America  at  a  very  early  day  in  the  history  of  this 
country.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Archi- 
bald McAllister,  who  was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  lived  for  many  years  near 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  the  father,  James  McAl- 
lister, was  born  in  the  Keystone  State.  Having 
attained  to  mature  years,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Christina  Baker,  who  was  also 
born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  seven  children,  five  sons  and 
two  daughters,  as  follows:  Mary,  now  deceased; 
Robert,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  general  agent  of  the 
American  Refrigerator  Car  Line;  William  A.,  a 
grain  merchant  of  Reinbeck,  Iowa;  Harry  F., 
whose  name  heads  this  record;  two  sons  who  bore 
the  name  of  John,  and  died  in  infancy;  and  Nancy 
J . ,  who  died  in  infancy.  The  father  was  for  some 
years  prothonotary  of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa., 
and  died  when  our  subject  was  quite  young. 

Harry  Foster  McAllister  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Greensburg  and  New  Alexan- 
dria, Pa.,  and  upon  his  father's  death  was  thrown 


on  his  own  resources,  so  that  whatever  success  he 
has  achieved  in  life  is  due  to  his  own  efforts.  In 
1854,  when  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  left  the  Key- 
stone State  and  became  a  resident  of  Rock  Island 
County,  111.  He  began  to  provide  for  his  own 
maintenance  by  clerking  in  a  dry-goods  store  in 
Rock  Island,  where  he  was  employed  for  about 
three  years.  He  then  entered  the  Circuit  Clerk's 
office  in  that  city,  and  learned  the  business  of 
making  abstracts  and  titles,  after  which  he  went 
to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
abstract  business.  He  was  also  employed  in  a 
similar  way  in  Waukesha  County,  and  in  Mc- 
Henry  County,  111,.,  remaining  in  the  three  places 
for  a  period  of  three  years.  In  1859,  he  took  up 
his  residence  in  Geneseo,  Henry  County,  111., 
where  for  two  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  dry- 
goods  business. 

The  year  1861  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Allister in  Oquawka,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  In  that  year  he  was  given  a  clerical 
position  in  the  Circuit  Clerk's  office,  with  which 
he  has  been  connected  continuously  since.  He 
served  as  chief  deputy  from  1861  until  1868,  and 
in  the  latter  year  was  elected  Circuit  Clerk.  The 
term  of  office  is  four  years,  and  he  was  re-elected 
in  1872,  1876,  1880,  1884,  1888  and  1892.  He  is 
therefore  filling  the  office  at  this  writing,  and  has 
served  as  the  superior  officer  for  about  twenty-six 
years,  while  for  seven  years  he  served  as  deputy. 
No  higher  testimonial  of  efficiency  could  be  given 
than  the  fact  that  he  has  so  long  held  the  office, 
for  his  continuous  service  could  only  be  secured 
through  merit,  ability  and  fidelity  to  duty. 

On  the  30th  of  August,  1866,  Mr.  McAllister 
married  Miss  Esther  Root,  a  daughter  of  Chris- 
tian and  Sarah  (Nye)  Root,  of  Williamsville, 
N.  Y.  Mr.  McAllister  is  a  warm  advocate  of 
Republican  principles,  and  does  all  in  his  power 
for  the  advancement  of  the  party .  He  has  served 
as  Master  in  Chancery  and  Notary  Public,  hold- 
ing the  latter  office  since  1867,  when  he  was 
commissioned  by  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  then  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State.  He  has  also  been  Township 
Treasurer  of  Oquawka  for  several  years,  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Yillage  Board  of  Trustees. 
He  has  served   as   a   member  of    the  State  Re- 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


>*'.^» 


Joseph   Dixon 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


429 


publican  Central  Committee  for  ten  years.  His 
wife,  a  most  estimable  lady,  holds  membership 
with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Oquawka  Lodge  No.  123,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
He  is  also  President  of  the  Monmouth  Miltona 
Club,  a  fishing  and  boating  club  of  Lake  Miltona, 
Minn.,  at  which  place  he  and  his  family  spend  a 
part  of  each  summer. 


e-^HM 


(JOSEPH  DIXSON,  deceased,  was  for  many 
I  years  a  prominent  and  enterprising  citizen  of 
Q)  Henderson  County.  He  was  born  in  Greene 
County,  Ind.,  on  the  5th  of  August,  1841,  and 
was  a  son  of  Stephen  and  Joan  (Lewis)  Dixsou. 
The  parents  were  both  natives  of  Tennessee,  and 
in  1849  they  removed  with  their  family  from  In- 
diana to  Henderson  County,  111.  Joseph  was  at 
that  time  eight  years  of  age.  His  educational  privi- 
leges were  limited  to  those  afforded  by  the  common 
schools,  but  he  always  made  the  most  of  his  op- 
portunities through  life. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1869,  Mr.  Dixsou  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Dean,  daughter  of 
Michael  and  Susan  (Cummings)  Dean,  the 
former  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  the  latter  of 
Scotland.  During  her  girlhood  the  mother  came 
from  her  native  land  to  America  with  her  parents, 
in  1829,  and  located  in  Maine,  but  after  a  few 
years  became  a  resident  of  Warren  County,  111. 
On  the  10th  of  March,  1842,  in  Fulton  County, 
111.,  she  became  the  wife  of  Michael  Dean.  Eleven 
children  were  born  of  their  union,  eight  of  whom 
are  yet  living,  as  follows:  Susan,  wife  of  W.  T. 
Boyd,  of  Roseville,  111. ;  Mary,  wife  of  our  subject; 
Melissa,  wife  of  J.  C.  Perry,  who  is  now  living  in 
Hamilton  County,  Neb.;  Charles  E. ,  who  follows 
farming  in  McDonough  County,  111.;  Cora,  wife 
of  Elijah  Lemmon,  who  is  living  near  Good  Hope, 
111. ;  William,  a  resident  farmer  of  Seward  County, 
Neb.;  Bessie,  wife  of  Earl  Byers,  who  is  living 
near  Good  Hope;  and  Clara,  wifeof  Lambert  Rati- 
can,  a  resident  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 


Mr.  Dixson  had  few  advantages  in  his  youth, 
but  always  made  the  most  of  his  opportunities  and 
privileges,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  best 
financiers  of  the  county.  At  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage he  owned  four  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
acres  of  land,  but  by  his  industry  and  well-directed 
efforts  he  added  to  this  until  at  one  time  he  had 
thirteen  hundred  acres.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
he  owned  seven  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  fine 
farming  land,  besides  considerable  valuable  prop- 
erty in  Stronghurst.  He  was  the  honored  founder 
of  Stronghurst,  and  with  the  best  interest  of  that 
place  was  ever  prominently  identified,  doing  all 
in  his  power  to  aid  in  its  upbuilding  and  advance- 
ment. Mr.  Dixson  was  local  agent  for  the  sale 
of  the  Town  Lot  Company,  of  Stronghurst.  He 
put  in  eighty  acres  of  land  in  the  business,  while 
the  company  put  in  one  hundred  acres.  He  was 
the  leader  of  all  the  enterprises  of  the  place. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dix- 
son: Willis  E.,  who  was  born  January  31,  1871, 
but  is  now  deceased;  Cora,  born  February  17, 
1S73;  Lula,  born  July  5,  1875;  George,  born  June 
7,  1880;  Delbert,  born  December  1 1,  1882;  Joseph, 
born  January  29,  1885;  and  Laverna,  born  June 
19,  1890. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Dixson  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat, but  never  sought  or  desired  the  honors  or 
emoluments  of  public  office.  All  who  knew  him 
respected  him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  strict  in- 
tegrity, and  his  friends  were  man}-  throughout  the 
community.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1893,  he  was 
run  over  at  the  crossing  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad. 
He  lived  only  sixteen  hours,  and  after  the  acci- 
dent was  unable  to  speak  to  his  family.  Death 
brought  him  release  from  his  sufferings,  but  sor- 
row came  to  the  entire  community,  for  he  was  a 
valued  citizen,  a  kind  and  faithful  friend  and 
neighbor,  and  a  loving  and  tender  husband  and 
father.  Mrs.  Dixson  and  her  children  still  reside 
in  Stronghurst.  He  left  them  an  estate  valued  at 
$50,000,  including  the  farm  property  before  men- 
tioned, most  of  the  vacant  lots  in  Stronghurst,  and 
two  business  houses  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Dixson 
is  a  most  estimable  lady,  and  like  her  husband 
shares  in  the  high  regard  of  all  who  know  her. 


430 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


<7"HOMAS  COKE  SHARP  was  born  Septem- 
( C  ber  25,  1818,  at  Mt.  Holly,  N.  J.,  and  died 
VS)  at  his  home  in  Carthage,  Monday,  April  9, 
1 S94.  Services  were  conducted  at  the  family  resi- 
dence, Wednesday  afternoon,  by  Rev.  Barton,  as- 
sisted by  Rev.  Wirick.  The  Methodist  choir 
rendered  some  sweet  and  appropriate  music;  the 
floral  offerings  were  profuse  and  beautiful.  Rev. 
Barton  preached  an  excellent  discourse,  taking 
for  his  text  the  first  verse  of  the  fifth  chapter  of 
Second  Corinthians,  and  then  the  procession 
moved  slowly  to  Moss  Ridge  Cemetery,  and  all 
that  was  mortal  of  Judge  Sharp  was  laid  away  in 
its  narrow  and  windowless  home.  Deceased  was 
the  son  of  Rev.  Solomon  Sharp,  a  pioneer  Meth- 
odist minister  of  the  Philadelphia  Conference,  his 
mother  being  a  member  of  the  Budd  family  of 
Pemberton,  N.  J.  He  became  an  orphan  at  an 
early  age,  and  had  to  struggle  with  the  battles  of 
life  alone.  In  1835  he  entered  Dickinson  Col- 
lege at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  and  took  the  scientific  course. 
In  1837  he  entered  the  law  school  in  Carlisle,  and 
in  1840  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  During  the 
course  of  his  legal  studies  he  taught  the  male 
High  School  in  Carlisle,  and  for  six  months  was 
a  tutor  of  mathematics  in  the  college.  As  soon 
as  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he  started  West  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  the  then  new  country  of  Illi- 
nois. On  August  11,  1840,  he  landed  at  Quincy, 
111. ,  and  determined  to  locate  there.  He  at  once 
opened  an  office  and  began  the  practice  of  his 
chosen  profession,  but  for  some  reason  he  only 
remained  there  about  two  months,  and  on  Sep- 
tember 24,  1840,  removed  to  Warsaw,  where  he 
opened  a  law  office  and  began  real  active  life. 
Even  at  that  early  period  of  life  he  was  affected 
with  a  dullness  of  hearing  that  greatly  interfered 
with  his  legal  duties,  and  largely  on  account 
thereof  he  changed  his  business  the  first  year,  and 
on  November  6,  1840,  when  only  twenty -two 
years  of  age,  he  bought  and  began  to  publish  in 
Warsaw  The  Western  World,  and  from  the  be- 
ginning achieved  great  success.  In  1841  he 
changed  the  name  of  his  paper  to  the  Warsaw 
Signal,  and  published  it  until  1842,  when  he  sold 
it,  and  for  a  year  or  two  tried  farming.  In  1844 
he  again  purchased  the  Signal,  and  for  several 


years  republished  it.  Those  were  stormy  Mor- 
mon times,  and  the  Signal  became  the  most  noted 
paper  in  the  West,  its  editorials  on  the  Mormon 
question  being  extensively  copied  all  over  the 
country.  After  the  Mormon  troubles  were  settled, 
in  1846,  he  again  sold  the  Signal,  and  for  a  year 
or  two  was  out  of  business.  In  1847  he  was 
elected  as  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, and  assisted  in  drafting  the  Constitution 
of  1848.  In  1851  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  Warsaw,  then  quite  an  important  office, 
and  returned  to  office  work.  In  1853  he  was 
elected  the  first  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Warsaw,  and 
held  this  office  for  three  successive  terms.  In 
1854  he  again  embarked  in  what  seemed  to  be 
his  favorite  calling,  journalism,  purchased  the 
Warsaw  Express,  which  was  neutral  in  politics, 
and  began  its  publication.  At  that  time  railroads 
were  being  warmly  discussed,  and  the  Express 
strongly  advocated  their  construction.  In  1856, 
having  sold  the  Express,  he  was  nominated  for 
Congress  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  although 
the  district  was  largely  Democratic,  he  made  a 
canvass  of  the  entire  district,  and  a  very  credit- 
able race. 

In  1864  the  Union  League  of  Hancock  County 
desired  a  new  paper,  and  it  invited  him  to  take 
charge  of  it.  In  response  to  this  request  he  started 
in  Warsaw  the  Warsaw  New  Era,  which  he 
conducted  very  successfully  for  over  a  year,  when 
it  was  thought  best  to  remove  the  paper  to  Carth- 
age, which  was  done,  and  it  was  taken  charge  of 
by  F.  E.  Fowler,  June  29,  1865,  and  named  the 
Carthage  Gazette.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  was 
elected  County  Judge  of  Hancock  County  on  the 
Republican  ticket,  and  the  same  fall  removed 
with  his  family  to  Carthage,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office 
as  Judge,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  the  late 
Henry  W.  Draper,  and  again  went  into  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  he  and  Mr.  Draper  remaining  to- 
gether three  years.  In  December,  1869,  he  again 
took  charge  of  the  Gazette,  and,  finding  editorial 
work  congenial  to  his  nature,  he  kept  it,  and  gave 
it  his  personal  attention  for  many  years,  making 
it  one  of  the  very  best  and  ablest  Republican  pa- 
pers in  the  State  of  Illinois.     About  theyear  1878, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


43i 


he  formed  a  partnership  with  O.  F.  and  M.  P. 
Berry,  for  the  practice  of  law,  and  remained  the 
head  of  this  firm  until  the  date  of  his  death.  Oc- 
tober 20,  1890,  he  had  a  paralytic  stroke,  which 
substantially  rendered  him  unable  to  do  any  work, 
but  left  his  mind  clear  and  his  general  health 
good.  Since  that  time  the  Gazette  has  been  under 
the  control  and  management  of  his  son,  W.  O. 
Sharp.  After  his  affliction,  deceased  was  not 
able  to  walk,  but  was  conveyed  from  place  to 
place  in  an  invalid's  chair  on  wheels;  but  he  did 
not  lose  any  of  his  interest  in  the  events  of  the 
day,  nor  in  the  companionship  of  his  friends,  and 
seemed  to  enjoy  life  reasonably  well,  under  the 
faithful  and  loving  care  of  his  devoted  wife, 
adopted  daughter,  and  other  relatives  and  friends. 
A  few  days  ago  he  received  two  other  slight  para- 
lytic strokes,  under  which  he  gradually  sank  into 
the  sleep  of  death,  peacefully  and  quietly  passing 
through  the  valley  and  over  the  Jordan  to  the 
"other  side,  "  and  the  news  went  forth  that  Thomas 
C.  Sharp  was  dead,  bringing  tears  to  many  an  eye 
and  sorrow  to  many  a  heart. 

In  September,  1842,  deceased  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Mrs.  Hannah  G.  Wilcox,  widow  of 
John  R.  Wilcox,  who  was  one  of  the  original 
proprietors  of  Warsaw.  As  the  fruit  of  this  mar- 
riage five  children  were  born,  three  of  whom  are 
still  living:  W.  O.  Sharp,  now  editor  of  the  Ga- 
zette; Guilford  Sharp,  who  now  resides  in  Ne- 
braska; and  Mrs.  Kate  Bennett,  whose  home  is  in 
Nebraska.  Mrs.  Sharp  was  a  very  excellent 
woman,  and  was  highly  respected  by  all  who 
knew  her.  She  lived  with  deceased  in  Carthage 
until  the  time  of  her  death,  which  occurred  Oc- 
tober 3,  1879. 

On  November  24,  1881,  deceased  was  married 
to  Mrs.  Anna  E.  Hewitt,  in  Hannibal,  Mo.,  at 
the  residence  of  her  son,  S.  E.  Worrell.  Mrs. 
Sharp  survives  her  husband,  and  has  during  all 
these  years  of  his  affliction  been  to  him  a  devoted, 
faithful  and  constant  companion,  scattering  rays 
of  sunshine  and  gladness  into  each  of  his  dark 
hours,  and  surrounding  his  daily  life  with  the 
sweet  influences  of  love,  and  kind  and  sympathetic 
words.  A  few  years  ago,  Judge  and  Mrs.  Sharp 
took  to  raise  a  little  girl,  now  known  as  Ella  Sharp, 


who  has  proven  to  be  a  great  blessing  to  them, 
and  who  was  dearly  beloved  by  deceased.  She, 
too,  did  much  to  lighten  the  burdens  of  his 
afflictions,  and  had  for  him  always  a  smile  and 
gracious  word.  Will  O.  Sharp,  the  only  child  of 
deceased  residing  in  Carthage,  has  been  the  duti- 
ful companion  of  his  father  in  his  afflictions,  and 
could  very  often  be  seen  wheeling  him  in  his  com- 
fortable chair  over  the  city,  and  stopping  to  greet 
almost  every  one  they  met.  He  loved  to  meet 
and  greet  his  old  neighbors,  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances, and  ever3'body  loved  Judge  Sharp.  The 
last  four  years  of  his  life  he  was  fortunately  sur- 
rounded, and  everything  was  done  that  could  be 
done  to  make  his  life  pleasant  and  cheerful.  His 
hours  were  filled  with  frequent  visits  of  sympathiz- 
ing friends,  with  loving  words,  and  many  deeds  of 
kindness  from  those  who  loved  him  most,  all  of 
which  he  highly  appreciated,  and  of  which  he 
often  spoke,  while  tears  of  gratitude  coursed  their 
way  down  the  cheeks  of  this  grand  old  man. 
Judge  Sharp  grew  old  in  years;  time  silvered  his 
locks  and  wrinkled  his  face,  and  even  paralyzed 
his  limbs,  but  in  heart  and  spirit  he  remained 
young  until  the  day  of  his  departure.  As  long  as 
he  remained  conscious  he  loved  the  company  of 
his  friends  and  took  peculiar  delight  in  the  pres- 
ence of  some  young  people  that  were  his  favorites. 
His  heart  was  always  warm,  cheerful  and  bright, 
as  if  it  were  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  spring-time 
of  life;  his  clear,  loud  and  hearty  laugh  was  heard 
even  in  his  affliction,  and  sounded  as  sweet  and 
joyful  as  the  song  of  the  birds  at  early  dawn. 
Even  when  old  age  had  dimmed  the  lustre  of  his 
bright  mind,  when  the  zenith  of  his  capacity  had 
been  reached  and  passed,  and  he  began  to  descend 
the  other  side  of  the  hill,  he  still  retained  the 
same  sweetness  of  disposition,  the  same  serenity 
of  soul,  the  same  sweet  smile  on  his  face,  the  same 
kind  words  on  his  lips,  that  characterized  his  earlv 
life.      He  grew  old  beautifully. 

Judge  Sharp  was  a  resident  of  Hancock  Coun- 
ty for  more  than  half  a  century — more  than 
sixty  years.  When  he  first  saw  it,  and  as  a  young 
man  cast  his  lot  here,  it  was  not  what  it  is  to- 
day. There  were  many  acres  of  raw  prairie,  many 
forests  of  heavy  timber,  very  few  towns,  no  rail- 


432 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


roads  and  no  telegraphs,  but,  having  cast  his  lot 
in  a  new  country,  he  at  once  entered  upon  an  ac- 
tive life,  doing  all  in  his  power,  both  by  precept 
and  example,  to  develop  it;  not  only  in  material 
things,  but  in  all  those  things  which  tend  to  make 
a  country  prosperous  and  happy.  With  his  pow- 
erful pen  he  vigorously  fought  wrong  and  injus- 
tice, and  warred  against  vice  in  all  its  forms.  The 
influence  of  his  life,  of  his  every  editorial,  from 
his  first  in  the  Warsaw  Signal  to  his  last  in  the 
Carthage  Gazette,  was  pure  and  clean.  He  was 
always  on  the  right  side  of  every  moral  question, 
and  no  one,  either  for  love  or  money,  could  per- 
suade him  to  publish  what  he  did  not  believe  to 
be  true.  The  influence  of  such  a  life,  beaming 
down  through  all  these  years,  cannot  be  expressed 
in  words.      It  cannot  die. 

"  Were  a  star  quenched  on  high. 

For  ages  would  its  light. 
Still  traveling  downward  from  on  high, 

Shine  on  our  mortal  sight; 
So  when  a  good  man  dies, 

For  years,  beyond  our  ken, 
The  light  he  leaves  behind  him  lies 

Upon  the  path  of  nieu." 

Hearts,  not  books,  contain  and  preserve  the 
story  of  such  a  life;  the  record  of  a  noble  life  is 
that  life's  best  eulogy;  the  history  of  the  deeds  of 
good  men,  their  most  lasting  epitaph.  "He  has 
done  the  work  of  a  true  man;  crown  him,  honor 
him,  love  him." 

Judge  Sharp  was  a  partisan  in  the  best  sense  of 
that  term.  He  believed  in  the  principles  of  his 
partv  with  all  his  soul,  and  at  all  times  defended 
them  with  all  his  powers.  He  was  courageous 
and  firm,  yet  generous.  Every  true  man  admires 
a  partisan, — one  who  has  earnest  convictions  and 
the  courage  to  proclaim  them;  one  who  defends 
his  principles  with  honesty  and  enthusiasm;  such 
a  man  is  a  useful  citizen,  no  matter  to  what  party 
he  belongs.  Such  a  man  was  Thomas  C.  Sharp. 
As  a  lawyer  he  ranked  high  among  the  members 
of  the  Bar,  and  was  always  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  by  his  associates.  He  was  not  an  able 
trial  lawyer;  the  trial  of  cases,  the  wrangling  with 
witnesses,  and  contention  over  small  matters,  were 
not  congenial  to  his  nature,  but  he  delighted  in 
the  study  of  a  case,  in  its  preparation  for  trial,  in 
the  examination  of  the  rules  of  the  law  that  ap- 
plied to  it.     The  rules  of  law  and  the  principles 


of  justice  were  a  delight  to  him,  and  rendered 
him  at  all  times  a  wise  counselor  and  an  able 
judge  of  the  law.  His  well-known  honesty  and 
integrity  in  his  profession  brought  him  into  con- 
tact with  the  best  class  of  citizens  who  desired 
counsel  and  advice,  and  he  always  had  many 
clients  who  relied  implicitly  on  his  judgment  and 
trusted  their  all  to  him,  and  not  a  single  voice 
was  ever  heard  to  say  that  Thomas  C.  Sharp  ever 
betrayed  a  trust  that  was  reposed  in  him.  He 
was  by  nature  and  education  an  honest,  pure- 
minded,  upright  and  honorable  man.  He  was 
quiet  in  manner,  pure  in  character,  upright  in  all 
his  dealings  with  his  fellow-men,  kind  hearted, 
charitable,  and  a  devoted  father,  husband  and 
friend.  "His  life  was  gentle,  and  the  elements  so 
mixed  in  him,  that  nature  might  stand  up  and 
say  to  the  world,  'This  was  a  man. ' ' '  His  hand  and 
purse  were  ever  open  to  the  needy,  and  his  heart 
was  a  great  temple,  in  which  daily  thronged  myr- 
iads of  tender  thoughts  and  kindly  emotions. 
His  generosity  prevented  him  from  ever  becoming 
a  rich  man,  and  he  only  sought  to  accumulate  a 
competency,  which  he  succeeded  in  doing.  In  a 
long,  personal,  and  close  business  acquaintance 
and  relationship  with  deceased,  the  writer  can 
testify  to  his  exalted  character,  his  purity  of 
thought  and  motive,  his  sweet,  even-tempered 
disposition,  and  his  kind  and  sympathetic  nature; 
and  in  sorrowing  over  his  death  the  writer  wants 
to  add  the  deep  feeling  of  his  own  heart,  and  drop 
a  tear  of  sympathy  and  sorrow  with  those  who 
loved  him  best.  Judge  Sharp's  life  and  history 
from  boyhood  down  to  old  age  should  be  an  in- 
spiration to  every  young  man.  He  did  not  rise 
rapidly  into  an  exalted  position,  nor  jump  from 
obscurity  into  prominence.  His  rise  was  not  sud- 
den, but  slowly  and  surely  he  won  his  way  into 
public  confidence,  and  won  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion for  honesty  and  noble  manhood. 

Whether  as  a  lawyer,  journalist,  judge  or  citi- 
zen, he  kept  on  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  a  faith- 
ful, industrious,  energetic,  conscientious  worker, 
day  after  day,  week  after  week,  and  year  after 
year,  never  for  one  moment  wavering  from  the 
path  of  rectitude  and  right.  In  his  private  life, 
in  his  family  and  with  his  friends,  he  wore  always 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


433 


the  same  kindly  disposition  that  carried  with  it 
the  respect,  the  esteem,  and  love  of  all  who  knew 
him;  but  husband,  father,  grandfather,  friend  and 
citizen  has  passed  from  earth  to  the  great  beyond; 
his  face,  his  voice,  his  presence,  have  vanished 
from  earth  forever.  He  knew  several  days  be- 
fore the  end  came  that  soon  the  final  summons 
would  come  to  him  to  go,  and  he  patiently  waited 
the  hour;  he  was  not  afraid  to  die.  The  inexor- 
able message  brought  no  dismay  to  him.  He 
seemed  in  his  last  days  to  possess  that '  'peace  that 
passeth  understanding;"  he  knew  his  life's  work 
was  done;  he  was  ready  and  willing,  even  anx- 
ious, to  go  to  his  reward.  The  thought  of  leav- 
ing his  patient,  loving,  faithful  and  devoted  wife 
and  family  no  doubt  was  painful  to  him,  but  his 
unselfishness  was  even  greater  than  his  love  of 
life  or  fear  of  death.  He  wanted  to  be  a  burden 
to  no  one;  he  wanted  to  relieve  all  those  so  dear 
to  him  from  the  constant,  cheerful  and  loving 
sacrifices  they  were  making  for  him  day  by  day, 
and  on  Monday  afternoon  the  Lord  granted  his 
request  and  took  him  home,  where  now  we  hope 
and  believe  his  paralyzed  tongue  has  been  loosened 
in  order  that  he  may  sing  the  songs  of  the  re- 
deemed. "Peace  to  his  ashes,  reverence  to  his 
memory,  and  all  honor  to  his  fair  name." 

Well  may  the  citizens  of  Carthage  and  of  Han- 
cock County  mourn  the  loss  of  this  good  man; 
well  may  his  family  weep  over  the  desolation  of  a 
home  his  loving,  thoughtful  care  made  happy; 
but  for  him  we  should  not  mourn.  His  was  a 
long,  full,  well-rounded,  noble  life,  a  sweet,  peace- 
ful and  painless  ending.  Earth's  loss  is  his  gain, 
and  whatever  the  rewards  of  having  lived  a  life 
of  purity,  honesty  and  goodness  are,  they  will 
certainly  be  his.  —  M.   P.  B.,  in  Carthage  Gazette. 

S  *'   <=J^~T>"[=3    "       3 

[""RANK  McFARLAND  is  one  of  Oquawka's 

r3  native  sons.  He  was  born  on  the  9th  of 
I  October,  1861,  and  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  early  families  of  the  community.  His 
father,  John  McFarland,  was  a  native  of  Knox 
County,  Ohio.     Emigrating  to  Illinois,   he  took 


up  his  residence  in  Oquawka,  where  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  engaged  in  business  as  a  lumber 
merchant,  but  at  this  writing  is  living  retired. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ellen  King, 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  to  them  were  born  six 
children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  as  fol- 
lows: Laura,  deceased,  wife  of  T.  C.  Allen;  Don- 
zela,  who  has  also  passed  away;  Frank  of  this 
sketch;  Harvey,  a  cutter  by  trade,  living  in 
Oquawka;  Walter,  a  cutter  of  ladies'  garments, 
now  employed  in  Washington,  D.  C. ;  and  Maude, 
yet  at  home. 

Midst  play  and  work  the  boyhood  and  youth 
of  our  subject  were  passed,  unmarked  by  any 
event  of  special  importance.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  public  schools  of  Oquawka,  which 
he  attended  until  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  iss;, 
he  began  clerking  for  R.  D.  Stanley,  in  whose 
employ  he  remained  for  a  period  of  three  years. 
On  the  nth  of  October,  1893,  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  salesman  with  the  well-known  mercantile 
firm  of  McFarland  &  Allen,  and  has  since  con- 
tinued with  them.  He  has  always  lived  in 
Oquawka,  save  in  1889,  when  he  made  a  trip  to 
the  West,  and  was  employed  in  a  dry -goods  store 
for  a  time.  He  also  engaged  in  painting,  but 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  year  he  returned  to 
his  native  city. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1882,  Mr.  McFarland  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie  Cunning- 
ham, of  Oquawka,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet 
living:  Chester,  Bernice,  Harvey,  Gladys  and 
Frank.  Ida,  the  second  child,  died  in  infancy. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McFarland  have  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance in  this  community  and  have  many 
warm  friends,  who  hold  them  in  high  esteem. 

On  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  McFarland 
proudly  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen. 
James  A.  Garfield,  and  has  since  supported  the 
Republican  part},-,  for  he  is  a  warm  advocate  of  its 
principles.  He  has  served  as  Alderman  of  the 
city  for  two  years,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the 
.School  Board.  The  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity ever  find  in  him  a  friend,  ready  to  aid  in 
their  advancement  and  progress.  Mr.  McFar- 
land's  career  has  not  been  a  brilliant  one,   in  the 


434 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


sense  of  attracting  extended  public  notice,  but 
his  life  has  been  honorable  and  upright,  and  has 
gained  him  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 

g—  e'  ^[j <"?"> [S^1       '        I 

REV.  ADAM  BLUMER,  pastor  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church  of  North  America  of  Oquaw- 
ka,  and  one  of  the  highly  esteemed  citizens 
of  that  place,  claims  Switzerland  as  the  land  of 
his  birth.  He  was  born  in  Engi,  Canton  Glarus, 
on  the  27th  of  November,  1827,  and  was  the 
sixth  in  a  family  of  eight  children  born  unto 
Fridolin  and  Magdelene  (Marty)  Blumer.  The 
father  was  one  of  the  high  officers  in  the  French 
army  under  Napoleon  I.,  and  for  some  years 
carried  on  a  large  hotel  in  Engi,  where  his  death 
occurred  in  1845.  His  wife  had  passed  away  in 
1S40.  Since  1446  the  first-born  son  of  this  family 
has  borne  the  name  of  Fridolin.  This  name  was 
borne  by  an  Irish  missionary  in  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, who  traveled  up  the  Rhine  into  Switzerland, 
where  he  died. 

Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  his  native  land,  and  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  Pilgrim  Mission  at  St.  Chrischona, 
near  Basle.  At  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  he  bade 
adieu  to  home  and  friends,  and  in  1854  sailed  for 
America  as  a  missionary.  He  first  located  in 
Muscatine,  Iowa,  where  he  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry  by  the  Congregational  Church.  He  or- 
ganized churches  throughout  the  State,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Home  Missionary  Society,  being 
thus  employed  for  two  years.  He  then  received 
a  call  to  Stillwater,  Minn.,  and,  accepting  the 
same,  organized  a  church  at  that  place,  remain- 
ing as  its  pastor  for  two  years. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Blumer  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mrs.  Augustiua  Stock,  who  has  been  to  her 
husband  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  on 
life's  journey,  aiding  him  in  his  labors  and  en- 
couraging him  by  her  warm  sympathy.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  one  daughter,  Mary. 

On  leaving  the  Congregational  Church  in  Still- 
water,   the    Rev.    Mr.    Blumer    united    with    the 


Lutheran  Church,  and  was  sent  to  Shakopee, 
where  he  remained  as  pastor  for  seven  years.  He 
also  worked  throughout  the  State  during  that 
time,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  was 
sent  to  Reed's  Lauding,  where  he  remained  for 
eighteen  months,  after  which  he  went  to  Rock 
Island,  111.,  on  account  of  his  health.  Although 
physically  unfitted  for  duty,  he  was  not  content 
to  remain  idle,  and  organized  a  church  in  the 
southern  part  of  Rock  Island  Count}-,  where  he 
remained  for  about  twelve  years.  The  succeed- 
ing two  years  of  his  life  were  passed  in  Winona 
County,  Minn.,  after  which  he  was  called  back  to 
Rock  Island  County,  and  also  worked  in  Henry 
Count)-  for  two  years.  He  was  then  sent  to  Sut- 
ter, Hancock  County,  where  he  remained  for  nine 
years.  In  1889,  he  came  to  Oquawka,  and  took 
charge  of  the  church  in  this  place.  On  account 
of  the  infirmity  of  partial  deafness,  he  is  now  on 
the  retired  list,  though  still  active  in  pastoral  la- 
bors, and  continues  in  charge  of  the  parish  at 
Oquawka.  His  entire  life  has  been  devoted  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  and  his  untiring  labors  and 
his  earnest  words,  strengthened  by  a  consistent 
life,  have  made  him  a  power  for  good  in  church 
work. 

I *=H  <"?'">&-" — ' a 

(7JWANSON  ESSEX,  a  carpenter  and  builder, 
/\  now  engaged  in  business  in  Oquawka,  claims 
\~J  this  place  as  his  native  city.  He  was  born 
on  the  3d  of  October,  1857,  and  is  the  fifth  in  a 
family  of  six  children,  whose  parents  were  Camp- 
bell and  Emzy  (.Smith)  Essex.  They  were  num- 
bered among  the  early  settlers  of  this  community, 
and  were  prominently  identified  with  its  history 
and  pioneer  days.  Mr.  Essex  was  born  in  Chilli- 
cothe,  Ohio,  on  the  19th  of  December,  18 15,  and 
was  of  German  extraction.  In  his  native  city  he 
was  reared  and  educated,  and  there  worked  in  a 
store  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  In 
1834,  he  came  West,  and,  locating  in  Oquawka, 
engaged  in  freighting  from  this  place  to  Peoria 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  also  owned  a  stone- 
quarry,  and  furnished  stone  for  a  great  many  of 
the  old  buildings  of  this  locality.     In  later  years 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


435 


he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  A  great 
many  Indians  still  lived  in  the  county  at  the  time 
of  his  arrival,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  he  was 
riding  along  the  bluff  three  miles  east  of  Oquawka, 
he  had  the  horn  shot  off  his  saddle  by  one  of  the 
red  men.  His  death  occurred  in  Oquawka  in 
1882,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years,  and  was 
mourned  by  many  friends.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Somerset,  Ohio,  June  16,  1828,  and  when  a 
maiden  of  five  summers  came  to  this  county  with 
her  parents.  They  were  also  natives  of  the  Buck- 
eye State,  and  were  of  English  extraction.  In 
1833  they  took  up  their  residence  near  Oquawka, 
where  the}'  spent  their  remaining  days.  Mrs. 
Essex  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  died  in  that  faith  on  the  20th  of 
December,  1892,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years. 

Swanson  Essex  remained  with  his  parents  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority,  and  in  the  common 
schools  he  acquired  a  good  English  education. 
He,  himself,  is  familiar  with  many  incidents  of 
frontier  life,  and  can  also  relate  many  interesting 
stories  of  pioneer  days  told  him  by  his  parents. 
On  attaining  his  majority,  he  began  working  at 
the  carpenter's  trade  in  Oquawka,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  continuously  since,  although  he 
has  done  business  in  the  surrounding  towns.  He  is 
an  expert  workman,  and  now,  as  a  contractor  and 
builder,  is  enjoying  a  large  and  lucrative  trade. 
He  always  faithfully  performs  his  part  of  the  con- 
tract, and  therefore  has  the  confidence  of  all. 

On  the  2 1st  of  September,  1876,  Mr.  Essex  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Hess,  a 
native  of  Iowa.  She  was  born  March  24,  1857, 
and  when  quite  young  came  with  her  parents  to 
Oquawka.  Six  children  grace  the  union  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife:  Clyde,  Frederick,  Eva,  Effie, 
Emma  and  Veraa,  all  of  whom  are  still  at  home 
with  their  parents. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Essex  is  a  Democrat, 
but  has  never  sought  or  desired  the  emoluments 
of  public  office.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  and  his  wife  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  the  support  of 
which  he  contributes  liberally.  He  now  owns  a 
pleasant  home  in  Oquawka,  and  has  become  one 
of  its  substantial  citizens,  as  the  result  of  his  own 


enterprise.  He  has  always  lived  in  Oquawka, 
and  here  has  many  friends,  including  people  who 
have  known  him  from  boyhood  and  those  whom 
he  has  met  in  maturer  years. 

|ILLIAM  CALDWELL,  a  retired  farmer 
residing  on  section  24,  Raritan  Township, 
is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  ot 
Henderson  County,  dating  his  residence  here  from 
1855.  In  the  many  years  which  have  since  come 
and  none,  he  has  witnessed  many  great  changes. 
He  has  seen  the  wild  land  transformed  into  beau- 
tiful homes  and  farms,  and  has  watched  the  growth 
and  upbuilding  of  towns  and  villages.  In  the 
work  of  public  improvement  he  has  ever  taken  a 
commendable  interest,  and  has  always  borne  his 
part  in  the  work  of  advancement. 

Mr.  Caldwell  is  a  native  of  Ireland.  He  was 
born  in  County  Antrim,  December  18,  1826,  and 
is  a  son  of  John  and  Annie  (Robb)  Caldwell,  who 
were  both  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  but  were 
of  Scotch  descent.  Their  family  numbered  nine 
children,  three  sons  and  six  daughters.  William 
spent  the  first  twelve  years  of  his  life  in  Ireland, 
and  then  accompanied  his  parents  in  their  emi- 
gration to  America,  in  1838.  They  boarded  a 
sailing-vessel,  which,  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks, 
landed  them  safely  in  New  York  City.  They 
took  up  their  residence  in  Greene  County,  N.  Y., 
where  our  subject  remained  until  eighteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  went  to  New  Jersey.  He  there 
began  working  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  re- 
ceiving $7  per  month  for  his  services,  and,  in  con- 
nection with  farm  labor,  he  also  followed  the  car- 
penter's trade. 

It  was  in  1855  tnat  Mr-  Caldwell  left  the  East 
and  came  to  Illinois.  He  first  located  near  Glad- 
stone, Henderson  County,  where  he  followed  car- 
pentering and  farm  work  until  1858.  He  then 
began  farming  in  his  own  interest,  and  in  1865  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  unim- 
proved prairie  land,  constituting  a  part  of  the 
farm  upon  which  he  now  resides.  His  agricul- 
tural labors,    however,    were   interrupted  on  the 


436 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


14th  of  May,  1864,  by  his  enlistment  for  service 
among  the  boys  in  blue.  He  became  a  member 
of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth 
Illinois  Infantry,  was  mustered  in  at  Quiucy,  and 
served  for  five  months  and  fourteen  days,  after 
which  he  was  honorably  discharged. 

On  the  1 2th  of  March,  1866.  Mr.  Caldwell  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Sophia  Gould.  He 
and  his  wife  together  now  own  seven  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  laud.  All  is  well  im- 
proved, and  yields  to  the  owners  a  good  income. 
Mr.  Caldwell  has  become  one  of  the  substantial 
citizens  of  the  county,  and  his  career  demonstrates 
what  can  be  accomplished  through  industry,  per- 
severance and  judicious  management,  for  he 
started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy.  He  exercises  his 
right  of  frauchise  in  support  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  for  seventeen  years  has  faithfully  served 
as  Township  Trustee.  He  is  a  consistent  and 
active  member  of  the  Baptist  Church ,  and  is  a 
highly-esteemed  citizen,  who  well  deserves  repre- 
sentation in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county 

(TAMES  G.  CHALFANT,  one  of  the  honored 
I  veterans  of  the  late  war,  and  a  prominent  and 
Qj)  highly  respected  citizen  of  Oquawka,  where 
he  is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  claims 
Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  for  he  was  born 
in  Coshocton  County,  August  30,  1837.  His 
father,  John  R.  Chalfant,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
county,  and  by  occupation  was  a  farmer.  Hav- 
ing attained  his  majority,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Delilah  Hayes,  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Hannah  Hayes,  and  their  union  was 
blessed  with  six  children.  David  Y.,  who  was  a 
physician,  is  now  deceased;  James  G.  is  the  sec- 
ond in  order  of  birth;  Henry  M.  is  living  in  Co- 
shocton County,  Ohio;  Phcebe  E.  is  the  wife  of 
George  Elliott,  a  resident  of  Forest  City,  Mo.; 
Nancy  J.  is  the  widow  of  Israel  McConnell;  and 
Mary  E.,  twin  sister  of  Nancy  J.,  is  now  de- 
ceased. 

Mr.  Chalfant  whose  name  heads  this  record 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  district  schools, 


and  afterward  completed  the  scientific  course  of 
study  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyau  University  of  Dela- 
ware, Ohio.  He  then  engaged  in  farm  work  for 
a  time,  and  devoted  his  leisure  hours  to  the  study 
of  law,  for  he  did  not  wish  to  follow  agricultural 
pursuits  throughout  his  life.  In  September,  1 859, 
when  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  left  the  Buck- 
eye State  and  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Mor- 
gan County,  where  for  two  years  he  engaged  in 
teaching.  He  then  responded  to  the  country's 
call  for  troops,  enlisting  with  the  hundred-day 
men  of  the  Eleventh  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volun- 
teers. When  this  term  had  expired  he  returned 
home,  and  on  the  1st  of  August,  1862,  joined  the 
boys  in  blue  of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Sixth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  participated  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  the  battles  of  Yazoo  River 
and  Helena,  and  the  Red  River  expedition.  Near 
Moscow,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and,  though  un- 
mounted, he  was  compelled  to  keep  up  with  his 
captors,  who  were  on  horseback.  He  continued 
in  the  service  until  August  1,  1865,  when  he  was 
honorably  discharged.  For  three  years  he  had 
been  at  the  front,  and  was  ever  found  faithful  to 
the  Old  Flag  and  the  cause  it  represented. 

After  his  return,  Mr.  Chalfant  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Lincoln,  Logan  County,  111.,  and  in  Sep- 
tember, 1S65,  he  was  nominated  as  County  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Instruction  for  a  term  of  four 
years.  He  won  the  election,  and  during  that 
period  faithfully  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office. 
Having  in  the  mean  time  studied  law,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  on  the  9th  of  March,  1870,  and 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  legal  profession  un- 
til November,  1873,  when  he  was  re-elected  Coun- 
ty Superintendent  of  Schools.  From  1877  until 
1883  he  again  practiced  at  the  Bar  of  Logan 
Count}',  but  in  the  latter  year  went  to  Pierre.  S. 
Dak.,  where  he  made  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  Government  land,  which  he  still 
owns.  He  made  his  home  upon  it  for  four  years, 
and  then,  in  1887, cama  to  Oquawka,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  His  time  and  attention  have  been 
given  to  the  cause  of  education  and  to  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  and  along  both  lines  he  has  met  with 
good  success. 

On    the    2d    of   February.    1867,   Mr.  Chalfant 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


437 


wedded  Man-  A.  Carroll,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Carroll,  of  Amboy,  111.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  four  children:  Hallie  S.  and  May  E.,  both 
of  whom  are  engaged  in  teaching  in  Monmouth; 
William  P.,  who  is  serving  as  Police  Magistrate 
of  Oquawka;  and  Frank,  who  is  attending  school 
in  Monmouth.  Mr.  Chalfant  is  independent  in 
politics,  supporting  the  man  whom  he  thinks  best 
qualified  for  the  office,  regardless  of  party  affilia- 
tions. He  holds  membership  with  the  Method 
ist  Episcopal  Church,  and  belongs  to  Ellsworth 
Post  No.  172,  G.  A.  R.,  in  which  he  has  held 
various  offices,  including  that  of  Commander. 
During  his  sen-ice  as  County  Superintendent  he 
organized  the  Institute  of  Logan  County,  and  in 
many  ways  advanced  the  educational  interests  of 
the  community.  The  cause  has  ever  found  in 
him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  has  done  much  for  its 
upbuilding.  He  has  now  become  quite  widely 
known  in  Henderson  County,  and  is  highly  es- 
teemed by  his  many  warm  friends. 


foJEORGE  W.  NOBLE,  who  resides  on  section 
I—  14,  township  12  north,  range  4  west,  is  one 
U  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Henderson  Coun- 
ty. Few,  if  any,  have  longer  resided  in  this  coun- 
ty than  he,  for  he  dates  his  arrival  from  1836. 
When  he  came  to  the  West,  the  land  was  wild 
and  uncultivated,  much  of  it  still  being  in  pos- 
session of  the  Government.  There  were  very- 
few  settlements,  and  many  of  the  now  thriving 
towns  and  villages  were  unmarked  by  even  a 
single  building.  In  the  transformation  which  has 
placed  Henderson  County  among  the  best  in  the 
State,  he  has  borne  his  part,  and  well  deserves 
mention. 

A  native  of  Virginia,  Mr.  Noble  was  born  in 
Chesterfield  County  on  the  6th  of  May,  18 15,  and 
is  of  English  descent.  His  parents  were  John  and 
Mary  (Walthall)  Noble.  Their  family  numbered 
seven  children,  but  James,  John,  Thomas,  Mark, 
Jefferson  and  Baker  are  all  deceased.  Our  sub- 
ject is  now  the  only  living  representative  of  the 
family.     He  acquired  his  education  in  the  Mrs. 


Falkner  School  of  his  native  county,  and  during 
the  days  of  vacation  worked  upon  the  home  farm, 
thus  receiving  a  good  physical  and  mental  train- 
ing. On  attaining  his  majority  he  left  the  State 
of  his  nativity  and  started  westward  for  Illinois. 
He  began  the  journey  on  the  12th  of  September, 
1836,  and  after  eleven  weeks  of  travel  across  the 
country  by  team  he  reached  Henderson  County 
on  the  27th  of  November.  Since  that  time  he 
has  always  made  his  home  here.  Wild  game  of 
all  kinds  was  plentiful,  including  deer,  which 
frequently  roamed  over  the  prairie.  Mr.  Noble 
began  life  in  the  West  with  a  cash  capital  of  only 
fifty  cents,  but  he  possessed  a  young  man's 
bright  hope  of  the  future  and  a  determination  to 
succeed,  and  soon  began  work  as  a  farm  hand.  In 
this  way  he  made  a  start  in  life,  and  soon,  as  the 
result  of  his  industry,  perseverance  and  economy, 
he  had  accumulated  enough  capital  to  purchase 
eighty  acres  of  land.  After  a  time  he  sold  that 
tract  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
in  1864.  The  following  year  he  located  thereon 
and  has  since  made  that  farm  his  home.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  began  its  development, 
and  in  the  course  of  time  the  richly  cultivated 
fields  yielded  to  him  abundant  harvests,  and  he 
thereby  secured  a  good  income. 

On  the  13th  of  July,  1842,  Mr.  Noble  and  Miss 
Julia  A.  Morehead  were  united  in  marriage,  the 
lady  being  a  daughter  of  William  A.  and  Lucretia 
(  Spires )  Morehead.  Six  children  were  born  of 
their  union:  Mary  L-,  now  deceased;  Cyrus  O., 
of  Holton,  Kan. ;  James,  who  is  living  in  Hender- 
son County;  George,  who  resides  in  Bridgeport, 
Cal. ;  Thomas,  deceased;  and  Alice,  who  com- 
pletes the  family. 

Mr.  Noble  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
James  K.  Polk,  and  has  since  supported  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Democracy.  He  has  served 
as  Supervisor,  but  has  never  been  a  politician  in 
the  sense  of  office-seeking.  With  the  Baptist 
Church  he  holds  membership,  and,  in  harmony 
with  his  profession,  his  life  has  been  an  honor- 
able and  upright  one.  Although  he  has  attained 
the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  he  is  still  hale  and 
hearty,  and  bids  fair  to  live  for  some  time  to  come. 
In  the  work  of  developing  the  county  he  has  ever 


43« 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


borne  his  part,  and  has  aided  in  its  progress  and 
advancement.  He  has  ever  taken  a  commend- 
able interest  in  the  general  welfare,  and  gives  his 
support  to  all  enterprises  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit. 

0AMUEL  A.  RICKETTS,  who  carries  on 
7\  agricultural  pursuits  on  section  24,  township 
Q)  1 1  north,  range  5  west,  has  long  made  his 
home  in  Henderson  County,  and  has  resided 
upon  his  present  farm  since  1866.  He  is  num- 
bered among  the  early  settlers  of  1S49,  and  has 
therefore  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  county.  He  has  taken  a  com- 
mendable interest  in  its  progress,  has  aided  in  its 
advancement,  and  has  given  his  support  to  its 
most  worthy  enterprises. 

Mr.  Ricketts  was  born  in  Bullitt  County,  Ky., 
September  1,  1822,  and  comes  of  a  family  of 
English  origin.  He  is  the  elder  of  two  children 
who  were  born  to  Jonathan  and  Nancy  (Steven- 
son) Ricketts.  His  brother,  William,  is  now  de- 
ceased. He  lost  his  father  when  he  was  quite 
young,  and  was  reared  on  his  grandfather's  farm, 
spending  the  days  of  his  youth  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  farmer  lads.  The  public  schools  of  his 
native  county  afforded  his  educational  privileges. 
He  continued  to  engage  in  farm  labor  until  after 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican  War,  when  he 
enlisted  in  the  service,  as  a  member  of  Capt. 
Hardin's  company.  His  regiment  was  the  last 
sent  to  the  field.  They  went  to  the  City  of  Mex- 
ico, where  they  remained  until  peace  was  declared, 
when  they  were  discharged  and  returned  home. 

Mr.  Ricketts  continued  his  residence  in  Ken- 
tucky until  the  spring  of  1849,  when  he  decided 
to  seek  a  home  in  Illinois,  and  came  to  Hender- 
son County,  reaching  Oquawka  in  the  early  part 
of  March.  Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  began  farm- 
ing on  rented  land,  and  has  since  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  For  some  time  he  cultivated 
land  belonging  to  others,  but  at  length  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides,  having  ac- 
quired the  necessary  capital  through  his  own  in- 


dustry and  perseverance.  His  farm  is  now  well 
developed,  the  fields  are  highly  cultivated,  and  the 
many  good  improvements  upon  the  place  attest 
the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner,  who  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  practical  and  progressive 
farmers  of  the  community. 

Ere  coming  to  this  State,  Mr.  Ricketts  was 
married,  on  the  29th  of  October,  1848,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Miss  Louisa  Hamilton,  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Stickels)  Hamilton.  Eight 
children  were  born  of  their  union,  and  six  of 
the  number  are  yet  living,  namely:  Thomas, 
who  makes  his  home  in  Nebraska;  John  H.,  at 
home;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  John  Ross,  who  is  living 
in  Denver,  Colo.;  Douglas,  residing  in  Colorado; 
Susan,  wife  of  Charles  Grassmiller,  of  Henderson 
County;  and  Charles,  who  completes  the  family. 
Those  who  have  passed  awa.v  are  Sarah  F.  and 
Eliza  A. 

Mr.  Ricketts  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
James  Buchanan,  and  has  since  supported  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy.  He  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  questions  of  the  da}-,  but  has 
never  aspired  to  public  office,  preferring  to  give 
his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business  in- 
terests. With  the  United  Brethren  Church  he 
holds  membership.  Whatever  success  he  has 
achieved  in  life  is  due  to  his  own  efforts,  for  he 
started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world 
empty-handed,  and  the  success  which  has  come 
to  him  is  the  just  reward  of  his  own  labors. 


Gl  DAM  AUGUSTUS  GOEMPLER,  whoisen- 
LJ  gaged  in  business  in  Oquawka  as  a  mason 
I  J  and  contractor,  was  born  on  the  27th  of  July, 
1850,  in  Philipsdale,  Hessen,  Germany,  and  is  a 
son  of  Peter  and  Amelia  (Bohu)  Goempler,  who 
were  also  natives  of  that  country.  The  father 
was  a  stone-cutter  and  mason  by  trade,  and  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  in  his  native  land  until  late  in 
the  year  1853,  when  he  bade  adieu  to  home  and 
friends  and,  with  his  family,  started  for  America. 
Hecrossed  the  briny  deep  in  a  sailing-vessel,  which 
after  a  vovage  of  nine  weeks  reached  Castle  Gar- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RKCORD. 


439 


den,  X.  Y.  From  the  eastern  metropolis  he  went 
to  Pittsburg,  and  thence  down  the  Ohio,  and  up 
the  Mississippi  River,  finally  reaching  Oquawka 
in  the  month  of  March,  1S54,  and  here  he  still 
resides.  The  family  numbered  ten  children,  two 
sons  and  eight  daughters,  of  whom  Augustus  and 
Gertrude  died  in  infancy.  Adam  A.  is  the  next 
younger;  Elizabeth,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Gayer,  of  Monmouth,  111. ;  Louisa  has,  since 
tin.-  death  of  her  sister,  married  Mr.  Gayer,  of 
Monmouth;  Emeline  is  the  wife  of  George  Rade- 
macher,  a  brick  manufacturer  of  Monmouth;  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  Joseph  Wiegand,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  cigars  in  Oquawka;  Christina, 
Helena  and  Caroline  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Goempler  of  this  sketch  was  less  than  four 
years  old  when,  with  his  parents,  he  crossed  the 
Atlantic  and  became  a  resident  of  Oquawka.  He 
was  educated  in  its  public  and  German  schools, 
which  he  attended  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  began  earning  his  own  livelihood  by  working 
at  the  stone-cutter's  and  mason's  trade,  learning 
the  same  with  his  father.  He  finished  his  term 
of  apprenticeship  at  the  age  of  twenty,  and  then 
began  business  in  his  own  interest.  He  first  went 
to  Chicago,  where  he  was  employed  from  1872 
until  1874,  and  then  returned  to  Oquawka,  where 
he  has  since  been  engaged  in  business.  He  is  an 
expert  workman,  and  now  enjoys  a  good  trade  in 
his  line. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  1875,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Goempler  and  Miss  Caroline 
Schell,  a  daughter  of  Leonard  Schell.  Her  death 
occurred  March  16,  1876,  and  on  the22dof  May, 
1879,  our  subject  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Louisa  Braun,  a  daughter 
of  John  Braun,  of  West  Point,  Iowa.  Four  chil- 
dren graced  this  union,  of  whom  three  are  yet 
living:  Flsie,  Arthur  and  Willis,  who  are  still  at 
home.  Elizabeth,  the  first-born,  died  in  infancy. 
The  parents  are  well-known  people  of  this  com- 
munity, hold  a  high  position  in  social  circles,  and 
have  many  warm  friends.  Their  residence,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  town,  is  a  model  home,  and  is 
the  abode  of  hospitality. 

Mr.  Goempler  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
by  his  first  Presidential  vote,    cast  in    1872,   sup- 


ported Gen.  Grant.  He  has  never  sought  or  de- 
sired political  preferment,  desiring  rather  to  give 
his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business  inter- 
ests. Both  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with 
the  German  Evangelical  Church  of  Oquawka,  and 
he  is  a  member  of  Tranquil  Lodge  No.  193,  I.  (). 
O.  P.,  and  Oquawka  Camp  No.  1037,  M.  W.  A. 
He  is  an  enterprising  and  progressive  citizen, 
whose  support  is  given  to  anything  that  will  re- 
dound to  the  good  of  the  community.  He  is  now 
enjoying  a  good  business,  as  the  result  of  his  in- 
dustry and  well-directed  efforts. 

to  "HE!)  <HH">"L=i  '*     " -       & 

QGJlLLIAM  BENJAMIN  ROSE,  a  farmer  of 

\  A  /  Henderson  County  since  1880,  has  lived 
V  Y  upon  his  present  farm  on  section  11,  town- 
ship 1 1  north,  range  5  west.  Here  he  has  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good  land,  which  his 
care  and  cultivation  have  transformed  into  one  of 
tlie  valuable  places  of  the  neighborhood.  Its 
fields  are  well  tilled,  and,  together  with  the  good 
improvements  upon  the  place,  indicate  the  careful 
supervision  of  the  owner. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  was 
born  in  Garrett  County,  in  1842,  and  is  a  son  of 
George  W.  and  Eliza  (Champ)  Rose.  Their  fam- 
ily numbered  only  two  children:  William  B.,  and 
George,  who  is  now  deceased.  The  father  was 
also  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  was  a  carpenter 
and  wagon-maker  by  trade.  When  William  was 
a  lad  of  fourteen  years,  he  began  earuing  his  own 
livelihood,  and  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his 
own  resources,  so  that  whatever  success  he  has 
achieved  in  life  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts. 
For  five  years  he  worked  at  carding  wool,  and 
then  engaged  in  teaming  for  a  year,  but,  the  war 
having  broken  out,  he  no  longer  felt  content  to 
remain  at  home,  and  in  March,  1863,  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  as  a 
member  of  Company  H,  Seventh  Kentucky  Cav- 
alry. He  participated  in  various  engagements, 
including  the  battles  of  Mill  Springs,  Wild  Cat, 
Richmond,  Perryville,  Gallatin  and  Franklin, 
and  under  Burnside    took  part  in  the  battle  and 


44Q 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


siege  of  Knoxville.  When  the  war  was  over  and 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  floated  victoriously  over  a 
still  united  nation,  he  was  mustered  out  in  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  on  the  8th  of  July,  1865.  He  was 
a  valiant  soldier,  brave  and  fearless  in  the  dis- 
charge of  duty,  and  was  always  found  at  his  post. 

After  receiving  his  discharge,  Mr.  Rose  returned 
to  his  Kentucky  home  and  there  remained  until 
1866,  when  he  removed  to  Illinois,  becoming  a 
resident  of  Henderson  County  in  November  of 
that  year.  On  the  4th  of  August,  1867,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Amelia  S. ,  widow 
of  Andrew  Erwin.  She  was  born  in  England,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Amelia  (Ellis) 
Smith,  with  whom  she  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic 
to  America  in  1844.  Five  children  have  been 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  of  whom  Amelia 
and  Clyde  are  now  deceased ;  Newton  Benjamin, 
Samuel  Robert  and  Flora  complete  the  family,  the 
last  two  residing  at  home. 

On  coming  to  Henderson  County  Mr.  Rose  be- 
gan farming  upon  his  present  place,  renting  the 
land  until  1880,  when  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  He  thoroughly  understands  his 
business,  and  by  his  well-directed  efforts  he  has 
won  success.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Demociat,  but 
his  first  Presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Abraham 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Rose  possesses  many  excellencies 
of  character,  and  his  sterling  worth  has  won  him 
the  high  regard  of  his  many  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances in  this  community. 

ft  '        ■i— e^i<'   T    >lT3    s  <a 

YDQALTER  PRESTON  MARTIN,  who  is 
\  A  /  now  serving  as  Deputy  County  Sheriff  of 
YV  Henderson  County,  and  resides  in  Oquaw- 
ka,  is  a  native  of  Biggsville,  in  the  same  county. 
He  was  born  on  the  1st  of  August,  1854,  and  is 
the  second  in  a  family  of  five  children,  whose  par- 
ents were  Benjamin  H.  and  Cynthia  F. (Downey) 
Martin.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, Preston  Martin  (see  biography  elsewhere), 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and,  emigrating  to  Ill- 
inois, became  a  resident  of  Morgan  County, where 
Benjamin  Martin  was  born  and  reared.  The  latter 


has  followed  farming  throughout  the  greater  part 
of  his  life,  carrying  on  that  pursuit  for  many 
years  in  Biggsville,  Henderson  County,  whither 
he  removed  at  an  early  day.  For  twelve  years, 
he  was  engaged  in  the  grain  business  in  Biggs- 
ville. He  married  Miss  Downey,  daughter  of 
Peter  Downey,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely:  Edwin, 
now  deceased;  Walter  P.  ,the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Jessie  and  Florence,  who  died  in  infancy;  and 
Karl,  who  is  engaged  in  school  teaching  in  Biggs- 
ville. 

W.  P.  Martin  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm, 
and  in  early  life  enjoyed  the  advantages  afforded 
by  the  district  schools,  which  he  attended  through 
the  winter  season,  while  in  the  summer  months 
he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen,  he  entered  Monmouth  Business  Col- 
lege, and  after  attending  that  institution  one 
term,  spent  two  terms  pursuing  a  literary  course 
in  the  school  known  as  Monmouth  College.  On 
attaining  his  majority,  he  began  farming  for  him- 
self on  his  father's  laud,  and  for  fourteen  years 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  practical  and  progressive 
farmers  of  the  neighborhood,  and  his  place  was 
always  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance. 

During  this  time,  Mr.  Martin  was  married. 
On  the  14th  of  December,  1875,  he  led  to  the 
marriage  altar  Miss  Laura  A.  Francis,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Francis,  of  Monmouth,  111.  Four 
children  grace  this  marriage,  all  daughters,  Bes- 
sie, Jessie,  Jean  and  Helen.  The  family  is  well 
known  in  the  community  and  its  members  rank 
high  in  social  circles. 

Mr.  Martin  is  a  member  of  Oquawka  Lodge 
No.  123,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and  Osage  Lodge  No. 
346,  K.  P.,  of  which  he  is  the  first  Past  Chancel- 
lor. He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  R.  B. 
Hayes,  but  since  that  time  has  been  a  Democrat. 
While  in  Biggsville,  he  served  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  one  year,  and  since  1890  he  has  filled 
the  office  of  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Henderson  County, 
being  acting  Sheriff  and  Collector.  He  is  fear- 
less and  true  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  de- 
volving upon  him,  and  his  faithful  sendee  has 
given  general  satisfaction.      Having  always  lived 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  this  county,  Mr.  Martin  is  quite  widely  known 
within  its  borders  and  has  many  warm  friends 
among  its  citizens. 


(ILIJAM  X.  SPECK,  Jr.,  has  the  honor  of 
being  a  native  of  Henderson  County.  He 
was  born  on  the  old  homestead  September 
ii,  1850,  and  now  resides  on  section  4,  township 
11  north,  range  4  west.  His  father,  William  N. 
Speck,  Sr.,  who  is  numbered  among  the  honored 
pioneers  of  this  locality,  is  a  native  of  North  Car- 
olina, born  August  10,  1823.  Throughout  his 
business  career  he  followed  farming,  but  in  1884 
laid  aside  business  cares  and  afterward  lived  a  re- 
tired life.  He  was  numbered  among  the  self-made 
men  of  the  county,  for  by  his  well-directed  efforts, 
his  enterprise  and  perseverance,  he  acquired  the 
capital  which  later  enabled  him  to  spend  his  de- 
clining days  free  from  toil  and  labor.  He  came 
to  Henderson  County  in  the  spring  of  1837,  and 
was  therefore  one  of  its  oldest  settlers.  Securing  a 
tract  of  wild  land,  he  transformed  it  into  rich  and 
fertile  fields,  and  the  once  barren  prairie  was  made 
to  bloom  and  blossom  as  the  rose.  He  also  lived 
in  Warren  County,  111.,  for  four  years,  and  on  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California,  he  crossed  the 
plains  to  the  Pacific  Slope,  where  he  remained  for 
eighteen  months  engaged  in  mining.  He  then 
returned  to  Henderson  County,  in  1851,  where 
he  remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  March 
18,  1894. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sarah  A.  Rice.  She  married  Mr.  Speck, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children,  but 
four  of  the  number  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Speck 
having  died,  the  father  was  afterwards  again  mar- 
ried, his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Olive  Sewel, 
by  whom  he  had  two  children:  Lura  C,  at  home; 
and  Carrie,  now  the  wife  of  A.  Marshall,  of  Hop- 
per's Mills. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Mr. 
Speck,  who  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
in  Henderson  County,  and  is  widely  and  favora- 
bly known  within  its  borders.     His  education  was 


441 

acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, which  he  attended  through  the  winter  sea- 
son. He  early  began  work  upon  the  home  farm 
and  was  thus  employed  until  twenty-eight  years 
of  age.  In  1881  he  went  to  Georgia,  spending 
four  years  in  that  State,  but  since  his  return  to 
Henderson  County  in  1885,  he  has  made  his  home 
continuously  in  this  neighborhood. 

On  the  24th  of  April,  1883,  Mr.  Speck  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Dearth,  a 
daughter  of  Neal  and  Mima  (Maples)  Dearth. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  two  children, 
both  sons:  Robert  W.  and  Walter  C.  Mr.  Speck 
votes  with  the  Democratic  party,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  political  preferment.  He  holds 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Church,  and  is  a 
man  of  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity,  whose 
upright  life  has  won  him  the  high  regard  of  his 
many  friends  throughout  the  county. 


ROBERT  HODSON,  of  Oquawka,  is  one  of 
the  oldest  merchants  in  years  of  continuous 
business  in  this  place.  In  the  spring  of 
1858,  he  began  dealing  in  drugs,  groceries  and 
hardware,  and  has  since  carried  on  operations 
along  that  line.  He  began  on  a  small  scale,  but 
his  business  has  steadily  increased,  and  he  now 
receives  a  generous  share  of  the  public  patronage, 
which  is  given  him  on  account  of  his  fair  and 
honest  dealings  and  his  courteous  treatment  ol 
his  customers.  Oquawka  would  sadly  miss  this 
honorable  merchant,  who  is  now  so  widely  known 
throughout  the  county. 

Mr.  Hodson  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England, 
April  11,  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah 
(Atkinson)  Hodson,  who  were  also  natives  of  the 
same  country.  The  family  numbered  five  chil- 
dren: James,  who  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in 
Cannonsburgh,  Pa. ;  John  A.,  a  grocer  of  Peoria; 
Robert;  Thomas,  who  follows  farming  in  Mis- 
souri; and  Mary  A.,  deceased. 

In  1835,  accompanied  by  his  mother  and  broth- 
ers, Mr.  Hodson  came  to  America,  making  the 
voyage  in  a  sailing-vessel,  which,  after  four  weeks, 


442 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


landed  them  at  Philadelphia.  They  first  located 
in  Wellsville,  Ohio,  and  during  about  three  mouths 
of  the  year  our  subject  pursued  his  studies  in  a 
log  schoolhouse  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio.  Dur- 
ing the  remaining  nine  months  he  worked  upon 
the  home  farm,  and  soon  became  familiar  with  all 
the  duties  of  farm  life.  In  1 845  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Martin  County,  Ind.,  but  after  two  years 
returned  to  Carroll  County,  where  he  spent  one 
year  at  work  as  a  farm  hand.  It  was  in  1847 
that  he  first  came  to  Henderson  County,  111., 
where  he  secured  work  on  the  farm  of  Obediah 
Edmunds,  spending  about  a  year  in  that  place. 
In  the  autumn  of  1848  he  went  to  the  pineries  of 
Wisconsin,  where  he  engaged  in  logging  until  the 
fall  of  1 85 1. 

Mr.  Hodson  then  returned  to  Henderson  Coun- 
ty and  embarked  in  merchandising  in  Shokokon , 
where  he  continued  business  until  April  1,  1852, 
when  he  started  across  the  plains  to  California, 
making  the  journey  with  an  ox-team.  He  en- 
gaged in  mining  on  the  Pacific  Slope  until  the 
fall  of  1856,  meeting  with  excellent  success,  and 
then  went  by  way  of  the  Panama  route  to  New 
York,  from  whence  he  made  his  way  to  Peoria, 
111.,  and  on  to  Oquawka.  Here  he  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business  for  about  a  year;  but  finding 
it  an  unprofitable  venture,  he  embarked  in  his 
present  line  of  business  in  the  spring  of  1858. 
His  dealings  have  been  eminently  successful,  and 
as  his  financial  resources  have  increased  lie  has 
made  judicious  investments  in  real  estate,  until 
he  is  now  the  owner  of  fifteen  hundred  acres  of 
farming  land  in  Henderson  County. 

In  January,  1859,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Hodson  and  Miss  Adeline  T.  Phelps,  a 
daughter  of  Sumner  S.  and  Phoebe  (Chase) 
Phelps.  Her  father,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Ocpiawka,  served  as  an  Indian  agent  for 
the  Government,  and  was  a  Major  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War.  His  daughter  was  born  in  this  city. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hodson  had  two  children,  but  both 
are  deceased,  Louis  Arthur,  having  died  in  in- 
fancy, while  Hattie  Belle  died  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen years. 

Mr.  Hodson  is  the  oldest  living  Mason  in 
Oquawka,    having  been   identified  with   the   fra- 


ternity since  1858.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  Winfield  Scott,  has  supported  the  Repub- 
lican party  since  its  organization,  and  for  the  past 
ten  years  has  served  as  Deputy  Treasurer.  Mr. 
Hodson  has  traveled  quite  extensively,  has  sailed 
on  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific,  has  made  the 
journey  from  New  York  across  the  continent  to 
San  Francisco,  and  has  lived  for  a  time  in  the 
pine  woods  of  Wisconsin.  His  life  has  been  a 
successful  one.  Knowing  that  he  started  out 
empty-handed,  and  with  a  knowledge  of  the  re- 
sults he  has  attained,  we  know  that  his  career 
must  have  been  one  of  enterprise  and  industry, 
or  his  present  prosperity  would  not  have  come  to 
him. 

g  '■    c^J <TT   ">  CE5-  ?> 

EON  LEMAIRE,  dealer  in  grain  and  agri- 
I  C  cultural  implements  of  Oquawka,  has  here 
|_J  built  up  a  good  trade,  receiving  from  the 
public  a  liberal  patronage.  A  native  of  Paris, 
France,  he  was  born  November  1,  1862,  and  is  a 
son  of  Edward  Lemaire,  who  was  also  born  in 
France.  The  grandfather,  Julian  Lemaire,  was  a 
French  soldier,  who  served  as  an  officer  under 
Napoleon.  The  father  of  our  subject  kept  a  ho- 
tel in  Paris  until  1865,  when  he  crossed  the  At- 
lantic to  America.  Afterwards,  however,  he  re- 
turned to  France,  but  in  1869  we  again  find  him 
in  the  New  World,  living  upon  a  farm  near  Bas- 
co,  Hancock  County,  where  he  still  resides.  He 
married  Miss  Emily  Juglard,  daughter  of  Joseph 
Juglard,  and  their  only  child  is  our  subject.  Mrs. 
Lemaire  died  at  the  birth  of  her  son,  and  the  fa- 
ther wras  afterwards  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Elvina  Hiegel,  by  whom  he 
had  four  children,  a  son  and  three  daughters, 
Edward,  Clemeuce,  Emma  and  Mary,  all  at 
home. 

Our  subject  was  brought  by  his  father  to  Amer- 
ica and  was  reared  as  an  American  citizen.  He 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  upon  his 
father's  farm,  and  in  attendance  at  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  where  he  acquired  a 
fair  English  education.  As  soon  as  old  enough, 
he  began  work  in  the  fields,  and  remained  upon 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


142 


the  old  homestead  until  twenty-six  years  of  age, 
at  which  time  he  began  business  for  himself.  His 
first  independent  effort  in  life  was  as  a  buyer  and 
shipper  of  hay,  which  enterprise  he  carried  on  for 
one  year  in  Hancock  County.  In  1889  he  came  to 
Oquawka,  and  began  buying  and  shipping  grain, 
which  he  has  followed  continuously  since.  In 
1891,  he  also  began  dealing  in  agricultural  im- 
plements, and  has  met  with  good  success  in  this 
line. 

It  was  on  the  5th  of  December,  1889,  that  Mr. 
Lemaire  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  R.  May 
Overman,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Martha 
(Garner)  Overman.  One  child  graces  this  union, 
a  daughter,  Emily  Marthena.  The  parents  hold 
an  enviable  position  in  social  circles,  being  wideb- 
and favorably  known  in  this  community. 

Mr.  Lemaire  votes  with  the  Democratic  party, 
and  by  his  first  ballot  supported  Grover  Cleve- 
land. He  served  as  School  Director  while  living 
in  Hancock  County,  but  has  never  sought  public 
office.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  He  was  made  a  Mason  in  Basco 
Lodge,  Hancock  County,  but  now  holds  member- 
ship with  Oquawka  Lodge  No.  123,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.  He  also  belongs  to  Oquawka  Camp  No. 
1037,  M.  W.  A.  He  is  a  wide-awake  and  pro- 
gressive young  business  man,  and  his  undertak- 
ings deserve  success. 


!^HM 


ROBERT  P.  GEDDES,  a  representative  and 
well-known  farmer  of  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship, Hancock  County,  resides  on  section  20, 
and  upon  this  farm  he  was  born,  the  date  of  that 
event  being  January  8,  1840.  His  parents  lo- 
cated here  in  pioneer  days,  and  are  numbered 
among  the  honored  early  settlers  of  the  commu- 
nity. He  shared  with  the  family  the  trials  and 
hardships  of  frontier  life,  for  the  county  was  still 
greatly  undeveloped  during  his  earlier  years.  No 
event  of  special  importance  occurred  during  his 
childhood.  He  attended  the  subscription  and  dis- 
trict schools  at  various  intervals  until  twenty  years 


of  age,  and  in  the  winter  of  i860  he  attended  the 
seminary  in  Oquawka,  111. 

When  the  war  broke  out,  Mr.  Geddes  aban- 
doned the  plow  for  the  rifle,  and  entered  the  service 
of  his  country.  He  enlisted  on  the  24th  of  May, 
1861,  becoming  one  of  the  first  volunteers  of  Com- 
pany D,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  mus- 
tered into  service  at  Quincy,  and  from  there  went 
to  Hannibal,  Mo. ,  and  thence  to  the  front.  The 
first  active  engagement  of  importance  in  which  he 
participated  was  at  Monroe  City,  and  later  he 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  New  Madrid,  Mo., 
Corinth,  Nashville  and  the  Atlanta  campaign. 
He  was  under  Sherman  in  all  the  engagements  in 
Georgia,  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Dalton, 
Resaca,  Kennesaw  Mountain,  Jonesboro,  Savan- 
nah and  Bentonville,  together  with  other  engage- 
ments of  lesser  importance.  He  was  very  fortu- 
nate, in  that  he  was  never  wounded  or  taken  pris- 
oner, yet  he  was  often  found  in  the  very  thickest 
of  the  fight  and  was  always  at  his  post,  faithful 
to  the  duty  intrusted  to  his  care.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  re- 
ceived his  discharge  in  Springfield,  111.,  on  the 
17th  of  July,  1865. 

When  his  country  no  longer  needed  his  sen-ices, 
Mr.  Geddes  returned  home,  and  the  following  fall 
went  to  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  entering  Eastman's 
Business  College  of  that  city,  where  he  pursued  a 
commercial  course  of  study  during  that  winter. 
In  the  spring  he  returned  to  Illinois,  and  on  the 
21st  of  March,  1871,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Lizzie  M.  Brandon.  Seven  children 
have  been  born  to  them:  Paul;  Eddie;  Linn; 
Charles,  deceased;  Mary  Grace;  and  one  who  died 
in  infancy. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Geddes  is  a  stalwart  advocate 
of  the  Republican  party  and  its  principles.  He 
has  filled  the  position  of  Assessor,  yet  has  never 
been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office-seeking. 
Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Upon 
his  marriage,  Mr.  Geddes  purchased  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  on  section  29,  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship, and  there  made  his  home  until  1891,  when 
he  removed  to  the  old  homestead  farm.     Here  he 


444 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


owns  one  hundred  and  forty-four  acres,  and  in 
addition  to  this  he  has  one  hundred  acres  else- 
where in  the  township.  His  land  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  his  farm  is  well  improved 
with  good  buildings  and  all  modern  accessories 
and  conveniences.  The  owner  is  both  practical 
and  progressive,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  community. 

e ,0— si<^>1 


(Jj)UMNER  H.  MCMILLAN,  who  is  now  serv- 
Ny  ing  the  people  as  County  Clerk  of  Hender- 
Q)  son  County,  is  a  native  of  the  said  county, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  .South  Henderson 
Precinct,  on  the  13th  day  of  June,  1862.  The 
family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage,  the  second  gen- 
eration back  having  emigrated  to  this  country 
from  the  North  of  Ireland  in  an  early  day.  The 
father,  William  L.  McMillan,  was  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  but  moved  to  this  county  in  1837, 
at  the  age  of  three  years,  and  here  he  has  since 
continued  to  reside.  On  the  1st  day  of  April, 
1857,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Susan 
Small,  daughter  of  James  Small,  who  had  emi- 
grated from  Ohio  to  this  county  in  the  early  '50s. 
By  their  union  were  born  nine  children,  four  sons 
and  five  daughters,  who,  in  the  order  of  their 
births,  are  as  follows:  Carrie  D.,  wife  of  Frank 
Graham,  a  farmer  of  Biggsville  Township;  Jennie 
F.,  wife  of  John  Weir,  a  machinist  residing  at 
Stronghurst;  Sumner  H.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Mary  E.,  who  died  in  1868,  at  the  age  of 
four  years;  Charles  W.  and  James  S. ,  who  are 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Biggsville 
Township;  Zettie  J.,  wife  of  Oscar  Sanderson, 
also  a  farmer  of  Biggsville  Township;  Jessie  May, 
who  died  in  1874,  in  infancy;  and  Herbert  I.,  the 
youngest  of  the  family,  who  yet  resides  at  home 
with  the  parents. 

Sumner  Horace,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
reared  at  home  upon  his  father's  farm,  and  being 
the  eldest  of  the  sons,  was  inured  to  much  hard 
and  patient  labor  from  early  boyhood.  His  edu- 
cation was  acquired  mainly  in  the  district  school, 
well  known  in  that  locality  as  Coloma,  one  of  the 


best  country  schools  of  the  county.  Having 
finished  the  common-school  branches  and  being 
desirous  of  a  business  education,  in  the  fall  of 
1883  he  entered  Elliot's  Business  College,  at 
Burlington,  Iowa,  where  he  took  a  six-months 
course  in  the  business  training  of  this  well-known 
institution.  Having  finished  his  education  and 
being  anxious  to  begin  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count, he  now  began  prospecting  for  an  opening 
somewhere.  Always  having  a  desire  for  news- 
paper and  literary  work,  he  soon  found  an  oppor- 
tunity for  a  beginning  in  this  direction.  In  the 
spring  of  18S6,  in  partnership  with  C.  W.  Brels- 
ford,  the}r  began  the  publication  of  the  Gladstone 
News,  which  was,  in  June  of  the  same  year,  re- 
moved to  Biggsville,  they  continuing  its  publica- 
tion under  the  name  of  the  Biggsville  News.  But 
after  a  year  spent  in  this  work,  journalism  in  a 
small  country  town, and  in  a  county  already  over- 
stocked with  newspapers,  having  demonstrated 
itself  non-remunerative  in  a  financial  way,  and 
his  health  having  failed,  he  sold  out  his  interests 
here  and  went  back  to  the  country  home.  In  a 
couple  of  mouths  thereafter,  viz.,  in  April,  1887, 
he  went  west  for  his  health  and  a  visit  with  rela- 
tives, and  while  at  Lyons,  Rice  County,  Kan., 
was  employed  for  a  time  in  the  revenue  depart- 
ment of  the  County  Clerk's  office  at  that  place. 
Returning  to  Illinois  in  July  of  that  year,  he  again 
remained  at  home  until  the  following  spring, 
when  he  was  elected  Clerk  and  Treasurer  of  the 
Commissioners  of  Highways  of  Road  District 
No.  2,  of  his  county,  which  office  he  held  until 
in  the  fall  of  1890,  when  he  was  elected  County 
Clerk  of  Henderson  County,  for  a  term  of  four 
years.  On  January  24,  1889,  he  was  appointed 
by  Hon.  J.  O.  Anderson,  a  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature from  this,  the  Twenty-fourth  Senatorial 
District,  to  a  Committee  Clerkship  in  the  Thirty - 
sixth  General  Assembly  of  Illinois,  where  he 
served  the  Legislature  of  that  session  in  this 
capacity,  having  charge  of  four  of  the  important 
committees  of  the  house,  viz.:  "Penal  and  Re- 
formatory Institutions,"  "Miscellaneous  Sub- 
jects," "Drainage,"  and  Visiting  Committee  on 
"Penal  and  Reformatory  Institutions."  At  the 
close  of  the  session,  on  Ma}-  30,  he  came  home 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


445 


with  many  pleasant  recollections  of  the  time  thus 
spent  at  the  State  capital. 

Mr.  McMillan  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  cast- 
ing his  first  vote  for  James  G.  Blaine,  in  1884, 
and, while  not  a  fierce  partisan,  is  always  ready  to 
defend  the  principles  and  advocate  the  doctrines 
fearlessly  which  he  believes.  In  religion,  he 
holds  an  active  membership  in  the  United  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  South  Henderson,  which  was 
"  the  church  of  his  fathers,"  and  of  whose  con- 
fession of  faith  and  rules  of  church  government 
and  practice  he  is  a  warm  supporter,  as  being  the 
''church  of  his  choice."  Quiet  and  unassuming 
in  manner,  he  considers  friendship  the  first  con- 
sideration of  life;  and  honesty,  sobriety  and 
industry  the  fulfilling  purposes  for  which  man 
was  created.  The  best  interests  of  the  community 
ever  receive  his  hearty  support,  and  all  worthy 
enterprises  are  sure  of  his  co-operation. 

0AVID  A.  BEATY,  who  owns  and  operates 
one  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of  good  land 
on  section  9,  Rozetta  Township,  is  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Henderson  County,  and  since 
1 85 1  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm.  His 
time  and  attention  are  given  to  the  cultivation  of 
his  land  and  to  stock-raising,  and  by  his  well- 
directed  efforts  he  has  become  one  of  the  well-to- 
do  citizens  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Beaty  is  a  native  of  Champaign  County, 
Ohio,  born  October  4,  1818.  The  family  is  of 
Irish  lineage.  His  father,  William  Beaty,  was  a 
native  of  Berkeley  County,  Va.  The  mother 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Pence.  They  had 
three  children:  David;  Rachel,  who  is  living  in 
Oquawka;  and  Israel,  who  died  in  1S70.  The 
mother  of  this  family  having  passed  away,  Mr. 
Beaty  was  again  married,  and  by  his  second 
union  had  seven  children:  George,  who  died  in 
Illinois;  Ira;  Sarah,  now  deceased;  and  four  who 
died  in  early  childhood.  The  family  came  to  the 
West  about  1830,  making  the  journey  by  team, 
and  William  Beaty  entered  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  from  the  Government  in  Hen- 
23 


derson  County,  paying  the  usual  price  of  $1.25 
per  acre.  He  then  built  a  log  cabin,  and  in  true 
pioneer  style  those  early  days  were  passed.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
in  early  life  was  a  Democrat,  but  after  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Republican  party  he  joined  its  ranks. 
He  served  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was  always  a 
valued  citizen.  He  served  as  one  of  the  first  Su- 
pervisors of  his  township,  helped  to  lay  out  the 
roads,  and  aided  in  the  organization  of  the  school 
district.  On  the  farm  which  he  had  developed 
his  death  occurred  May  18,  1869. 

David  Beaty  whose  name  heads  this  record 
grew  to  manhood  in  the  township  which  is  now 
his  home,  and  attended  its  subscription  schools, 
which  were  held  in  a  log  schoolhouse.  Although 
his  advantages  in  this  direction  were  quite  limited, 
his  training  at  farm  labor  was  not  meagre,  for  at  an 
early  age  he  began  to  follow  the  plow,  and  soon 
became  familiar  with  farm  work  in  all  its  depart- 
ments. He  continued  under  the  parental  roof 
until  twenty -two  years  of  age,  when  he  began  to 
earn  his  own  livelihood  by  chopping  wood  and 
making  rails.  The  following  year  he  rented  land, 
and  then  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  a  part 
of  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides,  the  purchase 
price  being  $200.  There  were  no  improvements 
upon  the  place,  but  he  at  once  began  its  develop- 
ment and  continued  its  cultivation  until  1850, 
when  he  went  to  California,  making  the  overland 
journey  with  ox-teams.  There  were  seven  teams 
in  the  party  and  twenty-eight  men.  They  crossed 
the  river  at  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Omaha, 
and  after  five  months  of  travel  reached  Hang- 
town. 

Mr.  Beaty  then  engaged  in  prospecting  and 
mining,  and  remained  on  the  Pacific  Slope  for 
about  a  year.  He  then  started  on  the  return 
trip,  traveling  by  steamer  to  Mexico.  He  made 
the  journey  on  foot  from  the  City  of  Mexico  to 
\'§ra  Cruz,  where  he  again  boarded  a  vessel.  On 
once  more  reaching  Henderson  County,  he  re- 
sumed farming,  and  has  since  made  it  his  exclus- 
ive occupation. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1842,  Mr.  Beat}'  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Abigail  Roberts, 
and  to  them  were  born  eight  children,    but  only 


44^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


three  are  now  living:  Adolphus,  a  blacksmith 
residing  in  Rozetta:  Florence,  wife  of  Harry 
Patterson.  editor  of  the  Democrat,  of  Oquawka: 
and  Phoebe,  wife  of  Jacob  Kirkhart,  of  Warren 
County.   Iowa. 

Mr.  Beaty  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
William  Henry  Harrison,  and  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  has  been  one  of  its 
stanch  advocates.  He  has  traveled  over  much  of 
this  country .  and  his  life  has  been  an  eventful  one, 
filled  with  many  interesting  experiences.  His 
career,  too,  has  always  been  upright  and  honor- 
able, and  in  this  community  he  has  many  warm 
friends. 


EOLEMAN  J.  EADS,  M.  D.,  is  one  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  medical  profession 
of  Oquawka,  but  during  the  three  years  of 
his  residence  here  his  skill  and  ability  have  won 
recognition  by  a  liberal  and  lucrative  practice. 
which  is  well  deserved.  The  Doctor  was  born  in 
Wayne  County,  Ky..  on  the  ioth  of  April.  1866, 
and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  H.  and  Nancy  fTuttle 
Eads.  His  mother  is  now  deceased.  His  father. 
who  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ky..  October 
9,  1829,  has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
throughout  his  entire  life.  In  the  family  were 
eleven  children,  eight  sons  and  three  daughters, 
as  follows:  Martha  J.,  wife  of  S.  D.  Poster,  a 
planter  of  Wayne  County,  Ky.:  William  O.  and 
Charles  M.,  who  are  also  planters  of  that  county; 
Henderson  M.,  who  is  proprietor  of  a  grocery  and 
market  in  Chicago;  Joseph,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Amanda  P.,  wife  of  O.  T.  Stringer,  a  miner  of 
Ardmore,  Mo.;  Coleman,  of  this  sketch;  John  P., 
a  planter  of  Wayne  County;  James  M.  and  Leslie 
J.,  who  are  living  at  home;  and  Nannie  E.,  wife 
of  John  Bond,  a  farmer  of  Wayne  County,  Ky, 

The  Da  tor  spent  the  days  of  bis  boyhood  and 
youth  on  the  old  plantation  in  the  county  of  his 
nativity,  and  until  seventeen  years  of  age  he  at- 
tended the  common  schools.  He  then  entered 
the  Southern  Normal  College  of  Bowling  Green, 
Ky.,  where  he  pursued   a   literary  course,  there 


remaining  for  a  year  and  a  half.  On  leaving 
school  in  1887,  he  began  teaching,  which  profes- 
sion he  followed  for  two  years,  when,  in  18S9,  he 
entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Kentucky  at  Louisville.  For  two  years  previ- 
ous he  had  studied  medicine  during  his  leisure 
hours,  and  in  1890  was  graduated  from  that  in- 
stitution with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  Immediately 
after  he  opened  an  office  and  began  practice  in 
Parnell,  Wayne  Count}-,  Ky.,  where  he  remained 
for  a  year  and  a  half. 

It  was  in  1 89 1  that  Doctor  Eads  came  to  Oquaw- 
ka. 111.,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  profession.  He  is  one  of  the 
busiest  men  of  Henderson  County  to-day,  and 
has  succeeded  in  building  up  a  very  extensive 
practice.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Grover  Cleveland,  and  is  a  supporter  of  Democ- 
racy, but  has  never  aspired  to  public  office.  In 
religious  belief,  he  is  a  Baptist.  Socially,  he  is 
connected  with  Tranquil  Lodge  No.  193,  I.  O. 
<  1  I'.,  of  which  he  is  now  serving  as  Noble  Grand, 
and  also  belongs  to  Oquawka  Camp  No.  1037, 
M.  W.  A.  He  came  here  a  young  man,  possessed 
of  an  excellent  knowledge  of  the  science  of  medi- 
cine, but  with  little  practical  experience,  yet  his 
aptitude  for  his  chosen  profession  was  soon  made 
manifest,  and  as  the  result  of  the  success  which 
he  has  secured  he  will  probably  make  Oquawka 
his  permanent  home. 

e -    «=!<  J,,>&.,  *> 

e *"~s)  <  t  >•  1=  a 

SJTSAAC    MCCOY    MARTIN,   M.    D.,    who  is 

I  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
X.  La  Harpe,  and  is  also  editing  the  La  Harpe 
Quill,  was  born  in  Macomb,  111.,  on  the  9th  of 
September,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  M.  and 
Henrietta  G.  |  Westfall  I  Martin,  a  sketch  of  whom 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  acquired  a 
good  literary  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  city,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  was 
graduated  from  the  High  School,  on  the  20th  of 
June,  1870.  He  early  began  work,  for  when 
only  ten  years  old  he  sawed  wood  for  a  neigh- 
boring widow,  receiving  his  pay  from  the  county. 


LIBRAE 

UNIVERSE  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


POkTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


447 


From  that  time  he  usually  earned  his  spending 
money,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  began 
supporting  himself  entirely.  He  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  teacher  of  the  Oakwood  School,  McDon- 
ough  County,  commonly  known  as  Rabbit  Town. 
and  followed  teaching  until  1875  through  the 
winter  season,  while  in  the  summer  months  he 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade. 

With  the  desire  of  entering  the  medical  profes- 
sion, Dr.  Martin  began  study  in  187  1.  under  Dr. 
B.  R.  Westfall,  of  Macomb,  and  continued  his 
reading  during  leisure  hours  until  1875,  when  he 
entered  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  of  Chicago. 
At  the  close  of  that  term  he  went  to  Eyota,  Minn. . 
where  he  engaged  in  practice  until  1877.  He 
then  returned  to  Illinois,  where  it  was  his  inten- 
tion to  practice,  but  he  was  prevented  from  carry- 
ing out  this  resolution  by  the  Medical  Practice 
Act,  when  he  resumed  teaching.  During  the 
winter  of  1880-81  he  again  attended  Hahnemann 
Medical  College,  and  after  his  graduation  located 
in  Macomb,  in  March  of  the  latter  year.  There 
he  at  once  opened  an  office  and  soon  secured  a 
fair  share  of  public  patronage.  In  1887  he  came 
to  La  Harpe,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home, 
and  from  the  beginning  he  has  enjoyed  a  most 
liberal  patronage. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1883.  in  Macomb.  Dr. 
Martin  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elsie, 
a  daughter  of  Col.  Samuel  E.  Taylor,  comman- 
der of  the  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Illinois 
Infantry  during  the  late  war.  Mrs.  Martin  was  born 
in  Mt.  Sterling.  111., and  died  July  30,  1888,  leaving 
two  sons:  Morris  Carl,  born  July  27,  1884:  and 
Edgar  Scott,  born  June  4,  1S86.  The  Doctor 
was  again  married,  December  5,  1889,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Clara  A.  Locke,  of  La 
Harpe,  who  was  born  in  Blandinsville,  May  8, 
i860,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Mary 
I  Webster)  Locke,  who  are  still  living  in  this 
place.  By  the  second  union  has  been  born  a 
daughter,  Mary  Etta,  born  August  17,  1891. 

In  politics,  Dr.  Martin  has  always  been  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party,  and  while  living 
in  Macomb  served  as  City  Clerk  from  1881  until 
1887,  being  three  times  re-elected.  He  proved  a 
popular  and  competent  officer.     In  religious  be- 


lief, he  is  a  Universalist,  and  socially  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen  and  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America.  He  is  now  meeting  with  good 
success  in  his  business,  having  a  constantly  in- 
creasing practice,  and  the  publication  of  his  paper 
has  also  proved  a  profitable  investment.  The 
Doctor  has  many  friends  throughout  McDonough 
County,  where  he  has  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life,  and  in  Hancock  County  he  is  also  wideb- 
and favorably  known. 

(TOHN  H.  WELCH,  deceased,  was  born  in 
I  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  October  29,  1814,  and 
Q)  was  of  English  descent.  He  was  reared  in 
the  usual  manner  of  farm  lads,  and  in  the  com- 
mon schools  acquired  a  fair  education.  In  his 
native  State  he  learned  the  mason's  trade,  which 
he  followed  during  his  residence  in  New  York. 
At  length  he  determined  to  come  to  the  West, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1849  started  for  Illinois.  At 
length  he  reached  Henderson  County,  and  cast  his 
lot  among  the  early  settlers  of  Rozetta  Township. 
He  had  previously  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  of  which  eighty  acres  were  an 
unimproved  timber  tract  on  section  17,  and,  loca- 
ting thereon,  he  began  the  development  of  a  farm. 
He  plowed  and  planted  his  land  and  continued  its 
further  cultivation  and  improvement  until  1864, 
when  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  section  28,  Rozetta  Township,  where  his  son 
now  resides.  There  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1868,  when  he  went  to  Oquawka, 
spending  two  and  a-half  years  in  the  city,  after 
which  he  returned  to  the  old  homestead. 

In  Henderson  County,  Mr.  Welch  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Man,-  L-  Lathrop,  and  to 
them  were  born  five  children,  namely:  Harriet 
E.,  wife  of  Samuel  Reed;  Nelson  Q.;  Nancy, 
wife  of  Andrew  B.  Cochran;  Esther,  wife  of 
Howard  Hastings:  and  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Riley 
Moorhead.  After  his  return  to  the  farm,  Mr. 
Welch  there  continued  to  make  his  home  until 
called  to  his  final   rest.      He   died   on  the  6th   of 


44« 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


March,  1888,  and  his  remains  were  interred  in 
the  Reed  Cemetery.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  was  an  honorable,  up- 
right man,  who  had  the  high  regard  of  all  with 
whom  he  was  brought  in  contact.  His  wife  still 
survives  him  and  is  now  living  in  Arkansas. 

The  only  son  of  the  family,  Nelson  Q.  Welch, 
was  reared  to  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm, 
and  in  the  summer  months  aided  in  the  plowing, 
planting  and  harvesting,  while  in  the  winter 
season  he  continued  his  lessons  in  the  district 
school  of  the  neighborhood.  Being  an  only  son, 
he  always  remained  at  home  with  his  parents  and 
to  his  father  gave  the  benefit  of  his  services.  On 
his  father's  death  he  took  charge  of  the  old  farm, 
which  he  still  owns  and  operates.  He  carries  on 
both  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the 
community. 

On  the  5th  of  November,  1879,  Mr.  Welsh 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Hamel,  and  to  them  have  been  born  four  children: 
Ralph,  Annie  M.,  John  Clinton  and  Fred  H. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Welch  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  is  now  serving  as  School  Director  of 
his  district.  The  best  interests  of  the  community 
receive  his  support  and  co-operation,  and  he  is  a 
wide-awake  and  enterprising  man.  His  entire 
life  has  been  passed  in  Henderson  County,  and 
those  who  have  known  him  from  boyhood  are 
numbered  among  his  stanchest  friends,  a  fact 
which  indicates  an  honorable  career. 


Gl  MOS  HAINES,  deceased,  was  born  in  Bel- 
[_1  mont  County,  Ohio,  on  the  5th  of  December, 
/  I  18 13,  and  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 
were  spent  upon  a  farm.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  old-time  subscription  schools,  which 
were  held  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  the  exercises 
being  conducted  in  a  primitive  style.  On  attain- 
ing his  majority  he  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self, working  as  a  farm  hand,  and  in  compensa- 
tion for  his  sen-ices  he  received  $10  per  month. 
He  also  learned   the  carpenter's  business,  which 


he  followed  for  about  six  years,  when,  with  the 
capital  he  had  acquired  through  industry  and 
economy,  he  purchased  eighty-eight  acres  of  land 
in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio.  This  was  entirely 
unimproved,  being  covered  with  heavy  timber. 
In  the  midst  of  the  forest,  however,  he  built  a  log 
cabin,  and  at  once  began  the  development  of  his 
farm.  There  he  lived  until  1840,  when  he  sold 
out,  preparatory  to  moving  westward.  He  came 
to  Henderson  County,  111.,  and  cast  in  his  lot  with 
its  early  settlers,  for  the  county  at  that  time  was 
just  being  opened  up  to  civilization.  Purchasing 
one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 27,  Rozetta  Township,  at  $4.40  per  acre,  he 
at  once  began  the  development  of  a  farm,  for  the 
land  was  still  in  a  primitive  condition,  not  a 
furrow  having  been  turned  or  an  improvement 
made  thereon.  His  enterprising  and  industrious 
labors,  however,  greatly  changed  the  appearance 
of  the  place.  The  boundaries  of  the  farm  he 
also  extended,  until  it  comprised  two  hundred  and 
sixty-seven  acres. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1839,  Mr.  Haines  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catharine  Miller,  a 
native  of  Madison  County,  Ohio,  born  December 
17,  1 8 19.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children:  Mary  J.,  now  deceased;  Sarah,  wife  of 
George  Palmer;  Hugh,  a  fanner  residing  in  Hen- 
derson Count}';  Newton,  who  is  now  engaged  in 
the  operation  of  the  old  homestead;  John  M., 
who  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Rozetta 
Township;  Emma,  who  is  living  with  her  mother; 
and  one  child  who  died  in  infancy.  The  father 
of  this  family  passed  away  August  15,  1855, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Reed  Cemetery.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. 

After  the  death  of  her  first  husband,  Mrs. 
Haines,  on  the  17th  of  September,  1857,  became 
the  wife  of  William  C.  Mitchell.  Two  children 
were  born  to  them :  Edward  B. ,  who  is  now  liv- 
ing near  Waverly,  Neb.;  and  William  H.,  who 
resides  on  the  home  farm.  Mr.  Mitchell  was 
also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and  his  death 
occurred  in  August,  1881.  He  held  membership 
with  the  Christian  Church,  and  was  held  in  high 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


449 


esteem  for  his  many  excellencies  of  character. 
Mrs.  Mitchell  also  belongs  to  the  same  church. 
She  is  now  living  on  the  old  homestead,  and  in 
this  neighborhood  she  owns  three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  acres  of  valuable  land,  which  is  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  therefore  yields  to 
her  a  good  income.  Her  long  residence  in  the 
county  has  made  her  widely  known,  and  her 
friends  in  the  community  are  many. 


r^+^l 


<^"  HOM  AS  DIXON,  one  of  the  extensive  land- 
I  Q  owners  and  also  one  of  the  large  stock-deal- 
Vy  ers  of  Henderson  County,  now  makes  his 
home  on  section  5,  township  9,  range  5  west.  He 
was  born  in  Adams  County,  111.,  August  29,  1854, 
and  is  of  English  descent.  His  father,  James 
Dixon,  was  born  in  England  in  1S19,  and  after 
attaining  mature  years  was  there  married  to  Ann 
Bladan,  a  native  of  the  same  country.  Four 
children  were  born  to  them  in  their  native  land. 
On  emigrating  to  America,  they  located  near  Cin- 
cinati,  Ohio,  where  Mr.  Dixon  carried  on  farming 
for  a  few  years.  He  then  took  up  his  residence 
in  Adams  County,  111.,  where  he  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  for  a  year.  His  next  place  of 
residence  was  in  the  southern  part  of  Henderson 
County,  where  he  rented  land  for  a  time.  It  was 
in  1863  that  he  purchased  his  present  farm, 
becoming  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  township  9,  range  5.  To  this  he  added 
from  time  to  time,  until  he  now  owns  six  hundred 
acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be  found  in  the  county. 
His  property  has  all  been  acquired  through  his 
own  efforts,  with  the  assistance  of  his  estimable 
wife  and  sons,  who  were  always  ready  to  aid 
him.  In  the  Dixon  family  were  nine  children, 
namely:  James,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Perry,  William, 
Richard,  Joseph,  John  (now  deceased),  Thomas, 
Henry  and  Margaret  J. 

Thomas  Dixon  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to 
manhood  under'  the  parental  roof,  and  to  his 
father  gave  the  benefit  of  his  sen-ices  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  He  early  became  inured 
to  the  task  of  developing  new   land,  and   all  the 


departments  of  farm  work  were  familiar  to  him 
from  an  early  age.  When  he  reached  man's 
estate  he  was  the  owner  of  a  team  of  horses,  and 
with  these  he  began  operating  his  father's  farm 
on  shares.  He  continued  to  cultivate  it  for  a  few 
years,  until,  having  acquired  some  capital,  he 
purchased  a  farm,  in  connection  with  his  brother. 
After  a  time  this  partnership  was  discontinued, 
Thomas  Dixon  selling  out.  He  then  purchased 
two  hundred  acres  of  laud  south  of  his  present 
farm,  and  about  1883  moved  to  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides. 

On  the  7th  of  March  of  that  year,  Mr.  Dixon 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Hannah  C. 
Vaughn,  daughter  of  Matthew  and  Mary  Ann 
(Marsden)  Vaughn,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of 
England.  Her  father  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
the  spring  of  1849,  and  located  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  In  1851  he  came  to  Henderson  County, 
settling  near  Carman,  where  he  still  lives.  He  has 
always  followed  farming,  and  is  now  one  of  the 
largest  land-owners  in  the  county.  He  was  born 
November  10,  1829,  in  Monmouthshire,  England. 
On  the  nth  of  April,  1854,  he  married  Miss 
Marsden,  who  had  come  to  the  United  States 
during  her  early  girlhood.  At  that  time  he  had 
only  forty  acres  of  land,  but  his  well-directed  ef- 
forts have  made  him  one  of  the  wealthiest  citizens 
of  the  county.  Eleven  children  were  born  unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vaughn:  William  J.,  born  August 
20,  1855,  now  deceased;  Anna  C,  wife  of  Thomas 
Dixon,  June  10,  1857;  George  A.,  July  14,  1859; 
Arthur  T.,  March  30,  1862;  Alice  N.,  September 
8,  1864;  Miles  M.,  November  25,  1866;  James 
N.,  December  2,  1868;  Mark  N.  and  Luke  M., 
twins,  October  1,  1S70;  Charles  R.,  May  9,  1873; 
and  Manford  R.,  May  16,  1876. 

One  child  graces  the  home  of  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  Edna  V.,  born  October  1,  1885.  The 
parents  began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm 
which  is  still  their  home.  In  1889,  Mr.  Dixon 
built  a  very  large  barn,  and  in  1892  erected  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  country  residences  in  Henderson 
County.  It  is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  the 
friends  of  the  family  are  always  sure  to  there 
receive  a  hearty  welcome.  Mr.  Dixon  devotes 
his  'time   to  general   farming    and  stock-raising, 


45Q 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


dealing  very  extensively  in  stock.  His  home 
farm  comprises  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
and  in  addition  to  this  he  has  a  considerable 
amount  elsewhere  in  the  county.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Dixon  is  a  Republican,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
All  who  know  them  hold  them  in  high  regard, 
and  they  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  com- 
munity. 

e>  r-  |3  <.  j  >  B-«.  <3 

pGJlLEIAM  E.  SMITH,  deceased,  was  a  na- 
\A/  tive  of  London,  England,  born  on  the  31st 
VY  °f  January,  1832.  His  parents,  William 
and  Amelia  Smith,  were  also  natives  of  that  coun- 
try.  They  had  a  family  of  five  children,  of  whom 
our  subject  was  the  eldest.  Charles  is  now  en- 
gaged in  merchandising  in  Avoca,  Iowa;  James 
makes  his  home  near  Oquawka ;  Susan  is  the  wife 
of  W.  B.  Rose;  and  George  is  also  living  in 
Oquawka. 

In  the  common  schools  of  his  native  land,  Will- 
iam E.  Smith  acquired  his  education,  living  in 
that  country'  until  1849,  when,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enteen years,  he  bade  adieu  to  the  home  and 
friends  of  his  childhood,  and  boarded  a  westward- 
bound  sailing-vessel.  He  landed  at  Quebec, 
Canada,  and  immediately  afterwards  made  his 
way  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  where  he  located 
upon  a  farm.  Here  throughout  his  remaining 
years  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was 
a  man  of  considerable  mechanical  genius,  and 
invented  a  plow.  The  land  which  he  purchased 
he  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile  fields,  and  in 
return  for  the  care  and  cultivation  which  he  be- 
stowed upon  them  they  yielded  to  him  a  golden 
tribute.  The  boundaries  of  his  farm  he  extended 
until  it  comprised  three  hundred  acres  of  land. 

On  the  12th  of  April,  1859,  Mr.  Smith  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Susan  A.  Rauney, 
a  native  of  Missouri.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  a  family  often  children,  eight  of  whom  are 
yet  living,  namely:  Emma  M.,  wife  of  Albert 
Hawkins;  Royal  E. ;  Nathan  W. ;  Esrom  N.; 
Mary  E. ;  Samuel  J. ;  Araminta  A.,  wife  of  H.  F. 


Fair;  and  William  E.  Martha  E.  and  George  O. 
are  deceased.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence 
in  the  community,  its  members  being  held  in 
high  regard. 

Mr.  Smith  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  three  years,  and  in  his  political  views  was  a 
Democrat.  He  held  membership  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  took  an  active  inter- 
est in  church  and  benevolent  work.  He  won  suc- 
cess in  his  business  career  by  his  well-directed 
efforts,  and  became  the  owner  of  a  good  home  and 
fine  farm.  He  was  never  prominently  connected 
with  public  affairs,  preferring  to  live  a  quiet  and 
retired  life,  but  he  had  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  all  with  whom  he  was  brought  in  contact. 
His  wife,  who  possessed  many  excellencies  of 
character  and  was  a  most  estimable  lady,  passed 
away  on  the  14th  of  April,  1889,  and  he  was  called 
to  his  final  rest  on  the  15th  of  May  following. 
Thus  the  worthy  couple  who  had  traveled  life's 
journey  together  for  thirty  years  were  separated 
only  a  short  time  by  the  hand  of  death.  They  will 
long  be  remembered  by  many  friends,  and  their 
memory  will  ever  be  green  in  the  hearts  of  their 
children. 

pQlLLIAM  M.  M ALE Y,  deceased,  was  a  na- 
\  A  /  tive  of  the  Buckeye  State,  his  birth  having 
V  V  occurred  near  Dayton,  on  the  29th  of  De- 
cember, 1820.  His  parents  were  Thomas  and 
Elizabeth  (Starr)  Maley.  Upon  their  farm  he 
was  bom  and  reared,  and  in  Ohio  he  remained 
until  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Illinois,  the  family 
locating  in  Warren  County,  where  they  spent  two 
years.  They  then  came  to  Henderson  County, 
locating  near  Pleasant  Green,  where  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  was  purchased.  Only  a 
few  acres  had  been  broken,  and  the  log  cabin  was 
the  only  improvement  upon  the  place. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen,  Mr.  Maley  started  out 
in  life  for  himself,  and  from  that  time  was  depend- 
ent upon  his  own  resources;  therefore,  his  success 
was  due  entirelv  to  his  own  efforts.    He  continued 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


45i 


to  make  his  home  in  Henderson  County  until 
1839,  when  lie  went  to  Keokuk  County,  Iowa. 
Two  years  later  he  made  a  claim  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  Four  years  he  resided  upon  that 
farm,  after  which  he  returned  to  this  county,  in 
1845.  The  following  year  he  purchased  a  part  of 
the  farm  on  which  his  widow  now  resides,  be- 
coming owner  of  a  tract  of  eighty  acres,  of  which 
twenty  acres  had  been  broken.  There  he  lived 
until  his  death.  He  was  very  successful  in  his 
undertakings,  and  as  his  financial  resources  in- 
creased he  made  other  purchases,  until  his  landed 
possessions  aggregated  three  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-nine acres,  all  in  Oquawka  and  Rozetta  Town- 
ships. 

On  the  31st  of  August,  1841,  Mr.  Maley  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Elizabeth  Stevens,  a 
native  of  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  born  on  the 
3d  of  December,  18 16,  and  a  daughter  of  Harvey 
and  Olive  (Maynard)  Stevens,  who  were  married 
in  1S14,  near  Worthingtou,  Ohio,  the  latter  being 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  former  of  Con- 
necticut. Mrs.  Maley's  father's  people  moved 
to  the  State  of  New  York  in  an  early  day,  when 
he  was  only  three  years  old.  Both  her  grand- 
fathers were  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  grand- 
father Stevens  having  served  in  the  battle  of 
White  Plains,  and  grandfather  Maynard  in  the 
battle  of  Long  Island.  The  latter,  who  was  only 
a  small  boy,  served  as  a  fifer. 

Three  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Maley.  Henry  H.,  who  was  a  veteran  of  the 
late  war,  died  March  14,  1892.  He  had  married 
Emma  C.  Rice,  and  to  them  were  born  five  chil- 
dren: Olive,  Thomas,  Maude,  Lee  and  William. 
Charles  H.,  who  is  now  a  farmer  of  Lincoln 
County,  Neb.,  wedded  Mary  Bailey,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  three  children:  Nellie, 
Margaret  and  Charles.  His  present  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Amanda  Burr.  They  have 
a  son  and  daughter,  Robert  and  Hazel.  Thomas 
married  Lucinda  J.  France,  and  is  living  on  the 
old  homestead. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Maley  was  a  Repub- 
lican. He  possessed  good  business  and  executive 
ability,  and  his  well-directed  efforts  brought  him 
a  good  property,  which  enabled   him  to  leave  his 


wife  in  comfortable  circumstances.  He  was  true 
and  faithful  to  all  trusts,  whether  public  or  private, 
and  was  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  strict  integ- 
rity. He  passed  away  on  the  26th  of  June,  1884, 
anil  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Green  Hill  Cemetery, 
amid  the  deep  regrets  of  many  friends. 


-^)- 


$+£{ 


EWIS  DUKE,  one  of  the  most  extensive 
\r\  land-owners  of  Henderson  County,  who  now 
|_J  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising 
on  section  15,  Rozetta  Township,  is  one  of  the 
worthy  citizens  that  England  has  furnished  to  this 
community.  He  was  born  in  Devonshire,  on  the 
30th  of  December,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  Lewis  and 
Elizabeth  (  Holloway  )  Duke,  who  were  also  na- 
tives of  the  same  land.  They  had  only  two 
children:  James,  a  retired  farmer,  now  living  in 
Monmouth,  111.,  and  Lewis.  Accompanied  by 
his  family,  the  father  came  to  America  in  1844, 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  Rozetta  Township, 
Henderson  County,  where  he  purchased  an  eighty- 
acre  tract  of  land,  011  which  he  lived  until  called 
to  the  home  beyond.  He  passed  away  on  the 
13th  of  April,  1S83,  and  his  remains  were  interred 
in  the  Baptist  Cemetery.  His  wife  survived 
him  a  number  of  years,  and  died  April  10,  1892. 
Quietly  did  our  subject  pass  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  upon  his  father's  farm.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  England  until  the 
emigration  of  the  family  to  the  New  World  in 
1844.  At  that  time  he,  too,  bade  adieu  to  the 
home  and  friends  of  his  childhood,  and  on  a  sail- 
ing-vessel crossed  the  briny  deep,  landing  in  New 
York  City  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks  and  three 
days.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  parents' 
home,  and  when  twenty  years  of  age  started  out 
in  life  for  himself.  He  began  operating  his 
father's  farm, and  continued  the  cultivation  of  the 
old  homestead  until  i860,  when  he  removed  to 
the  house  on  the  same  farm  which  has  for  thirty- 
four  years  been  his  home.  Here  he  owns  two 
hundred  acres  of  good  land,  and  altogether  his 
possessions  aggregate  eight  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  acres.     The  greater  part   of  it  is  under  a 


452 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


high  state  of  cultivation,  and  therefore  yields  to 
the  owner  a  golden  tribute.  It  is  a  valuable 
property,  and  has  been  acquired  through  his  own 
efforts,  being  therefore  a  monument  to  his  enter- 
prise and  good  management.  He  carries  on 
general  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  along 
both  lines  is  meeting  with  a  well-merited  success. 

On  the  i st  of  March,  i860,  Mr.  Duke  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Fannie  K.  Coghill, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  (Elliott)  Cog- 
hill.  Nine  children  grace  this  union,  namely: 
Clyde  E.,  now  a  farmer  of  Rozetta  Township; 
Mollie  K.,  wife  of  Francis  M.  Buck,  a  resident  of 
Chicago,  who  is  connected  with  the  telephone 
business  of  that  city ;  George  L. ,  a  farmer  of  Ro- 
zetta Township;  Grace,  an  artist  of  no  mean 
ability;  Benjamin  C;  Annie;  Victor  L.;  Blanche 
and  Cleo. 

The  Duke  household  is  the  abode  of  hospitality, 
and  the  members  of  the  family  rank  high  in  the 
social  circles  in  which  they  move.  Mr.  Duke  is 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  votes  with 
the  Prohibition  party,  being  a  warm  advocate  of 
temperance  principles.  He  has  served  as  Super- 
visor of  his  township,  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  all  public  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to 
benefit  the  community.  Thus  has  he  won  a  place 
among  the  valued  citizens  of  the  township,  as  well 
as  among  its  substantial  farmers. 


RICHARD  A.  WOODS,  who  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  on  section  26,  Rozetta  Township, 
Henderson  County,  has  the  honor  of  being 
a  native  of  Illinois,  for  his  birth  occurred  in  Mor- 
gan County,  in  1839.  His  parents  were  John  and 
Mary  (Gilbreath)  Woods,  and  the  family  num- 
bered eight  children,  namely:  Henry,  Elizabeth, 
Richard,  Fatima,  William,  Mary,  Emily  and 
Martha. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  whose 
boyhood  days  were  quietly  passed  on  his  father's 
farm.  He  was  ten  years  of  age  when  the  family 
came  to  Henderson  County.      During  the  summer 


months  he  worked  upon  the  home  farm,  and  in 
the  winter  season  he  attended  the  subscription 
schools,  which  were  held  in  a  log  schoolhouse. 
When  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  started  out  in 
life  for  himself  with  no  capital  save  a  young  man's 
bright  hope  of  the  future  and  a  determination  to 
succeed.  He  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by 
working  as  a  farm  hand,  and  was  thus  employed 
until  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  when, 
prompted  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  he  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  troops  and  on  the  12th  of 
August,  1862,  became  a  member  of  Company 
K,  Eighty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  mus- 
tered into  service  at  Quincy,  and  then  went  to  the 
South.  He  was  never  wounded  or  taken  prisoner, 
but  was  always  found  at  his  post,  faithfully  de- 
fending the  Old  Flag  and  the  cause  it  represen- 
ted. When  his  term  had  expired  he  received  an 
honorable  discharge  at  Camp  Butler  and  at  once 
returned  to  his  home. 

Mr.  Woods  than  began  farming  for  himself  on 
rented  land,  for  he  had  not  the  capital  with  which 
to  buy  property.  At  the  end  of  three  years,  how- 
ever, he  had  saved  a  sufficient  sum  to  purchase  a 
farm  in  Warren  County,  and  there  he  lived  for  six 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  rented 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides,  and  as  soon  as 
possible  he  purchased  it,  becoming  owner  of  a 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  has 
placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  In  con- 
nection with  general  farming  he  carries  on  stock- 
raising.  He  has  a  well-improved  place,  supplied 
with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences,  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  practical  and  progressive 
agriculturists  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Woods  was  married  on  the  1 9th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1867,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Calista 
A.  Reed.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  a 
family  of  seven  children,  namely:  George,  Ada 
L,. ,  Ida  L,- ,  Jesse  L,. ,  Otto,  Earl,  and  one  who  died 
in  infancy.  The  family  is  widely  known  in  this 
community,  and  the  members  of  the  houshold  have 
many  warm  friends.  In  his  political  views,  Mr. 
Woods  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served  as  School 
Director.  He  holds  membership  with  the  Meth- 
odist Church,  and  is  a  warm  friend  to  all  worthy 
public  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  advance 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


453 


the  general  welfare.  The  greater  part  of  his  life 
has  been  spent  in  Henderson  County,  and  he  is 
numbered  among  its  early  settlers,  having  wit- 
nessed much  of  its  growth  and  development.  The 
agricultural  interests  of  the  community  find  in  him 
a  worthy  representative,  and  it  is  with  pleasure 
thai  we  present  this  record  of  his  life  to  our  readers. 

(JOSEPH  ESSEX,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
I  Henderson  County,  who  since  1858  has  car- 
C2/  ried  on  general  farming  on  section  12,  town- 
ship 10,  range  5  west,  is  a  native  of  Chillicothe, 
Ohio.  His  father,  Isaac  Essex,  was  a  native  of 
Maryland.  He  was  born  below  Baltimore,  on 
the  bank  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  in  that  local- 
ity spent  his  early  childhood.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  left  his  native  State  and  removed  to 
Virginia.  Later  he  started  westward,  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  whence 
he  went  to  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  about  1830.  Four 
years  later  he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Rock 
Island.  The  remainder  of  his  life  was  passed  in 
this  State,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1850.  In 
the  Essex  family  were  eight  children,  four  sons 
and  four  daughters,  namely:  Mrs.  Sarah  Van 
Pelt,  Mrs.  Eleanor  Peckham,  Mrs.  Maria  Call, 
Mrs.  Mary  Chapin,  Francis  Campbell,  Joseph, 
James  Doolittle  and  Solomon  Bush. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  but  limited 
educational  advantages,  his  knowledge  having 
been  acquired  largely  through  business  experi- 
ence, reading  and  observation,  and  not  through 
school-room  drill.  At  the  early  age  of  fifteen  he 
started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world, 
and  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his  own  re- 
sources, so  that  whatever  success  he  has  achieved 
in  life  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  He  be- 
gan work  on  a  canal-boat,  and  in  this  way  pro- 
vided for  his  own  maintenance  for  some  time.  At 
length  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  and  as 
soon  as  possible  became  the  owner  of  a  farm. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Essex  was  married,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Miss  Julia  A.  Bailey,  who  came 
of  an  old  Connecticut  family,  and  who  has  been  to 


him  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  along  life's 
journey.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  two 
children,  a  son  and  daughter:  Charles  H.  and 
Man-  L.,  the  latter  being  now  the  wife  of  George 
Miller,  of  Biggsville. 

In  1858,  Mr.  Essex  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
on  section  12,  township  10  north,  range  5  west, 
and  has  since  made  his  home  thereon,  giving  his 
entire  time  and  attention  to  the  cultivation  and 
improvement  of  his  land.  It  is  now  a  rich  and 
fertile  tract,  and  every  department  of  the  farm 
is  characterized  by  an  air  of  neatness  and  thrift. 
The  owner  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life,  yet  has 
found  time  to  devote  to  public  interests,  especially 
to  those  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit.  He 
votes  with  the  Republican  part}-,  and  has  served 
as  School  Director  for  about  six  terms.  During 
his  long  residence  in  Henderson  County  he  has 
become  widely  known,  and  is  held  in  high  regard 
by  all,  for  he  possesses  many  excellent  character- 
istics. 

(3AMUEL  MATTHEWS  STANSBURY,  one 
7\  of  the  enterprising  and  highly  respected 
\l2/  farmers  of  Henderson  County,  who  now  re- 
sides on  section  12,  township  10  north,  range  5 
west,  is  a  native  of  Tennessee,  born  April  25, 
1832.  His  parents  were  Solomon  and  Sarah 
(Willheight)  Stansbury.  The  father  was  born 
in  Jefferson,  Tenn.,  in  1790,  and  made  farming 
his  life  work.  His  wife  was  born  in  the  same  lo- 
cality in  1800.  They  became  the  parents  of  four- 
teen children,  namely:  Mrs.  Katie  Wilson;  Ezek- 
iel;  Mrs.  Susan  Mulvaney;  Mrs.  Hattie  Wilson; 
John,  who  is  now  deceased;  Mrs.  Rosanna  Weath- 
ers; Mrs.  Betsy  Walden;  Solomon,  who  is  also 
deceased;  Mrs.  Hettie  Donaldson;  James;  S.  M., 
of  this  sketch;  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Pack.  The  father 
of  this  family  passed  away  in  1855,  and  the  mother 
died  about  1879. 

Upon  the  old  home  farm  S.  M.  Stansbury  was 
reared.  His  educational  privileges  were  quite 
limited.  He  had  to  walk  a  distance  of  four  miles 
to  school,  and  then  could  attend  only  through  the 
winter  season,   for  his  sen-ices   were  needed  at 


454 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


home  during  the  summer  months.  Very  seldom 
was  an  opportunity  afforded  to  attend  church 
services,  for  the  family  lived  far  from  town.  Thus, 
with  few  privileges,  Mr.  Stansbury  grew  to  man- 
hood, but  he  has  made  the  most  of  his  opportu- 
nities, and  has  become  a  well-informed  man  on 
general  topics. 

On  the  19th  of  September,  1852,  our  subject 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  A.  Hayes, 
daughter  of  Absalom  C.  and  Martha  (Caldwell) 
Hayes,  of  Tennessee.  She  was  one  of  a  family 
of  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters, 
all  of  whom  reached  mature  years.  By  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stansbury  have  been  born 
seven  children:  Solomon  C;  ElvaJ.,  wifeofHosea 
Dougherty;  John  A.;  Thomas  C;  Mary  Louise, 
wife  of  James  Tadlock;  Martha,  at  home;  and 
Sarah  C,  wife  of  David  Shook. 

On  coming  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Stansbury  located 
first  in  Decatur,  where  he  spent  one  year,  and 
then  came  to  Henderson  County.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Biggsville  he  rented  a  farm,  and  continued  the 
operation  of  land  belonging  to  others  until  1887, 
when  he  purchased  his  present  farm.  He  is  now 
comfortably  situated,  having  a  pleasant  home  and 
a  good  farm,  and  in  return  for  the  care  and  culti- 
vation he  bestows  upon  his  land  he  reaps  there- 
from a  good  income.  He  has  led  a  busy  and  use- 
ful life,  idleness  being  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  the  commun- 
ity where  they  live  the)-  are  widely  and  favorably 
known,  being  held  in  high  esteem  for  their  many 
excellencies  of  character.  In  politics,  Mr.  Stans- 
bury is  a  supporter  of  Republican  principles. 

&        ■       ""  c=J  <"  t  '  ">  ii=  ,:'  ea 

HUGH  MCDONALD,  one  of  the  practical 
and  progressive  agriculturists  of  Henderson 
County,  now  living  on  section  9,  Rozetta 
Township,  claims  Kentucky  as  the  State  of  his 
nativity,  for  he  was  born  in  Hardin  County  on 
the  26th  of  November,  1808.  He  is  one  of  a 
family  of  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters, 
whose  parents  were  John  and  Mary  (Larue)   Mc- 


Donald. Upon  their  farm  his  childhood  days 
were  passed,  and  in  the  subscription  schools  of 
the  neighborhood  his  education  was  acquired. 
He  had  to  walk  four  miles  to  a  log  schoolhouse, 
where  the  exercises  were  conducted  in  a  primitive 
maimer,  but  nevertheless  he  mastered  the  com- 
mon English  branches,  and  by  business  experi- 
ence and  observation  has  become  a  well-informed 
man. 

Mr.  McDonald  remained  at  home  until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  and  then  began  working  in  his  own 
interest  at  the  shoemaker's  trade,  which  he  had 
learned  of  his  father.  He  followed  that  pursuit 
at  various  intervals  in  Kentucky  until  1832,  which 
year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Illinois.  The  trip 
westward  was  made  by  team,  and  on  reaching 
Warren  Count}-  he  made  a  location  near  Mon- 
mouth, where  he  purchased  eight}-  acres  of  un- 
improved prairie  land.  There  he  began  the  de- 
velopment of  a  farm,  using  the  primitive  agricul- 
al  implements  which  were  then  employed.  The 
unimproved  condition  of  the  county  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  he  mowed  grass  with  a  scythe  where 
the  court  house  in  Monmouth  now  stands.  His 
time  and  attention  were  given  to  the  cultivation  of 
his  farm  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Henderson 
County,  and  purchased  ninety  acres  on  section 
9,  Rozetta  Township.  Here  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  Indians  still  visited  the  neighborhood 
at  that  time,  and  the  work  of  progress  and  civili- 
zation seemed  hardly  begun. 

Mr.  McDonald  was  married  on  the  2d  of  Octo- 
ber, 1830,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Eliza 
Shehi,  who  was  born  on  the  1st  of  April,  181 1. 
They  became  the  parents  of  twelve  children: 
John,  who  is  now  engaged  in  farming  in  Kansas; 
Nancy,  wife  of  Hiram  Yandever,  who  is  living  in 
Mapleton,  Iowa;  Mar}-,  deceased;  Jacob,  who 
died  in  1888;  Hugh,  who  is  living  in  Burlington; 
James,  a  grain-dealer  of  Kansas;  Melvina,  wife 
of  Van  Buren  Shields,  a  resident  of  the  Sunflower 
State;  Festus,  who  operates  the  homestead  farm; 
Margaret,  at  home;  and  four  children  who  died 
•in  infancy. 

On  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  McDonald 
proudly  cast  his  first  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  Since 
1856  he  has  given   his  support  to  the  men   and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


455 


measures  of  the  Republican  party,  for  he  is  a 
warm  advocate  of  its  principles.  He  started  out 
in  life  for  himself  a  poor  boy,  with  nothing  to  de- 
pend upon  save  his  own  exertions,  but,  possessed 
of  an  enterprising  and  progressive  spirit,  he  de- 
termined to  succeed,  and  has  through  life  usually 
carried  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever 
he  has  undertaken.  This  resolute  spirit,  com- 
bined with  judicious  management,  has  made  his 
career  a  prosperous  one. 


(TOHN  I.  HALEY  was  born  in  Barren  County, 
I  Ky.,  near  the  city  of  Glasgow,  on  the  19th 
(2/  of  November,  1831,  and  came  of  a  family  of 
Scotch-Irish  origin.  His  parents  were  Max- 
imillian  and  Elizabeth  ( Easter  1  Haley,  and 
both  were  natives  of  Virginia.  They  had  seven 
children,  who  in  order  of  birth  are  as  follows: 
Edwin,  who  died  October  10,  1882;  Mary  J.,  who 
died  July  4,  1891;  Sarah  E.,  who  died  January 
11,  1883:  William  H.,  whose  death  occurred 
December  12,  1871;  John  I.,  of  this  sketch;  Jo- 
seph F..  who  died  December  1,  1S75;  and  Julia, 
who  is  the  only  one  now  living.  By  occupation 
the  father  was  a  farmer,  and  followed  that  pur- 
suit throughout  life.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  in  1837  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Warren  County.  The  trip  westward 
was  made  by  team,  after  the  usual  mode  of  travel 
in  those  days.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Republican, 
and  in  1840  and  1844  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature  from  Warren  County,  serving  for  two 
terms'  as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. He  held  membership  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  In  1864  became  to  Henderson  County, 
and  here  his  last  days  were  passed.  His  death 
occurred  June  4,  1869,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in 
Warren  County,  by  the  side  of  his  wife,  who 
passed  away  March  16,  1856. 

Under  the  parental  roof  John  I.  Haley  was 
reared  to  manhood.  He  was  a  child  of  only  six 
summers  when  his  parents  came  to  Illinois,  and 
amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  frontier  the  davs  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed.      He  contin- 


ued to  live  at  home  until  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
when,  in  1853,  ne  started  out  in  life  for  himself. 
He  determined  to  seek  a  fortune  in  the  West,  and 
with  ox-teams  he  crossed  the  plains  to  Oregon, 
where  he  spent  about  one  year.  He  then  went  to 
California,  where  he  engaged  in  mining  and  pros- 
pecting. His  venture  proved  a  profitable  one, 
and  altogether  his  trip  was  successful.  He  re- 
mained in  the  West  until  1856,  when  he  returned 
to  Warren  County,  and  there  made  his  home  un- 
til 1864.  In  that  year  Mr.  Haley  came  to  Hen- 
derson Count}-,  and  soon  after  purchased  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  in  Rozetta  Township,  on  which  he 
spent  his  remaining  days.  He  placed  his  land 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  made  many 
good  improvements  upon  his  farm,  which  became 
one  of  the  best  in  the  neighborhood. 

Mr.  Haley  exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party,  but  never  sought 
or  desired  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  other  interests.  He  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  and  his  well- 
directed  efforts  brought  him  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. He  passed  away  on  the  4th  of  June, 
1893,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Oquawka  Cemetery. 


gEORGE  C.  WATSON,  deceased,  who  for 
many  years  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Henderson  County,  was  born  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  on  the  25th  of  November,  18 18.  His  par- 
ents were  George  and  Lucy  (Willis)  Watson. 
The  Watson  family  is  of  Scotch  origin,  and  was 
probably  founded  in  America  during  early  Col- 
onial days. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  El- 
kanah  Watson,  was  a  native  of  Plymouth,  Mass. 
He  published  a  journal  under  the  title  of  "  Men 
and  Times  of  the  American  Revolution,"  and 
from  it  we  glean  the  following  facts:  "During  the 
latter  part  of  the  struggle  for  independence,  when 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Eu- 
rope, where  he  spent  several  years  engaged  in 
merchandising.  During  this  period  he  was  on 
intimate    terms    with    Benjamin    Franklin,   John 


456 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Adams,  and  others  of  the  most  eminent  of  his 
countrymen.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1779, 
in  a  small,  swift-sailing  packet,  constructed  for 
the  purpose  of  conveying  dispatches,  and  landed 
at  St.  Martin's,  at  the  port  of  Rochelle.  After 
his  return  to  America,  he  visited  Gen.  Washing- 
ton at  his  home  in  Mt.  Vernon." 

The  parents  of  our  subject  had  five  sons:  Freder- 
ick, Frank,  Edward,  Charles  and  George  C.  The 
last-named  was  only  an  infant  at  the  time  of  his 
father's  death.  His  mother  afterward  married 
again,  becoming  the  wife  of  Maj.  Leonard,  a  soldier 
who  had  seen  active  sen-ice.  Soon  after  his  father's 
death,  George  C.  Watson  was  taken  to  the  home 
of  his  grandfather,  Nathan  Willis,  in  Massachu- 
setts, and  there  lived  until  thirteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  returned  to  his  native  city. 

When  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  our  subject  be- 
gan earning  his  own  livelihood  by  clerking  in  a 
clothing-store  in  Detroit,  where  he  remained  for 
about  six  years,  a  faithful  and  trusted  employe. 
He  then  secured  a  Government  position,  being 
appointed  Paymaster  for  several  different  forts  in 
Michigan.  He  served  under  his  step-father,  Maj. 
Leonard,  acting  as  assistant  and  clerk.  He  thus 
served  until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  studying  medicine  with  a  physician  of  De- 
troit, and  also  took  a  course  of  lectures  in  that 
city.  He  never  practiced,  however,  circumstances 
causing  him  to  engage  in  other  pursuits.  In 
1844  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  near  that  city 
purchased  a  farm,  upon  which  he  lived  for  seven 
years.  The  two  succeeding  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  near  St.  Louis  as  overseer  of  a  slave  farm, 
and  he  then  again  went  to  St.  Louis.  His  next 
service  was  with  the  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  Rail- 
road Company,  with  which  he  remained  for  a  short 
time,  when,  in  1850,  he  came  to  Henderson 
County. 

Soon  after  his  arrival,  Mr.  Watson  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  his  widow  now  resides.  He 
was  married  on  the  1 9th  of  February  of  that  year 
to  Miss  Catherine  Welch,  daughter  of  Morris  and 
Margaret  (Hogan)  Welch.  The  young  couple 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm,  which  at 
the  time  of  its  purchase  was  wild  and  unim- 
proved land.     It  was  first  bought  by  an  uncle  of 


Mr.  Watson,  as  a  soldier's  claim,  for  $13.  Every 
improvement  upon  the  place  was  the  work  of  our 
subject.  He  transformed  the  wild  tract  into  rich 
and  fertile  fields,  and  erected  a  commodious  resi- 
dence and  all  the  necessary  outbuildings.  For 
many  years  he  successfully  carried  on  farming 
and  stock-raising,  and  his  well-directed  efforts 
brought  him  a  handsome  competence. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  were  born  seven 
children,  namely:  Lucy,  who  died  in  1872;  Frank 
H.,  who  operates  the  home  farm;  George  M., 
who  follows  farming  in  Rozetta  Township;  May; 
Annie;  Mark  and  Charles  D. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Watson  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  always  kept  well  informed  on  the  issues 
of  the  day.  He  was  a  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen,  and  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity always  found  in  him  a  friend.  He  never 
withheld  his  support  from  any  public  enterprise, 
and  all  interests  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit  received  his  hearty  support  and  co-opera- 
tion. He  started  out  in  life  for  himself  empty- 
handed,  but,  possessing  a  resolute  spirit,  he  won 
success,  and  worked  his  way  upward  from  a  hum- 
ble position  to  one  of  affluence.  His  death  oc- 
curred June  3,  1877,  and  his  remains  were  laid  to 
rest  in  Fall  Creek  Cemetery. 


HH^E 


fiJQlLLIAM  J.  REED,  a  retired  farmer,  now 
\  A  /  living  on  section  26,  Rozetta  Township, 
V  Y  Henderson  County,  claims  Kentucky  as 
the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Eliza- 
bethtown,  Hardin  County,  on  the  17th  of  March, 
1829,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Julia  (Merrifield) 
Reed.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  in  an  early  day  went  South.  He  was 
twice  married,  and  by  the  first  union  had  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Rachel,  Elizabeth,  Amanda, 
William  J.,  and  James,  Milton,  George  and  Jane, 
who  are  deceased.  By  his  second  marriage  seven 
children  were  born,  namely:  Emily,  John,  Anth- 
ony, Asel,  Calista,    Annie  and  Joseph. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  early  boy- 
hood days  on  his  father's  farm  in  Kentucky,   and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


457 


attended  the  subscription  schools,  which  were  held 
in  a  log  schoolhouse,  to  which  he  had  to  walk  a 
distance  of  two  miles.  His  privileges  in  that  di- 
rection were  quite  limited,  and  he  is  practically 
self-educated.  When  a  youth  of  twelve  sum- 
mers, he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents,  the 
journey  being  made  by  team.  From  the  Gov- 
ernment his  father  secured  the  farm  on  which 
William  is  now  living.  Here  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, his  time  being  largely  passed  in  farm  work. 
On  attaining  his  majority,  he  started  out  in  life 
for  himself,  and  for  a  short  time  worked  as  a  farm 
hand  by  the  month.  He  then  began  improving 
an  eighty-acre  plot  of  wild  prairie  land,  and 
for  twenty  years  lived  upon  that  farm,  making  it 
one  of  the  valuable  and  desirable  places  in  the 
neighborhood.  At  length,  however,  he  returned 
to  the  old  homestead,  where  he  has  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  acres.  This  is  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  and  well  improved  with  all  modern 
accessories  and  conveniences.  All  of  the  build- 
ings upon  the  place  stand  as  monuments  to  his 
thrift  and  enterprise,  for  they  were  placed  there 
through  his  own  efforts.  Of  late  years  he  has 
lived  a  retired  life,  enjoying  the  rest  which  he  has 
so  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves. 

Mrs.  Reed  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  E. 
Davis,  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth (Sykes)  Davis.  Their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated on  the  nth  of  August,  1854,  and  by  their 
union  were  born  six  children,  but  three  are 
now  deceased.  Henry  died  in  infancy;  Mary 
died  February  28,  1887;  Francis  died  in  infancy; 
Alice  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Salter,  of  Strong- 
hurst;  Delia  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Elwell,  a  Meth- 
odist preacher,  now  living  in  Washington,  Kan.; 
and  Eliza  is  the  wife  of  James  Hays,  and  resides  on 
the  old  homestead. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Reed  was  formerly 
a  Republican,  but  on  account  of  the  strong  tem- 
perance principles  which  he  entertains,  he  has  of 
late  years  supported  the  Prohibition  party.  He 
has  served  as  Road  Commissioner  and  School 
Director,  but  has  preferred  to  give  his  time  and 
attention  to  business  dealings  rather  than  to  pol- 
itics. He  and  his  wife  both  hold  membership 
with  the   Methodist   Episcopal  Church,  and  take 


an  active  part  in  its  work  and  upbuilding.  Dur- 
ing their  long  residence  in  the  county  they  have- 
always  been  numbered  among  its  best'eitizens, 
and  their  true  worth  has  won  them  many  warm 
friends. 

*rRA  W.  BEATY  was  born  on  the  farm  where 
I  he  is  now  living,  on  section  17,  RozettaTown- 
X.  ship,  Henderson  County,  on  the  7th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1834,  and  is  justly  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneers  of  the  community.  Few  men 
have  longer  resided  in  this  locality.  He  has  wit- 
nessed almost  its  entire  growth  and  development, 
has  seen  its  wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful 
homes  and  farms,  and  watched  with  interest  the 
advance  of  progress  and  civilization,  which  has 
placed  the  county  among  the  foremost  in  this  great 
commonwealth.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Will- 
iam Beaty,  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  When  a 
young  man  he  left  that  State,  removing  to  Ohio, 
and  some  years  later  he  became  a  resident  of  In- 
diana, where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1830, 
when  he  came  to  Henderson  County,  locating  at 
the  fort  about  two  miles  from  his  present  farm. 
In  the  same  spring  he  made  a  claim,  becoming 
owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on 
section  17,  Rozetta  Township,  where  our  subject 
now  resides.  He  paid  the  usual  Government 
price,  $1.25  per  acre,  and  at  once  began  clearing 
it  of  the  timber  with  which  it  was  largely  covered. 
He  erected  a  log  cabin,  18x22  feet,  and  this  prim- 
itive home  is  still  standing,  one  of  the  few  land- 
marks of  pioneer  days  that  yet  remain. 

At  that  time  the  Indians  still  lived  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  frequently  occasioned  consider- 
able trouble  with  the  settlers.  Mr.  Beaty  served 
in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  which  resulted  in  driv- 
ing the  red  men  from  this  locality.  He  made  a 
trip  with  ox-teams  to  St.  Louis  for  provisions,  and 
experienced  many  of  the  other  difficulties  of  fron- 
tier life.  In  an  early  day  he  was  interested  in  the 
organization  of  the  township,  aided  in  laying  out 
the  roads,  and  in  organizing  the  first  school  of  the 
neighborhood.     He  held  the  office  of  School  Treas- 


45» 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


urer  and  School  Director,  supported  the  Republi- 
can part}-,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church. 

Mr.  Beaty  was  twice  married.  He  first  wedded 
Mary  Pence,  and  to  them  were  born  three  chil- 
dren: David,  Rachel,  and  Ezra,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased. After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  he  mar- 
ried Jane  T.  Russell,  and  they  had  six  children:  Ira 
\\\;  Eli.,  of  Mediapolis,  Iowa;  John  and  George, 
both  deceased ;  Sarah,  who  died  in  1872;  and  Mary, 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  father  of  this  family 
passed  away  May  18,  1868,  and  his  remains  were 
interred  in  the  Baptist  Cemetery  of  Rozetta  Town- 
ship. His  wife  is  still  living,  in  her  eighty-eighth 
year. 

Within  the  boundaries  of  the  home  farm  Ira 
W.  Beaty  passed  his  boyhood  days  midst  play  and 
work.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the  sub- 
scription schools,  which  he  attended  until  nineteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  and  his  brothers  took  charge 
of  the  old  homestead.  In  connection  with  his 
brother  George,  he  owns  the  original  tract  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  has  an  addition  to 
this  land  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  acres.  The  entire  farm  is  under  the  personal 
supervision  of  our  subject.  The  land  is  a  valuable 
tract,  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  is  im- 
proved with  all  the  accessories  and  conveniences  of 
a  model  farm.  In  connection  with  general  farming 
he  also  carries  on  stock-raising. 

During  the  late  war,  Ira  Beaty  manifested  his 
loyalty  to  the  Government  by  enlisting  in  the  Un- 
ion sendee,  on  the  8th  of  August,  1862,  as  a  pri- 
vate of  Company  K,  Eighty -fourth  Illinois  Infan- 
try. He  was  mustered  in  at  Biggsville,  and  going 
to  the  front  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Perryville, 
Stone  River,  Woodbury,  Chickamauga,  Lookout 
Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  Ringgold,  Dalton, 
Buzzard's  Roost,  Resaca,  Burnt  Hickory,  Kenne- 
saw  Mountain,  Smyrna,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  Love- 
joy,  Franklin  and  Nashville,  and  many  others  of 
lesser  importance.  When  the  war  was  over  he  was 
honorably  discharged  from  the  sendee  in  Spring- 
field, 111.,  June  8,  1865.  His  brother  George,  who 
was  six  years  his  junior,  was  always  his  companion 
through  life.  They  attended  school  together,  en- 
listed the  same  time,  in   the  same  company,  and 


were  in  all  the  battles  together.  When  the  war 
was  over  they  returned  home  and  then  engaged 
in  business  together.  George  was  married  Feb- 
ruary 29,  1872,  to  Miss  Susan  Helton,  and  they 
all  lived  upon  the  same  farm,  the  brothers  contin- 
uing their  business  partnership  until  the  death  of 
George  Beaty,  March  28,  1892.  He  was  laid  to 
rest  beside  his  parents,  and  many  warm  friends 
mourned  his  loss,  for  he  lived  an  honorable,  up- 
right life,  and  all  who  knew  him  respected  him. 
His  widow  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead. 

Ira  W.  Beaty  holds  membership  with  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity.  In  politics,  he  has  been  a 
Republican  since  the  organization  of  the  party. 
He  possessess  good  business  and  executive  abil- 
ity, and  in  his  career  he  has  met  with  prosperity, 
becoming  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community.  He  also  manifests  an  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  local- 
it}-,  for  the  advancement  and  the  progress  of  his 
native  county  are  dear  to  him.  George  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic, in  good  standing. 


30HN  LAIRD,  deceased,  who  for  some  years 
successfully  engaged  in  farming  in  Hender- 
son County,  and  is  numbered  among  its 
highly  respected  citizens,  claimed  Ireland  as  the 
land  of  his  birth.  He  was  born  in  County  Done- 
gal, and  there  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  At  length  he  determined  to  seek  a  home 
in  the  New  World,  and  in  1840,  having  bade  adieu 
to  home  and  friends,  he  crossed  the  broad  Atlan- 
tic to  America  in  a  sailing-vessel  and  landed  in 
New  York.  For  some  years  he  remained  in  the 
Empire  State,  there  making  his  home  until  185 1, 
when  he  resumed  his  westward  journey  and  came 
to  Henderson  County,  111.  The  following  year 
he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  his  widow  yet 
resides. 

Mr.  Laird  was  twice  married.  His  first  union 
was  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Wasson,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  three  children,  Ralph,  James 
and  William,   but  all  are  now  deceased.     After 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


459 


the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Laird  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Mar- 
garet Yenable,  daughter  of  James  and  Ellen  (Ew- 
ing)  Yenable.  The  lady  is  also  a  native  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  her  birth  having  occurred  in  Coun- 
ty Tyrone.  She  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  her  native  land,  and  there  grew  to  wo- 
manhood. The  year  1856  witnessed  her  arrival 
in  Mercer  County,  and  on  the  23d  of  August, 
1857,  she  became  the  wife  of  John  Laird.  By 
their  union  were  born  eight  children,  six  sons 
and  two  daughters:  George,  who  is  now  engaged 
in  the  livery  business  in  Little  York,  111.;  Jennie, 
who  resides  in  Little  York :  Ralph, at  home;  Joseph, 
who  is  living  in  Henderson  County:  Charles;  Lee; 
Stella  and  William.  The  younger  members  of 
the  family  are  still  with  their  mother. 

On  purchasing  his  land,  Mr.  Laird  at  once  be- 
gan its  development  and  transformed  it  into  a 
good  farm,  placing  it  all  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  improving  it  with  the  necessary- 
buildings,  fences  and  other  accessories  of  a  model 
farm.  He  was  an  industrious  and  energetic  man, 
and  everywhere  about  his  place  could  be  seen 
evidences  of  his  thrift  and  enterprise.  In  his 
political  views,  he  was  a  Democrat,  but  never  as- 
pired to  public  office.  Socially,  he  was  connected 
with  Keithsburg  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M..  and 
held  membership  with  the  Unite'd  Presbyterian 
Church.  He  was  a  loyal  citizen,  ever  interested 
in  what  tended  to  advance  the  general  welfare, 
was  a  true  and  faithful  friend,  and  a  loving  hus- 
band and  father.  He  passed  away  on  the  21st  of 
January,  1889,  and  his  loss  was  deeply  mourned 
throughout  the  community.  Mrs.  Laird  and  five 
of  her  children  are  still  living  on  the  homestead 
which  was  left  her  bv  her  husband. 


i^HM 


ROBERT  H.  BARNES,  President  of  the  Rari- 
tan  Exchange  Bank,  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  Raritan,  was  born  in 
La  Harpe,  Hancock  County.  111.,  April  29,  1849, 
and  is  a  son  of  Harrison  and  Man'  (Coulson) 
Barnes.     The  father  was  born  in  Madison  County, 


X.  Y.,  April  1,  1820,  and  in  1837  came  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  in  Hancock  County.  The  trip  was 
made  by  team  across  the  country.  For  a  time  he 
engaged  in  driving  a  stage  between  Oquawka, 
Peoria  and  Monmouth,  and  in  1839  went  to  the 
pineries  of  Minnesota,  where,  with  ten  others,  he 
engaged  in  lumbering  on  the  St.  Croix  River. 
The  Indians  were  exasperated  at  this  intrusion, 
and  drove  the  white  settlers  away,  but  as  they 
were  leaving  they  were  met  by  Government 
agents,  who  were  sent  to  make  the  first  payments 
for  the  land  to  the  red  men.  Mr.  Barnes  after- 
ward returned  and  spent  eleven  months  there, 
being  kindly  treated.  When  he  again  came  to 
Illinois,  he  located  in  Peoria,  and  engaged  in 
staging  from  that  point  to  Burlington,  Iowa. 
In  184S  he  went  to  La  Harpe,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade  of  harness-making,  and  also  engaged 
in  dealing  in  wagons  and  carriages.  This  busi- 
ness proved  quite  profitable.  He  also  owned  the 
first  newspaper  in  La  Harpe.  In  1853  he  was 
elected  Constable  and  served  for  about  four  years. 
He  was  Deputy  Sheriff  twelve  years,  City  Mar- 
shal nine  years,  Mayor  two  terms,  and  was  Al- 
derman for  a  number  of  years.  Since  1873  he 
has  acceptably  and  creditably  filled  the  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  also  deals  in  horses, 
selling  from  four  to  five  hundred  a  year. 

In  1S44,  Harrison  Barnes  wedded  Mary  Coul- 
son, who  was  born  in  Greenville,  Pa.,  February 
25,  1828,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom 
Robert  H.  is  the  eldest.  Ephyshro  died  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  years;  Benjamin  F.  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  harness  business  in  Mercer  Coun- 
ty, 111.;  Edward  O.  is  represented  elsewhere  in 
this  work;  Harry,  a  printer  by  trade,  is  now  liv- 
ing in  California;  and  two  children  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

In  the  common  schools  Robert  Barnes  was  edu- 
cated, and  under  the  parental  roof  was  reared. 
About  the  time  he  attained  his  majority  he  went 
to  Arkansas  and  Tennessee  for  his  health,  spend- 
ing two  years  in  the  South,  during  a  portion  of 
which  time  he  was  overseer  on  a  large  planta- 
tion, having  charge  of  about  ninety  men.  He 
then   returned  to  La  Harpe,   and  on  the  19th  of 


460 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


March,  1871,  married  Miss  Julia  Butler,  of  Rari- 
tan  Township.  With  his  bride  he  then  removed 
to  Tennessee,  settling  near  Memphis,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  for  about  a  year,  and  then 
returned  to  Illinois.  In  1872  he  embarked  in  the 
saddlery  and  harness  business  in  Raritan,  and  in 
1876  added  a  stock  of  hardware  and  agricultural 
implements.  In  1880  he  also  opened  a  furniture 
department,  and  along  these  lines  has  secured  a 
large  and  lucrative  trade,  doing  a  profitable  busi- 
ness. In  1876  he  also  established  a  paper,  called 
the  Bulletin.  It  was  seven  by  six  inches,  and 
the  subscription  price  was  ten  cents  per  year,  but 
after  six  months  he  enlarged  it  to  a  five-column, 
four-page  paper,  which  he  published  for  seven 
years.  He  then  sold  out,  with  the  intention  of 
going  to  Kansas,  but,  changing  his  mind,  he  re- 
turned to  Raritan,  and  embarked  in  the  implement 
business,  which  he  conducted  until  1893,  when 
he  sold  out.  In  1889  he  established  a  private 
bank,  and  three  years  later  formed  a  stock  com- 
pany, which  is  now  engaged  in  the  banking 
business.  Mr.  Barnes  is  its  President,  and  the 
success  of  the  business  is  practically  due  to  his 
efforts.  He  also  owns  and  operates  a  farm,  which 
is  well  improved. 

In  1877,  Mr.  Barnes  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  18th  of  Sep- 
tember, leaving  a  daughter,  Julia,  who  makes 
her  home  with  her  maternal  grandparents.  Mr. 
Barnes  was  again  married,  March  17,  1880,  his 
second  union  being  with  Miss  Ida  M.  Beard, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Beard,  of  Raritan.  They  have 
had  two  children:  Jettie,  who  died  in  infancy;  and 
Artie  R.,  at  home. 

Mr.  Barnes  is  prominent  in  political,  business, 
church  and  social  circles.  He  votes  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic Central  Committee.  He  is  now  serving  as 
Notary  Public,  has  for  some  time  been  School 
Director,  and  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in  the 
cause  of  education.  He  holds  membership  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  is  a  consist- 
ent member  of  the  Christian  Church.  He  is  now 
serving  as  one  of  its  Deacons,  and  contributes  lib- 
erally to  its  support,  having  probably  done  more 


for  its  upbuilding  than  any  other  of  its  members. 
He  is  well  fitted  for  leadership  along  these  vari- 
ous lines,  for  he  carries  forward  to  a  successful 
completion  whatever  he  undertakes,  and  he  un- 
dertakes nothing  that  is  not  calculated  to  benefit 
the  community,  either  in  a  financial  or  moral  way. 

6~  ""  ej<''r">s=!S  ^ 

EWIS  IRA  HUTCHINS,  editor  and  pub- 
It  lisher  of  the  Henderson  County  Democrat^  of 
|_J  Oquawka,  has  been  engaged  in  his  present 
line  of  business  since  1890,  and  is  now  at  the  head 
of  one  of  the  leading  newspapers  of  this  part  of 
the  State.  A  native  of  Illinois,  he  was  born  in 
Washington  Township,  Carroll  County,  on  the 
14th  of  June,  1868.  His  father,  Samuel  Hutch- 
ins,  was  born  in  Conneaut,  Ashtabula  County, 
Ohio,  in  October,  1828,  and  in  1848  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Amanda  South  worth.  She 
was  a  native  of  the  State  of  Vermont,  and  went  to 
Ohio  with  her  parents  when  two  years  of  age. 
The}'  became  the  parents  of  four  children:  Helen, 
wife  of  William  Hunter,  a  farmer  of  Everly,  Iowa; 
William  A.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  in  Orangeville,  111.;  Olive  E.,  at  home; 
and  Lewis  Ira.  The  father  of  this  family,  who  is 
an  agriculturist,  came  to  Illinois  in  1833,  locat- 
ing near  Galena,  and  in  1870  removed  to  Steph- 
enson County,  locating  upon  a  farm. 

In  that  locality,  L.  I.  Hutchins  spent  the  days 
of  his  bo5'hood  and  youth,  attending  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  through  the  winter 
season,  while  in  the  summer  months  he  aided  in 
the  labors  of  the  farm,  plowing,  planting  and 
cultivating  the  land  until  seventeen  years  of  age. 
He  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Orangeville,  111.,  whither  they  went  on 
account  of  the  better  educational  facilities  there 
afforded.  While  in  Orangeville,  Lewis  spent  one 
year  in  the  High  School,  and  later  pursued  his 
studies  for  some  time  in  the  Northern  Illinois 
College,  at  Dakota,  111. 

In  1886,  Mr.  Hutchins  began  teaching  school, 
and  was  thus  employed  for  two  years.  In  1888, 
at   the   age  of  twenty    years,  he   established  the 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSI1Y  OF  ILLINOi: 

URBANA 


Isaac   Forward 


Mrs.   Isaac    Forward 


LIBRARY 

UNWlRS^0f^0b 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


463 


Courier,  a  newspaper  of  Orangeville,  which  he 
continued  to  edit  for  a  year.  In  1890,  desiring 
to  publish  a  paper  in  the  interests  of  a  political 
party,  he  purchased  the  Henderson  County  Demo- 
crat, ofOquawka,  and  has  since  been  in  charge 
of  the  same.  He  takes  an  active  part  in  political 
affairs,  warmly  advocating  the  principles  of  the 
Democracy,  and  lias  attended  its  local,  State  and 
National  conventions,  usually  as  a  delegate.  He 
served  as  Assistant  Enrolling  Clerk  of  the  House 
in  the  Thirty-eighth  General  Assembly,  in  Spring- 
field,  111.,  during  the  winter  of  1S93.  He  has 
been  Secretary  of  the  County  Democratic  Central 
Committee  for  many  years,  and  works  earnestly 
in  behalf  of  his  party,  doing  all  in  his  power  to 
promote  its  growth  and  insure  its  success.  He 
also  takes  an  active  interest  in  everything  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  the  community,  and  is  a 
public-spirited  and  enterprising  citizen.  Socially, 
Ik-  is  a  member  of  Oquawka  Lodge  No.  123,  A. 
F.  .N:  A.  M.  His  religious  sympathy  is  with  the 
Christian  Church,  of  which  his  parents  are  mem- 
bers. He  is  a  great  lover  of  books  and  works  of 
art,  and  is  an  earnest  student  of  the  best  litera- 
ture. 

b  <T'  ■?  ">  Wr® —        S 


•JTSAAC  FORWARD,  one  of  the  extensive  stock- 
I  dealers  and  farmers  of  Henderson  County, 
X  now  living  in  South  Henderson  Precinct,  was 
born  on  the  23d  of  March,  1817,  in  Sussex,  Eng- 
land. His  father,  Robert  Forward,  a  son  of 
Robert  Forward,  who  was  also  a  son  of  Robert 
Forward,  was  a  native  of  Sussex,  England,  born 
May  24,  1789.  His  entire  life  was  there  passed. 
On  the  1  2th  of  December,  1809,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Waters,  who  was  born 
in  Sussex,  April  23,  1786.  Robert  Forward  held 
the  positon  of  head  game-keeper  on  the  three- 
thousand-acre  estate  of  Rev.  Richard  Wetherell. 
In  his  family  were  twelve  children,  eleven  of 
whom  grew  to  mature  years  and  were  married, 
namely:  Robert,  who  was  born  October  26,  18 10; 
Mrs.  Ann  Rose,  August  7,  1S12;  William,  No- 
vember 29,  1 8 13;  Mrs.  Rebecca  Cottington,  May 
26,   1815;    Isaac,    March   23,    181 7;  Jonah,  June 

24 


10,  1819;  Mrs.  Mary  Mepham,  March  10,  182 1; 
Daniel,  September  16,  1823;  Joseph,  July  31, 
1826;  Hannah,  February  13,  1828;  Elizabeth, 
July  12,  1829;  and  Mrs.  Fannie  Wood,  May  2, 
1  S3 1.  Five  of  the  sons  and  three  of  the  daugh- 
ters crossed  the  Atlantic  and  became  residents  of 
America. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  who,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two,  when  his  father  was  made  Mr. 
Wetherell's  bailiff,  became  head  game-keeper 
of  the  estate,  which  position  he  held  for  two 
years.  He  then  chose  as  a  companion  and 
helpmate  on  life's  journey  Miss  Sarah  John- 
son, who  was  born  July  25,  1821,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Baker)  John- 
son, natives  of  England.  Their  marriage  was 
celebrated  on  the  30th  of  March,  1841,  and  five 
days  later  they  started  for  America.  With  the 
hope  of  being  benefited  thereby,  they  resolved  to 
seek  a  home  and  fortune  in  the  New  World,  and 
took  passage  on  the  sailing-vessel,  "  Prince 
George,"  which,  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks, 
landed  them  safely  on  the  shores  of  the  New 
World. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forward  first  located  in  Madison 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  engaged  in  raising  hops, 
following  that  business  for  eleven  years.  The 
spring  of  1852  witnessed  their  arrival  in  Illinois, 
and  for  two  years  they  resided  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State.  In  1 854  they  came  to  Oquawka, 
where  Mr.  Forward  made  his  home  for  twelve 
years,  and  then  moved  to  his  present  location. 
The  marriage  of  this  worthy  couple  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children:  Olive  M.,  who  was 
born  February  20,  1843;  and  Charles  R.,  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1846.  Charles  R.  Forward  married 
Martha  E.  Kemp,  of  Henderson  County,  Decem- 
ber 25,  1867.  They  have  four  living  children, 
namely:  Isaac  F.,  who  married  Jennie  Johnson, 
September  22,  1892,  and  has  one  son,  Frank  C; 
and  Fannie,  Olive  and  Martha.  Mrs.  Isaac  For- 
ward was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  2 2d  of 
June,  1892,  and  her  loss  was  deeply  mourned,  for 
she  was  a  kind  and  faithful  friend,  and  a  loving 
and  tender  wife  and   mother. 

Since  living  in   Henderson   County,    Mr.  For- 


464 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ward  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  stock-deal- 
ing, and  has  been  very  successful  in  his  under- 
taking, so  that  he  has  now  acquired  a  handsome 
competence,  that  enables  him  to  secure  all  the 
comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  His 
possessions  have  all  been  acquired  through  his 
own  industrious  efforts  and  the  able  assistance  of 
his  wife,  who  proved  to  him  a  true  helpmate. 
Indolence  and  idleness  are  utterly  foreign  to  his 
nature,  and  his  untiring  labors  and  judicious 
management  have  brought  him  a  valuable  prop- 
erty. For  forty  years,  Mr.  Forward  has  resided 
in  this  community,  during  which  time  he  has  be- 
come widely  and  favorably  known;  therefore  it  is 
with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  this 
record  of  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  the 
community. 

s S=S)<  ?  >L=  *  (SI 

<y*"HOMAS  CORWIN  SMITH,  of  Oquawka. 
f  C  is  numbered  among  the  long-time  residents 
\~/  of  this  town,  and  is  among  its  most  re- 
spected and  substantial  citizens.  His  grandfa- 
ther, James  Smith,  was  born  on  the  ocean  while 
his  parents  were  sailing  from  Ireland  to  America, 
and  was  reared  in  Pennsylvania.  In  the  year 
1800  he  settled  on  the  Little  Miami  River,  thirty 
miles  above  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Indians  were  then 
numerous  in  that  region,  and  his  son,  Thomas 
Paxton  Smith,  then  ten  years  old,  subsequently 
served  as  a  scout  under  Gen.  Scott,  in  the  war- 
fare with  Indians  in  Ohio. 

Thomas  P.  Smith,  born  in  1790,  passed  his  en- 
tire life,  after  he  was  ten  years  old,  in  Ohio,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  three  years  which  he  spent 
in  the  pork-packing  business  in  Cincinnati,  was 
engaged  in  farming  at  Lebanon.  He  was  one  of 
a  family  of  four  sons  and  a  like  number  of  daugh- 
ters. His  father,  James  Smith,  died  there  in 
1838,  and  the  son  in  1853,  at  the  age  of  six- 
ty-three years.  Nancy  Paxton,  wife  of  James 
Smith,  was  born  near  Paris,  Ky.,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Jonas  and  Esther  Paxton,  probably  of 
Trish  or  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Jonas  Paxton  was 
a  pioneer   settler   of  Kentucky,  and    received    a 


wound  from  the  red  men  in  one  of  their  encounters, 
from  the  effects  of  which  he  never  recovered. 
One  of  his  sons,  Joseph  Paxton,  was  for  many 
years  engaged  in  the  slave  trade  about  Paris,  Ky. 
Being  convinced  of  the  iniquity  of  the  traffic,  he 
at  last  abandoned  it,  and  settled  on  a  farm  at 
Lebanon,  Ohio,  where  he  passed  the  last  days  of 
his  life. 

Thomas  C.  Smith  is  the  fourth  in  a  family  of 
four  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  was  reared  on 
a  farm  at  Lebanon.  The  schools  of  that  region, 
in  the  days  of  his  boyhood,  were  partially  support- 
ed by  a  public  fund,  and  he  received  a  fair  com- 
mon-school education.  He  wasof  a  studious  mind, 
and  made  good  use  of  his  opportunities.  His 
father  promised  him  that  when  he  could  read 
well  he  would  present  him  with  a  good  book, 
and  this  prize  was  secured  when  he  reached  the 
age  of  nine  years,  it  being  the  "Life  of  Gen.  Ma- 
rion," of  Revolutionary  fame.  Books  were  not 
plentiful  in  those  days  in  that  region,  and  this 
volume  was  repeatedly  perused  by  its  proud  owner, 
until  he  could  repeat  much  of  its  contents  ver- 
batim:. Throughout  his  life,  the  studious  habits 
then  formed  have  been  maintained,  and  he  is  al- 
ways found  to  be  well  informed  upon  any  topic 
of  general  interest.  Though  his  parents,  who 
were  religious  and  worthy  people,  were  convinced 
of  the  right  of  the  white  people  to  enslave  the 
blacks,  he  was  influenced  by  reading  and  conver- 
sations with  his  uncle — the  ex-slave-trader — to 
repudiate  that  doctrine  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
among  the  first  to  denounce  this  blot  upon  our 
nation,  and  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  war 
for  the  suppression  of  slavery.  Since  its  organi- 
zation, he  has  been  found  among  the  loyal  ad- 
herents of  the  Republican  party  and  its  principles. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  years,  Mr.  Smith  began 
serving  a  three-years  term  at  the  trade  of  coach- 
maker  in  his  native  town,  and,  after  completing 
his  apprenticeship,  continued  for  some  time  as  a 
journeyman  at  the  same  place.  In  1852  he  de- 
cided to  move  westward,  and  cast  in  his  lot  with 
the  pioneers  of  Illinois.  Building  operations  were 
then  brisk  at  Oquawka,  and  he  at  once  found  em- 
ployment in  that  line,  which  he  continued  almost 
without    interruption    until    1872.      In    1854   he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


465 


again  moved  westward,  going  from  New  York, 
by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.  He  found  the  State  thronged  with 
mechanics,  many  of  whom  were  glad  to  work  for 
their  board,  and  after  staying  a  year  there,  in  the 
vain  search  for  remunerative  employment,  he  re- 
turned by  the  same  route  to  New  York,  and  thence 
to  Oquawka.  In  both  journeys  he  walked  across 
the  Isthmus.  The  years  1856  and  1857  he  spent 
in  Chicago,  working  in  a  carpenter  shop  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  State  and  Congress  Streets — 
the  present  site  of  the  most  magnificent  depart- 
ment store  in  America. 

Returning  to  Oquawka,  he  continued  building 
operations,  much  of  the  time  as  a  contractor,  un- 
til 1872,  when  he  opened  a  hotel,  and  has  ever 
since  conducted  a  home  for  the  traveling  public. 
To  the  house  which  was  his  residence  he  added 
until  he  is  prepared  to  provide  comfortably  for  all 
who  call  upon  him.  The  original  structure  has 
been  built  for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  was 
the  most  pretentious  and  substantial  dwelling  in 
the  county  at  the  time  of  its  erection.  It  is  con- 
structed of  red  brick,  and  occupies  a  pleasant  site 
overlooking  the  Mississippi  River. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1857,  Mr.  Smith  was 
married  to  Miss  Frances  Cordelia  Richards,  a 
native  of  Henderson  County,  and  daughter  of 
Jonas  and  Elizabeth  (Fouts)  Richards,  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Mrs.  Smith's  parents  were  among  the 
pioneers  of  the  county,  coming  in  May,  1838,  to 
township  8,  range  5,  where  they  continued  to  re- 
side until  the  death  of  the  father,  June  7,  1849, 
at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  The  mother  died  at 
the  residence  of  Mr.  Smith,  in  Oquawka,  on  the 
24th  of  June,  1882,  having  nearly  completed  her 
eighty-third  year.  To  the  aid  of  his  wife,  who 
keeps  the  house  in  perfect  order,  Mr.  Smith  is 
partially  indebted  for  his  success  as  a  landlord. 
Two  children  have  been  given  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith:  Arthur  Henry  and  Effie  Afton.  The  lat- 
ter is  the  wife  of  Louis  Miller,  proprietor  of  a 
general  store  at  San  Diego,  Cal. ,  and  is  the 
mother  of  one  child,  Effie  Frances  Miller,  the  de- 
light of  her  grandparents. 

Mr.  Smith  adheres  to  the  religious  faith  of 
his    mother,    that   of    the    Methodist    Episcopal 


Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
being  one  of  the  charter  members  of  William  B. 
Warren  Lodge  No.  209,  Chicago,  111.  He  has 
always  been  an  eager  hunter,  and,  until  recently 
disabled  by  a  severe  attack  of  fever,  has  exacted 
tribute  from  the  wild  flocks  of  the  Mississippi 
River  and  Illinois  prairies.  His  library  furnishes 
interesting  and  instructive  reading  to  the  way- 
farer, and  his  conversation  is  replete  with  valua- 
ble reminiscences. 

E  LINTON  SAMUEL  CAMPBELL,  one  of  the 
progressive  and  successful  farmers  of  La 
Harpe  Township,  Hancock  County,  is  now 
living  on  section  28.  He  was  born  near  Win- 
chester, Scott  County,  111.,  January  22,  1839,  and 
traces  his  ancestry  back  to  Scotland.  James 
Campbell,  his  grandfather,  was  born  March  n, 
1775,  and  in  October,  1808,  removed  from  Ken- 
tucky to  Tennessee.  He  was  married  December 
21,  1803,  to  Peggy  Berry,  who  was  born  Decem- 
ber 4,  1782.  They  became  the  parents  often 
children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters.  In  1839, 
they  removed  with  their  family  to  Morgan  Coun- 
ty, 111.  Mr.  Campbell  died  August  2,  1840,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  February  17,  1869.  The 
maternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were  Samuel 
and  Elizabeth  Moore.  The  former  was  born  May 
17,  1763,  and  died  November  3,  1852.  His  wife 
was  born  February  11,  1 77 1 ,  and  died  August  9, 
1S38.  They  always  lived  in  Kentucky  and  Tenn- 
essee. The  father  of  our  subject,  Samuel  F. 
Campbell,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  February  29, 
1808,  and  after  attaining  to  mature  years  he  mar- 
ried Nancy  Turner  Moore,  who  was  born  in  Tenn- 
essee April  8,  1816.  Their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated on  the  1  ith  of  March,  1834,  and  immedi- 
ately afterward  they  started  for  Illinois,  intending 
to  make  their  home  in  this  inviting  State.  The 
journey  was  made  in  a  covered  wagon  drawn  by  a 
yoke  of  oxen,  and  with  a  horse  hitched  to  the  end 
of  the  wagon-tongue.  After  three  weeks  of  travel 
they  reached  Morgan  County,  and  then  began  the 
arduous  task    of  clearing  a  farm  and    making  a 


46b 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


home  in  the  forest,  Mr.  Campbell  thinking,  as  did 
others,  that  the  prairies  were  unsuited  for  settle- 
ment. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  became  the  par- 
ents of  fourteen  children,  eight  of  whom  are  yet 
living,  namely:  William  M.,  who  resides  near  Ab- 
ilene, Kan.;  James  H.,  of  Morgan  County,  111.; 
Clinton  S.,  of  this  sketch;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ann 
Dickinson,  of  Salem,  Ore.;  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Mitch- 
ell, of  Waverly,  111.;  Louis  B.,  of  Abilene,  Kan.; 
Mrs.  Eliza  Ellen  McKinny,  of  Lynnville,  111.; 
John  B.,  of  LaCrosse,  111.;  Orpha  M.,  who  died 
September  14,  1843;  John  W.,  who  died  April  12, 
1S46;  Jefferson  B.,  who  died  September  19,  1873; 
Mary  Lucinda,  whose  death  occurred  December 
21,  1859;  and  Hannah,  who  passed  away  Decem- 
ber 28,  1861. 

Clinton  S.  Campbell  attended  the  common 
schools  but  little.  During  his  childhood  he  was  a 
student  in  what  was  known  as  the  old  Hickory 
Schoolhouse,  located  about  four  or  five  miles 
southwest  of  Winchester.  There  Wilson  Mich- 
ener  reigned  supreme.  He  taught  the  scholars 
little,  and  believed  in  the  old  maxim  that  sparing 
the  rod  is  spoiling  the  child.  Young  Campbell 
received  a  whipping  his  first  day  at  school  by  way 
of  initiation.  The  schoolhouse  had  a  puncheon 
floor  and  slab  seats,  and  a  desk  ran  along  one  side 
of  the  room.  When  our  subject  was  about  four- 
teen years  of  age  his  father  removed  to  Cass  Coun- 
ty, and  for  three  years  he  did  not  attend  school, 
being  kept  busy  on  the  farm.  He  then  entered  a 
winter  school,  and  in  a  scuffle  sprained  an  ankle. 
For  some  weeks  he  was  forced  to  remain  at  home, 
and  during  that  time  he  learned  his  once  uninter- 
esting studies,  which  were  attractive  and  profita- 
ble. He  made  rapid  progress,  and  was  soon  rec- 
ognized as  one  of  the  best  scholars  of  the  commu- 
nity. He  took  up  higher  mathematics  and  some 
of  the  sciences,  and  his  aptness  for  books  led  him 
to  engage  in  teaching.  He  completed  one  term 
for  a  teacher  who  had  been  taken  ill,  and  then 
was  hired  to  teach  the  Hitt  School  for  six  months, 
at  $30  per  month.  Here  he  was  very  successful, 
and  the  next  winter  his  wages  were  doubled.  Af- 
ter the  close  of  his  second  year  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  for  three  years  was  engaged  in  teach- 
ing in  St.  Helena  and  Calistoga,  in  Napa  County. 


There  it  was  that  Mr.  Campbell  met  and  mar- 
ried his  first  wife,  Frances  Louisa  Kellogg.  Their 
wedding  was  celebrated  August  29,  1865,  and  the 
lady  died  June  6,  1867.  Shortly  after,  Mr.  Camp- 
bell returned  to  Illinois  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  and  the  following  winter  taught  the 
Campbell  School.  In  the  spring  of  1868,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  J.  H.,  he  bought  the  old 
home  farm.  On  the  22d  of  September  of  the  same 
year,  our  subject  married  Mary  Anne  Eyre,  and  in 
October,  1870,  removed  to  the  farm  known  as  the 
Aunt  Nancy  Jones  farm,  on  which  he  lived  for 
fourteen  years.  In  1885  he  came  to  Hancock 
County  (a  change  he  was  led  to  make  in  order  to 
obtain  better  church  and  school  privileges),  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  owns  one  of  its 
most  valuable  farms,  and  his  home  is  one  of  the 
finest  country  residences  in  the  county. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Campbell,  John  and  Anne 
Eyre,  were  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England,  and 
came  to  America  in  1843.  They  located  near 
Lynnville,  Morgan  County,  111.,  and  there  Mr. 
Eyre  embarked  in  farming,  but  in  his  native  land 
he  was  employed  in  the  celebrated  Rogers  Cut- 
lery Works.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  have 
been  born  the  following  children:  George  E., 
born  July  9,  1869;  Frank  L.,  born  February  1, 
1871 ;  John  S.,  born  May  27,  1872;  Annie  L.,  born 
July  27,  1877;  Ella  W.,  born  January  22,  1880; 
Allan  Berry,  born  July  20,  1884.  The  mother 
was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  November  4, 
1840.  The  parents  and  five  of  their  children  are 
members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  Mr.  Camp- 
bell has  served  as  one  of  its  Elders  since  1886.  He 
also  frequently  occupies  the  pulpit  in  the  absence 
of  the  regular  pastor,  and  is  a  speaker  of  no  mean 
merit.  He  has  served  as  School  Director,  as  a 
member  of  the  City  Council,  and  was  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  six  years,  but  it  has  been  his  en- 
deavor to  keep  out  of  office.  When  a  young  man 
he  was  fond  of  discussion,  and  became  a  ready  off- 
hand debater.  He  takes  quite  an  active  interest 
in  political  affairs,  keeping  himself  well  informed 
on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  despises  affectation, 
and  in  manner  is  plain  and  unassuming.  He  has 
always  believed  idleness  to  be  the  curse  of  the 
country,  and  keeps  himself  and  those  around  him 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


467 


ever  busy,  and  in  consequence  of  his  industry  he 
has  prospered  in  his  undertakings.  He  has  been 
a  great  reader  of  good  books,  and  has  thus  be- 
come a  broad-minded  man.  He  never  caters  to 
public  opinion,  but  after  careful  consideration  acts 
on  his  own  judgment. 

RS.  MARY  GRAY  has  always  lived  in 
Henderson  County,  and  has  a  pleasant  and 
comfortable  home  in  Gladstone  Township. 
She  was  bom  in  this  county  on  the  22d  of  Sep- 
tember, i860,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Anna  (Griffith)  Roberts.  Her  parents  were  both 
natives  of  England,  and  in  that  country  were 
reared  and  married.  In  June,  1S54,  they  were 
joined  in  wedlock,  and  after  some  years  they 
crossed  the  briny  deep  to  the  New  World.  Their 
first  location  was  in  Henderson  County,  where 
Mrs.  Roberts  has  since  lived.  Mr.  Roberts 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  with  good  success 
until  his  death,  and  by  his  enterprise  and  industry 
became  the  possessor  of  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence. His  death  occurred  November  25,  1875. 
His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  yet  living  in 
township  10,  range  6.  Further  mention  of  this 
worthy  couple  is  made  on  another  page  of  this 
work. 

Mrs.  Gray,  of  this  sketch,  is  the  fifth  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  nine  children:  Thomas, 
born  July  2,  1855;  William,  April  2,  1856; 
George,  September  19,  1857;  Hannah,  who  was 
born  November  26,  1858,  and  is  the  wife  of 
Arthur  Gray;  Mary,  of  this  sketch;  Mrs.  Emma 
Russell,  born  November  29,  1862;  Annie,  Febru- 
ary 15,  1864;  Mrs.  Sallie  Walburn,  April  29, 
1868;  and  Arthur,  born  on  the  19th  of  November, 
1871. 

In  a  quiet  manner  Mrs.  Gray  spent  her 
maidenhood  days,  living  on  a  farm  with  her 
parents.  She  became  familiar  with  the  duties  of 
the  household,  and  thus,  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riage, was  fitted  to  superintend  a  home  of  her 
own.  In  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood  she 
acquired  a  good  English  education.     On  the  31st 


of  December,  1884,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
which  united  the  destinies  of  Thomas  Gray  and 
Mary  Roberts,  the  wedding  taking  place  at  her 
home  in  Henderson  County.  Mr.  Gray  is  one 
of  the  native  sons  of  this  county,  born  September 
19,  1858.  He  is  of  Irish  lineage,  and  is  a  son 
of  Patrick  and  Ann  (Logan)  Gray.  Both  the 
parents  were  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  the 
former  born  in  1817,  and  the  latter  in  1827.  The 
year  1849  witnessed  their  emigration  to  America. 
The  first  six  years  in  this  country  were  spent  in 
New  York  City,  after  which  they  made  their 
home  in  Chicago  for  a  short  time,  and  later  went 
to  Burlington,  Iowa.  .Subsequently,  they  located 
upon  a  farm  in  Henderson  County. 

Here  Thomas  Gray  was  reared  to  manhood. 
As  soon  as  old  enough  to  handle  the  plow,  he  be- 
gan work  in  the  fields,  and  soon  became  familiar 
with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life.  He  continued  to 
aid  in  the  operation  of  the  old  homestead  farm 
until  his  marriage,  when  he  took  his  bride  to  the 
farm  whereon  they  have  since  resided.  Their 
home  has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  two 
children:  Zelda  A.,  born  June  1,  1886,  and  Iva, 
January  28,  1891.  The  farm  comprises  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land, 
which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the 
well-tilled  fields  yielding  to  the  owner  a  golden 
tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows 
upon  them.  There  are  also  good  buildings  upon 
the  place,  which  is  numbered  among  the  valuable 
farms  of  the  community.  The  property  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gray  has  been  acquired  through  their 
own  efforts,  and  their  success  is  therefore  well 
merited. 


P  6)ILLIAM  G.  RICH,  who  is  engaged  in  gen- 
\kj  eral  farming  on  section  28,  Mound  Town- 
y  Y  ship,  McDonough  County,  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  Wurtem- 
berg,  on  the  17th  of  June,  i860.  His  parents, 
Frederick  and  Catherine  I  Muelberger)  Rich,  were 
also  natives  of  that  country.  The  father  was 
born  about   1S34,    and  was  reared  as  a   German 


468 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


farmer.  Throughout  his  life  he  has  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  has  met  with  good  suc- 
cess in  his  work.  Crossing  the  Atlantic  to  Amer- 
ica in  1866,  he  landed  on  the  shores  of  the  New 
World,  and  at  once  made  his  way  to  Knox  Coun- 
ty, 111.  Some  time  afterwards  he  removed  to 
Mercer  County,  and  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  has  since  added  a 
tract  of  eighty  acres.  He  now  has  a  good  farm, 
which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  and 
since  coming  to  Illinois  has  held  several  township 
offices. 

In  the  Rich  family  were  eight  children,  three 
sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  William  G.  of 
this  sketch  is  the  eldest.  The  others  are:  Anna, 
Frederick,  Katie,  Paul,  Mary,  Rosa  and  Carrie. 
The  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by  the 
hand  of  death,  and  the  children  younger  than  our 
subject  are  still  living  with  their  parents  in  Mer- 
cer County. 

William  G.  Rich  was  only  six  years  old  when 
he  left  the  Fatherland  and  accompanied  the  fam- 
ily to  the  United  States.  He  attended  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  until  thirteen  years 
of  age,  and  then  went  toGalesburg,  111.,  where  he 
entered  a  private  German  school,  and  pursued  a 
German  and  English  course  of  study  for  two 
years.  The  succeeding  three  years  of  his  life 
were  passed  in  learning  the  business  of  a  florist 
and  landscape  gardener,  under  the  direction  of  E- 
H.  Miller,  of  Galesburg.  In  1877,  he  went  to 
Elmwood,  where,  in  the  employ  of  William  Coe 
&  Co. ,  he  learned  the  business  of  finishing  furni- 
ture. One  year  was  spent  in  that  place,  after 
which  he  came  to  McDonough  County,  where  he 
has  since  been  engaged  in  farming. 

On  the  21st  of  February,  1884,  Mr  Rich  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Ida  M.  Scott,  and  by  their 
union  have  been  born  five  children,  all  of  whom 
are  still  at  home,  namely:  Beruice  E.,  Carl  E., 
Cloyd  S.,  Harrison  R.  and  Jennie  Grace.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  Rich  were  Harrison  R.  and  Han- 
nah M.  (Taggart)  Scott.  They  were  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  McDonough  County, 
and  here  resided  many  years.  The  father  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  September  4,  1889,  but  the 


mother  is  now  living  in  New  Philadelphia,  111. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rich  reside  upon  a  good  farm  of 
eight)'  acres,  forty  acres  of  which  Mrs.  Rich  in- 
herited from  her  father,  while  the  remainder  was 
purchased  by  our  subject  in  1893.  He  has  placed 
the  entire  amount  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  it  yields  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  re- 
turn for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  it. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rich  are  members  of  the 
Free- Will  Baptist  Church,  in  which  they  take  an 
active  interest,  and  he  also  holds  membership  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellow's.  He  ex- 
ercises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
Republican  party. 

Mr.  Rich  is  also  engaged  in  grain-buying  at 
Epperson,  111.,  buying  for  S.  A.  Hendee  &  Co., 
grain  merchants  of  Bushnell,  111.  Honest  dealing 
is  his  practice,  and  the  highest  market  prices  are 
paid  for  all  kinds  of  grain.  Fair  treatment  and 
correct  weights  guaranteed.  Any  of  his  farmer 
friends  will  do  well  to  patronize  Mr.  Rich  when 
having  any  grain  to  market. 

@—  .   E=1<^.A..>E-*?  9 

/JACOB  H.  GINGRICH,  who  is  now  engaged 
I  in  farming  in  Scotland  Township,  McDon- 
Q)  ough  County,  his  home  being  on  section 
11,  was  born  in  York  County,  Pa.,  on  the  23d  of 
January,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Cather- 
ine (Kauffman)  Gingrich.  The  father  was  born 
in  York  County,  in  18 15,  and  as  a  means  of  live- 
lihood carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  His 
death  occurred  in  his  native  county  about  1885, 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  in  1825,  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead 
in  the  Keystone  State. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
spent  his  early  days  upon  the  farm,  and  his  edu- 
cational advantages  were  very  meagre  indeed,  for 
at  an  early  age  he  had  to  provide  for  his  own 
maintenance.  He  began  working  as  a  farm  hand, 
and  continued  with  his  first  employer  for  three 
years.  The  compensation  which  he  received  for 
his  services  was  very  small,  but  he  managed  to 
clothe  himself  and  secure   other  necessaries.      At 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


469 


length  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  West, 
where  he  believed  better  opportunities  and  privi- 
leges were  afforded  than  in  the  more  thickly-settled 
States  of  the  East.  Accordingly,  he  started  for 
Indiana,  and  located  in  Marion  County,  where 
he  worked  for  a  short  time  in  a  tile  factory. 
Later,  however,  he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Clark  County,  where  he  rented  land  and  began 
farming  in  his  own  interest.  He  continued  the 
cultivation  of  that  tract  for  two  and  a-half  years, 
and  then  came  to  McDonough  County,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home. 

In  1873,  Mr.  Gingrich  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Clara  C.  Caliman,  who  also  came  of  an 
old  Pennsylvanian  family.  An  interesting  family 
of  seven  children  has  been  born  to  them  and  all 
are  still  with  their  parents.  In  order  of  birth 
they  are  as  follows:  Charles  A.,  Martha  D. , 
William  H.,  Howard  W.,  Nellie  May,  Fannie 
and  Sarah. 

Mr.  Gingrich  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Grover  Cleveland,  but  is  now  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party  and  its  principles.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church, 
and,  socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  now  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming,  and  is  meeting  with  a  fair  degree  of 
success  in  his  undertakings.  His  life  has  been  an 
honorable  and  upright  one,  and  he  has  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been 
brought  in  contact. 


HH^I 


|— DWARDO.  BARNES  is  recognized  as  one 
|V)  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Raritan,  who  is 
prominently  identified  with  its  best  interests, 
and  is  active  in  promoting  those  enterprises 
which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 
He  is  now  engaged  in  the  publication  of  the  Rar- 
itan Reporter  and  also  deals  in  groceries  and 
gents'  furnishing  goods.  He  was  born  in  La 
Harpe,  111.,  on  the  11th  of  September,  1S58,  and 
is  a  son  of  Harrison  H.  and  Mary  E.  (Coulsou) 
Barnes.  They  are  among  the  honored  pioneer 
settlers  of  Hancock  County,  and  are  still  living  in 


La  Harpe.  Further  mention  is  made  of  them  in 
connection  with  the  sketch  of  Robert  H.  Barnes, 
on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  and  attended  the 
public  schools  of  La  Harpe  until  fourteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  began  working  as  a  delivery  boy 
and  assistant  clerk  in  a  grocery  store.  There  he 
remained  for  about  a  year,  when  the  La  Harpe 
Leader  was  established,  and  he  entered  the  new 
printing-office.  Five  mouths  later  he  came  to 
Raritan,  where  for  half  a  year  he  was  employed 
as  a  salesman  in  a  general  store.  He  then  worked 
for  eight  months  in  his  brother's  harness-shop  at 
this  place,  after  which  he  began  clerking  in  his 
brother's  hardware  store,  and  also  became  fore- 
man and  local  editor  of  the  Raritan  Bulletin, 
with  which  he  was  connected  until  the  spring  of 
1 88 1.  He  then  went  to  Kirkwood  and  estab- 
lished the  Kirkwood  Leader,  in  partnership  with 
H.  C.  Smalley,  but  in  the  following  December  he 
sold  out  and  returned  to  Raritan,  working  for 
his  brother  in  the  furniture  store  until  September, 
1883. 

Mr.  Barnes  then  went  to  Beadle  County,  S. 
Dak.,  and  for  a  short  time  worked  on  the  Huron 
Leader.  Later  he  became  foreman  of  the  Jim 
Rivci  Pilot,  of  Altona,  S.  Dak.,  and  continued 
his  connection  with  the  same  until  December, 
when  he  returned  to  Raritan  for  a  few  months. 
His  next  place  of  residence  was  in  Omaha,  Neb., 
where  for  three  mouths  he  worked  on  the  Omaha 
Bee,  after  which  he  came  to  this  place  and  estab- 
lished the  Raritan  Reporter.  It  was  at  first  only 
seven  by  ten  inches  in  size,  but  the  following  Jan- 
uary he  enlarged  it  to  a  six-column  folio,  and  has 
published  it  continuously  since.  In  1889,  he 
erected  the  first  brick  building  ever  put  up  for  an 
office  in  Raritan,  and  still  occupies  it.  In  the 
building  adjoining  his  printing-office,  he  put  in  a 
stock  of  gents'  furnishing  goods,  and  in  July, 
1892,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  B.  Gove,  a 
dealer  in  groceries  and  furnishing  goods.  They 
continued  business  together  until  August,  1893, 
when  Mr.  Barnes  bought  out  his  partner's  inter- 
est and  has  since  been  alone  in  merchandising. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  18S0,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Edward  O.  Barnes  and  Miss  Em- 


4?o 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ma  May  Stansbury,  of  Raritan.  Three  children 
were  born  unto  them,  but  Herman  S.,  the  eldest, 
died  at  the  age  of  two  and  a-half  years.  Charles 
Harrison  and  Edna  Claribel  are  still  with  their 
parents.  The  lady  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed 
Church. 

Mr.  Barnes  votes  with  the  Democratic  party, 
but  edits  his  paper  independently.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  Raritan  Lodge  No.  170,  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  and  Raritan  Camp  No.  862,  M.  W.  A.,  in 
both  of  which  he  has  filled  all  the  offices.  He 
has  for  three  years  served  as  representative  from 
the  Odd  Fellows'  society  to  the  Grand  Lodge, 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
fraternity.  He  conducts  both  his  newspaper  bus- 
iness and  his  store,  and  is  one  of  the  wide-awake 
and  enterprising  young  business  men  who  give 
life  and  prosperity  to  a  town. 


-«H^e 


RS.  RACHEL  DILABOR,  who  is  living  on 
section  13,  Rosetta  Township,  Henderson 
County,  was  born  in  Ohio,  on  the  14th  of 
April,  1818,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  D.  and 
Elizabeth  (Pence)  Wells.  Her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Virginia,  and  had  a  family  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  nine  daughters,  four  of 
whom  are  yet  living.  The  father,  on  leaving  the 
Old  Dominion,  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  was 
married.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the 
Buckeye  State,  and  there  made  his  home  until 
1820,  when  he  went  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Bar- 
tholomew County.  He  took  up  land  from  the 
Government,  making  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  nearly  all  of  which  was  covered  with 
timber.  Erecting  a  log  cabin,  he  at  once  began 
to  clear  and  develop  the  farm,  and  there  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1822,  when  he  came 
to  Henderson  County,  111.  Here  he  secured  a 
tract  of  about  five  hundred  acres  from  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  to  its  improvement  and  cultivation 
devoted  his  energies  until  his  death,  which  occur- 
red in  1879.  His  wife  passed  away  many  years 
previous,  having  been  called  to  the  home  beyond 
in  1845. 


Mrs.  Dilabor,  when  a  maiden  of  eleven  sum- 
mers, accompanied  her  parents  to  Henderson 
County,  111.  The  first  school  which  she  attend- 
ed was  held  in  a  log  schojlhouse,  and  was  con- 
ducted on  the  subscription  plan.  She  had  to 
walk  a  mile  and  a-half,  and  the  path  of  learning 
therefore  did  not  always  seem  a  flowery  one.  Dur- 
ing her  girlhood  days  she  became  familiar  with 
the  duties  of  the  household,  and  remained  at  home 
until  June,  1838,  when  she  became  the  wife  of 
David  Howard.  Two  children  were  born  of  this 
marriage,  namely:  Thomas,  a  farmer  now  living 
in  Kansas;  and  David,  who  carries  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Henderson  County.  The  father 
of  this  family  died  in  1840,  and  for  four  years 
Mrs.  Howard  remained  a  widow.  She  then,  in 
1844,  became  the  wife  of  John  Dilabor.  Four 
children  were  born  of  this  union:  Leauder;  Ed- 
ward B.;  Martha,  wife  of  George  Rockwell;  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Quincy  Swaim. 

When  Mrs.  Dilabor  first  came  to  Henderson 
County,  there  were  only  two  or  three  small  log 
cabins  in  Oquawka,  many  of  the  now  thriving 
towns  and  villages  had  not  yet  sprung  into  exist- 
ence, and  the  work  of  progress  and  civilization 
seemed  hardly  begun.  She  has  therefore  wit- 
nessed almost  the  entire  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  this  locality,  and  has  seen  the  progress 
which  has  placed  this  county  among  the  foremost 
in  the  State.  Being  a  most  estimable  lady,  she  has 
many  friends  throughout  the  community,  and  it  is 
with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  this 
record  of  her  life. 

6 "*-=]<"?">  cEr*"      ' © 

ROBERT  WILLIAM  McMAHAN,  who  for 
many  years  has  been  connected  with  the 
agricultural  interests  of  Hancock  County, 
and  now  follows  farming  on  section  30,  Wythe 
Township,  is  numbered  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers who  for  a  long  period  have  aided  in  the 
development  and  upbuilding  of  this  region,  and 
promoted  those  interests  which  have  led  to  its 
prosperity  and  progress.  In  1831,  he  came  to 
this  county  and  cast  his  lot  among  the  honored 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


47i 


pioneers.  More  than  half  a  century  has  come 
and  gone  since  that  time,  bringing  with  it  many 
changes,  and  working  a  transformation  that  has 
placed  Hancock  among  the  leading  counties  of 
the  State. 

The  life  record  of  our  subject  is  as  follows:  He 
was  born  in  Nicholas  County,  Ky.,  June  15,  1830, 
and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  McMahan,  who  was  also 
a  native  of  Nicholas  County.  The  father  grew 
to  manhood  in  that  locality,  and  there  wedded 
Maty  Crawford,  who  was  born  in  Nicholas  Coun- 
ty. During  the  infancy  of  their  son  Robert,  they 
emigrated  to  Illinois,  and  spent  about  a  year  in 
Adams  County,  after  which  they  took  up  their 
residence  in  Wythe  Township,  among  its  first 
settlers.  Their  nearest  neighbor  was  four  miles 
distant,  and  the  entire  locality  was  an  almost  un- 
broken wilderness.  Mr.  McMahan  entered  land 
from  the  Government,  purchased  other  tracts,  and 
built  a  large  double  log  house,  in  which  he  made 
his  home  for  a  number  of  years.  The  primitive 
structure  was  replaced  by  a  substantial  brick  resi- 
dence in  1857.  Its  owner  commenced  life  here 
with  very  little  capital,  but  through  enterprise 
and  good  business  ability  he  became  one  of  the 
substantial  and  successful  farmers  of  this  locality, 
and  accumulated  through  his  own  efforts  a  large- 
estate.  At  length  he  left  the  farm,  and,  removing 
to  Warsaw,  built  a  comfortable  residence,  in 
which  he  made  his  home  for  about  five  years;  but 
on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to 
the  farm, and  there  remained  until  after  the  death  of 
his  wife,  in  1869,  when  he  again  removed  to 
Warsaw  to  live  with  his  daughter.  Two  years 
later  he  was  again  married,  but  his  wife  lived  but 
a  few  months,  and  his  death  occurred  in  1875. 
He  was  an  honored  citizen,  who  had  the  warm 
regard  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Upon  the  old  farm  Mr.  McMahan  whose  name 
heads  this  record  was  reared.  No  event  of 
special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  routine 
of  farm  life.  His  educational  privileges  were 
limited,  for  the  schools  in  the  community  at  that 
time  were  not  of  a  superior  quality.  When 
twenty  years  of  age,  in  1850,  attracted  by  the  dis- 
covery of  gold  on  the  Pacific  Slope,  he  made  a  trip 
to  California.     The  journey  was  made  across  the 


plains,  and  consumed  five  months.  Mr.  McMahan 
remained  only  a  few  months  in  the  West  at  that 
time,  ill  health  causing  him  to  return  home.  The 
next  year,  however,  he  returned  by  way  of  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  and  New  Orleans.  When  he- 
had  reached  home  he  began  farming  for  himself 
on  land  adjoining  the  old  homestead,  and  has 
since  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits. 

On  the  13th  of  July,  i860,  Mr.  McMahan  mar- 
ried Miss  Susan  Walker,  daughter  of  George 
Walker,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Hancock 
County,  who  located  in  Walker  Township  in 
1832.  He  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  when  a 
young  man  removed  to  Kentucky,  where  he  spent 
eight  years,  coming  thence  to  Illinois.  The 
township  of  Walker  was  named  in  his  honor. 
There  he  reared  his  family  and  spent  his  remain- 
ing days,  his  death  occurring  in  1878.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Mahan was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  Hancock 
County.  After  the  marriage  of  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  they  located  upon  the  farm  which  he 
still  cultivates  and  improves.  He  at  first  built  a 
small  frame  house,  but  after  some  years  had 
passed,  prosperity  having  attended  his  efforts,  he 
erected  a  pleasant  and  comfortable  home,  which 
is  still  his  place  of  abode.  Good  barns  and  out- 
buildings have  also  been  built,  and  no  improve- 
ment of  a  model  farm  seems  lacking.  The  place 
is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  and  indicates 
the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner.  The  farm 
comprises  two  hundred  and  ninety  acres.  In 
addition  to  this  he  has  purchased  other  land  from 
time  to  time,  and  has  given  to  one  of  his  sons  and 
to  two  of  his  daughters  good  and  well-improved 
farms.  He  also  owns  three  other  farms,  besides 
town  property  in  Warsaw.  In  1888  he  made  a 
trip  to  Europe,  and  visited  many  of  the  points  of 
interest  in  England  and  France.  He  also  com- 
bined business  with  pleasure,  and  bought  several 
head  of  fine  blooded  horses,  including  French 
Coach  and  English  Shire.  Since  that  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  breeding  standard-bred  horses, 
having  some  of  the  finest  specimens  in  the  county 
on  his  farm. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McMahan  have  a  family  of  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  C.  H.,  the 
eldest,  is  a  substantial  farmer  of  Wilcox  Town- 


472 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ship;  Minnie  is  the  wife  of  David  Ayers,  a  pro- 
gressive farmer  of  Wythe  Township;  Nellie  is  the 
wife  of  Howard  Baker,  of  St.  Louis;  and  William, 
who  completes  the  family,  is  yet  at  home.  The 
parents  attend  the  Christian  Church.  Mr.  Mc- 
Mahan  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  has  served  as  Master  of  Warsaw  Lodge.  His 
wife  belonged  to  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  unfaltering  in  his 
support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  that  party, 
yet  he  has  never  sought  political  preferment  for 
himself. 

Mr.  McMahan  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made 
man,  and  his  honorable  and  straightforward  ca- 
reer is  worthy  of  emulation.  Starting  out  for 
himself  with  no  capital  save  a  young  man's  bright 
hope  of  the  future,  he  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward,  and  has  accumulated  a  valued  prop- 
erty, becoming  one  of  the  wealthy  farmers  of  this 
locality.  His  success  is  well  merited,  being  the 
reward  of  honest  industry. 

<g .    =n^.l.>E-^,  q 

£= '—si  <  T  >  G=  <5> 

/"JOHN  M.  LUKENS,  who  is  now  serving  as 
I  County  Treasurer  of  Henderson  County,  and 
Ql  is  living  on  section  17,  Rozetta  Township, 
where  he  owns  and  operates  a  good  farm, 
was  born  in  Juniata  County,  Pa.,  September  11, 
1846,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  Lukens. 
They  too  were  natives  of  the  Keystone  State,  and 
on  the  paternal  side  the  family  is  of  Irish  and 
Scotch  descent.  The  parents  had  only  two  sons: 
William  S.,  a  fruit-grower  now  living  in  Olena, 
111.;  and  John  M.  The  father  was  graduated 
from  Reading  College,  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1841, 
and  for  thirty  years  engaged  in  teaching  school, 
most  of  the  time  being  employed  in  Thompson- 
town.  For  some  time  he  was  Principal  of  the 
seminary  in  that  place.  He  continued  to  make 
his  home  in  Pennsylvania  until  185 1,  when  he 
came  by  boat  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  and  lo- 
cated near  Ward's  Mill.  There  he  purchased  four 
hundred  and  eighty-eight  acres  of  land,  mostly 
timber,  and  at  once  began  the  development  of 
a  farm,   there  making  his  home  until  1856.     In 


1857,  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  Warren 
County,  111.,  but  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy 
his  new  home,  for  his  death  occurred  on  the  8th 
of  July  of  that  year,  and  his  remains  were  in- 
terred in  the  United  Presbyterian  Cemetery  at 
Smith  Creek.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society.  For 
several  years  he  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  always  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  in  whom  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity found  a  friend.  His  wife,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  died 
on  the  3d  of  April,  1869,  and  was  laid  to  rest  by 
the  side  of  her  husband. 

Our  subject  was  only  ten  years  of  age  when  he 
came  to  this  county,  and  upon  the  old  home  farm 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  His  early  education, 
acquired  in  the  district  schools,  was  supplemented 
by  study  in  Monmouth  College,  of  Monmouth 
111. ,  and  he  then  embarked  in  teaching.  He  was 
still  at  home  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war,  but  on  the  7th  of  March,  1862,  he  en- 
rolled his  name  among  the  boys  in  blue  for  three 
years'  service. 

Mr.  Lukens  was  assigned  to  Company  C, 
Thirty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  mustered 
in  at  Monmouth,  111.  The  first  active  engage- 
ment in  which  he  participated  was  at  Mission 
Ridge.  This  was  followed  by  the  battles  of 
Perry ville,  Lookout  Mountain,  Kennesaw  Moun- 
tain, Peach  Tree  Creek,  Resaca,  Buzzard's  Roost 
and  many  others  of  lesser  importance.  In  the 
fall  of  1864,  he  returned  home  on  a  furlough  of 
thirty  days,  and  when  that  period  had  expired 
rejoined  his  regiment  at  Columbia,  Tenn.  Fif- 
teen minutes  after  reaching  the  forces  he  went  in- 
to battle.  The  regiment  took  part  in  the  engage- 
ments at  Spring  Hill  and  Franklin,  and  then  fell 
back  to  Nashville,  where  they  went  into  winter 
quarters.  Mr.  Lukens  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Nashville,  then  went  to  Franklin,  and  on  to  New 
Orleans,  where  his  regiment  acted  as  guard  at 
Gen.  Phil  Sheridan's  headquarters.  He  was  al- 
ways faithful  to  his  duty,  being  one  of  the  valiant 
defenders  of  the  Union  cause. 

After  the  war  was  over,  Mr.  Lukens  was  mus- 
tered out,  in  October,   1865,  and  returned  to    his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


473 


home  in  Warren  County.  He  was  then  only  nine- 
teen years  of  age.  He  completed  his  schooling, 
and  then  engaged  in  farming,  after  which  he  be- 
gan teaching  school  in  Henderson  County.  He 
has  made  his  home  in  this  county  since  1874,  at 
which  time  he  located  near  Rozetta,  where  for 
five  years  he  taught  school.  He  then  engaged  in 
teaching  at  Science  Hill  for  two  years,  after  which 
he  again  spent  one  year  in  Rozetta,  and  one  year 
at  Belmont  Bluff.  For  four  years  he  was  teacher 
in  the  Knox  district,  and  altogether  has  taught 
about  seventeen  terms  in  Henderson  County.  He 
was  a  successful  educator,  and  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion has  ever  found  in  him  a  warm  friend. 

On  the  10th  of  December,  1 S 7 3 ,  Mr.  I.ukens 
married  Miss  Emma  Woods,  and  to  them  have 
been  born  four  children:  Clarence  A.;  Frank  M., 
who  died  in  infancy;  Ralph  E.  and  Mabel  Grace. 
In  1889,  Mr.  Lukeus  became  a  traveling  sales- 
man, representing  the  McNeal  &  Higgins  whole- 
sale grocery,  in  whose  employ  he  remained  for 
eighteen  months.  Since  that  time  he  has  re- 
sided with  his  family  in  Rozetta  Township,  where 
he  owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres  of  good  land,  his  farm  being  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican.  For  two 
years  he  served  as  County  Surveyor  to  fill  an  un- 
expired term,  and  was  then  elected  for  a  term  of 
four  years.  In  1S91,  he  was  elected  County 
Treasurer,  and  is  now  filling  that  office  with  cred- 
it to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents. 
He  holds  membership  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
Lodge,  and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


(ILLIAM  A.  M.  CROUCH,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Henderson  County,  who  since 
1862  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm  on 
section  3,  township  ii  north,  range  4  west,  is  a 
native  of  the  Keystone  State,  and  is  of  Scotch- Irish 
extraction.  He  was  born  in  Washington  Count)*, 
Pa.,  on  the  19th  of  September,  1S41,  and  is  a  son 


of  William  Crouch,  who  was  a  native  of  Maryland, 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  traces  the  an- 
cestry of  the  family  in  America  back  to  1700, 
when  representatives  of  the  Crouch  family  in 
Scotland  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  make  homes  in 
the  New  World.  During  his  early  life  he  emi- 
grated to  Pennsylvania,  and  married  Miss  Nancy 
Mercer,  a  daughter  of  Boyd  and  Mary  (Black- 
stone)  Mercer.  They  became  the  parents  of  five 
children:  John  B.,  who  is  now  living  in  St.  Jo- 
seph, Mo.;  Mary  P.,  widow  of  Robert  Moore,  of 
Washington  County,  Pa.;  Ebenezer  M.,  whore- 
sides  in  the  same  county;  William  A.  M.,  of  this 
sketch;  and  Sarah,   who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Crouch  of  this  notice  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Pennsylvania,  and  remained 
in  the  Keystone  State  until  the  spring  of  i860, 
when  he  started  westward.  Taking  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Henderson  County,  he  engaged  in  teach- 
ing for  two  years,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  has  made 
his  home  continuously  since,  covering  a  third  of  a 
century.  He  is  a  wide-awake  and  enterprising 
agriculturist,  and  his  farm  is  supplied  with  all 
modern  accessories  and  conveniences.  Fields  of 
waving  grain  meet  the  eye  on  every  side,  and 
there  are  good  buildings  upon  the  place,  which 
stand  as  monuments  to  the  progressive  spirit  of 
the  owner. 

In  Burlington,  Iowa,  Mr.  Crouch  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  G.  Leebrick,  of  that 
city,  and  to  them  have  been  born  ten  children: 
Ida  E.,  now  the  wife  of  Valentine  Hazlett;  Mary 
G.,  wife  of  John  F.  Main;  Nannie  M. ;  William 
L.,  who  makes  his  home  in  Jewell  City,  Kan.; 
Rachel  P.  and  Virginia  E.,  who  are  attending 
school  in  Galesburg;  Kate,  Samuel,  Hattie  and 
Ruth,  who  are  still  with  their  parents.  Although 
the  family  is  quite  large,  the  circle  yet  remains 
unbroken  by  the  hand  of  death. 

Mr.  Crouch,  his  wife  and  children,  are  all  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  he  takes  an 
active  part  in  its  growth  and  upbuilding.  He 
exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  holds  membership  with 
Oquawka  Lodge  No.  123,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  The 
cause  of  education    finds    in   him  a  warm    friend 


474 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  he  has  given  his  children  good  advantages, 
thus  fitting  them  for  the  practical  and  responsible 
duties  of  life.  The  best  interests  of  the  communi- 
ty ever  receive  his  hearty  support  and  co-opera- 
tion, and  he  is  regarded  as  a  valued  citizen  of  the 
community.  Although  he  has  not  been  promi- 
nent in  public  affairs,  his  career  has  been  such  as 
to  win  him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 

e r-^<  ii  >[^  ■■>      ■        9 

/gPENCER  T.  RECORDS,  deceased,  who  for 
^y  many  years  was  a  well-known  citizen  of 
(y)  Henderson  County,  prominently  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  both  Oquawka  and 
Rozetta,  was  born  in  Bartholomew  County,  Ind., 
December  13,  1822,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Heaton)  Records.  He  was  reared 
upon  his  father's  farm,  and  was  brought  to  Hen- 
derson County  when  a  lad  of  six  summers  by 
Judge  John  Pence.  During  the  first  winter  here 
his  time  was  spent  in  Black  Hawk's  tent,  on  the 
Rock  River.  There  were  no  schools  for  several 
years  after  his  arrival,  but  at  length  one  was  start- 
ed on  the  subscription  plan.  It  was  held  in  a  log 
schoolhouse,  and  there  Mr.  Records  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  common  English  branches. 

On  attaining  his  majority,  our  subject  started 
out  in  life  for  himself.  In  connection  with  his 
brother,  Thomas  Records,  he  purchased  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  unimproved  land 
near  Biggsville,  but  he  never  lived  on  that 
farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  went  to 
Oquawka,  where  he  began  clerking  in  the  store 
of  Mr.  Phelps.  There  he  remained  until  1852,. 
when  he  embarked  in  business  for  himself  as 
proprietor  of  a  grocery  store  of  Oquawka,  which 
he  carried  on  until  1S55.  In  that  year  he  sold 
out,  and  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  six- 
ty acres  in  Rozetta  Township.  He  at  once  began 
the  development  and  cultivation  of  his  land,  and 
successfully  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  until  1878,  when  he  left  the 
farm  and  went  to  Rozetta  village.  There  he  es- 
tablished a    general  merchandise  store,  which  he 


carried  on  for  a  few  years,  and  then  retired  from 
active  business  life.  His  last  days  were  spent  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  well-earned  rest. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1848,  Mr.  Records  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Tacy  C.  Conger, 
daughter  of  Enoch  and  Eunice  (Beach)  Conger. 
By  their  union  were  born  five  children:  Azro  M. , 
of  Iowa;  Mabel,  who  died  in  infancy;  Thomas  E., 
who  carries  on  farming  in  Kansas;  Annie  E.,  wife 
of  J.  H.  Smith,  a  merchant  of  Rozetta;  and  Tunis 
Q.,  who  is  now  located  in  Glenwood,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Records,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  contributed  liberally  to  its  support,  and 
always  took  an  active  part  in  church  and  benevo- 
lent work.  The  poor  and  needy  found  in  him  a 
friend,  and  his  aid  was  withheld  from  no  worthy 
enterprise.  In  his  business  dealings  he  was  suc- 
cessful. While  engaged  in  merchandising  he  al- 
ways desired  to  please  his  customers,  and  his  fair 
and  honest  dealing  and  courteous  treatment  were 
the  means  of  winning  him  a  liberal  patronage.  In 
this  way  he  acquired  a  comfortable  competence. 
All  who  knew  him  respected  him,  and  when  called 
to  the  home  beyond  his  loss  was  deeply  mourned. 
He  died  August  16,  1881,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in 
the  Baptist  Cemetery  of  Rozetta. 

3  <"  Y  •>■  G 


(JOSEPH  P.  MOREY,  one  of  the  honored  vet- 
I  eraus  of  the  late  war,  is  now  the  efficient  su- 
Q)  perintendent  of  the  County  Poor  Farm  of 
Henderson  County,  and  is  also  serving  as  Deputy 
Jailor.  He  is  a  western  man  by  birth,  having 
been  born  in  Washington  County,  Iowa,  on  the 
10th  of  September,  1844.  His  father,  William 
Morey,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  of  Scotch 
descent.  He  married  Lauzetta  Disney,  and  to 
them  were  born  eight  children,  but  only  two  are 
now  living:  Joseph  P.,  and  Melissa,  wife  of  Will- 
iam A.  Vaughan,  a  farmer  of  Henderson  County. 
Those  who  have  passed  away  are  Lorenzo,  Paul- 
ina, Maria,  Martha,  Sarah  and  Melvina. 

Joseph  P.  Morey  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  upon  a  farm.  In  1850  the  family  came 
to  Henderson  County,  but  the  father  died  the  fol- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


475 


lowing  year,  while  in  Iowa,  and  the  mother  passed 
away  about  1854.  Our  subject  was  then  left  an 
orphan.  He  continued  to  reside  in  Henderson 
County  until  1857,  when  he  went  to  Kansas,  and 
located  within  ten  miles  of  Topeka,  there  spend- 
ing a  year.  On  horseback  he  then  made  his  way 
to  De  Kalb  County,  111.,  where  he  spent  one  sea- 
si  111,  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  after 
which  he  again  came  to  Henderson  County.  Here 
he  secured  employment  as  a  farm  hand,  and  to 
agricultural  pursuits  devoted  his  energies  until 
1859,  when  he  went  to  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 

After  the  attempt  at  secession  by  the  South, 
Mr.  Morey  responded  to  the  call  for  troops  to  aid 
in  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  and  in  February, 
[862,  became  a  private  of  Company  A,  Fifth  Mis- 
souri Cavalry.  He  was  mustered  into  service  at 
St.  Joe,  and  remained  with  that  command  until 
1863,  when  he  was  discharged.  Soon  after,  he 
enlisted  in  the  Ninth  Missouri  Cavalry,  and  from 
that  time  until  the  close  of  the  war  was  largely- 
engaged  in  scouting  duty.  He  was  bugler  of  his 
regiment,  and  with  his  command  took  part  in  a 
number  of  skirmishes  with  the  bushwhackers.  In 
July,  1865,  when  the  South  had  laid  down  its 
arms,  he  was  honorably  discharged  in  St.  Louis. 
After  being  mustered  out  he  went  to  Buchanan 
County,  Mo.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until 
1880. 

In  the  year  after  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr. 
Morey  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Louisa 
Storey,  and  to  them  were  born  five  children, 
but  James  died  in  infancy.  Those  still  living  are: 
Lena,  wife  of  Samuel  Vaughn;  Lillie;  William 
and  Loran. 

In  Buchanan  County,  Mo.,  Mr.  Morey  contin- 
ued to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1880, 
the  year  of  his  removal  to  Henderson  County. 
Here  he  followed  farming  until  1888,  when  he  was 
appointed  Superintendent  of  the  County  Poor 
Farm,  and  also  Deputy  Jailer,  which  positions  he 
has  since  filled.  He  owns  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Rozetta  Township,  which  is  now  rented.  In  pol- 
itics, he  is  a  supporter  of  Republican  principles, 
and  is  a  member  of  theOdd  Fellows'  society,  and 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  holds 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 


and  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  public  enter- 
prises calculated  to  prove  of  benefit  to  the  com- 
munity. With  the  same  fidelity  which  he  mani- 
fested when  defending  the  Old  Flag,  he  has  dis- 
charged his  official  duties,  and  all  who  know  him 
esteem  him  highly  for  his  faithfulness  and  the 
many  excellencies  of  his  character. 


E RAVEN  L.  THOMAS,  who  now  carries  on 
general  farming  on  section  18,  township  11 
north,  range  4  west,  has  spent  his  entire  life 
in  Henderson  County,  and  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  its  honored  pioneer  families.  Mention  is 
made  of  his  parents  on  another  page  of  this  work, 
in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  James  M. 
Thomas.  Our  subject  was  born  November  13, 
1855,  on  the  old  homestead,  and  there  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  acquired  his 
education  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, which  he  attended  through  the  winter  sea- 
son, while  in  the  summer  months  he  aided  in  the 
labors  of  the  field.  Like  a  dutiful  son,  he  gave 
to  his  father  the  benefit  of  his  sendees  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  when,  having  attained  his  major- 
ity, he  left  home  and  began  life  for  himself. 

Throughout  his  business  career,  Mr.  Thomas 
has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  As  he  had 
no  capital,  at  first  he  rented  land,  and  continued 
the  cultivation  of  property  belonging  to  others  for 
a  number  of  years,  but  at  length,  with  the  capital 
which  he  had  acquired  through  his  own  industry, 
enterprise  and  good  management,  he  bought  a 
farm  of  his  own.  In  1890,  he  became  owner  of 
one  hundred  and  two  and  a-half  acres  of  good 
land.  This  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  and  the  well-tilled  fields  and  good 
improvements  all  indicate  the  careful  supervision 
of  the  owner. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1877,  m  Henderson 
Comity,  Mr.  Thomas  was  joined  in  wedlock  with 
Miss  Mary  A.  C.  Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Godfrey 
Johnson.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  five 
children:  Charles  Edgar,  Alexander  A.,  William 
C,  Walter  E.   and  Hazel  C.     The  family  circle 


476 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


yet  remains  unbroken,  the  children  being  still 
with  their  parents.  In  politics,  Mr.  Thomas  is  a 
Democrat,  but  has  no  time  for  office-seeking.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  member  of  Tranquil  Lodge  No. 
193,  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  industrious,  and  his  en- 
terprise and  perseverance  have  brought  to  him  a 
comfortable  competence,  which  is  well  deserved. 
All  who  know  him  esteem  him  highly,  and  it  is 
with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  this 
record  of  his  life. 

EAPT.  D.  CASWELL  HANNA,  an  honored 
veteran  of  the  late  war,  makes  his  home  in 
Monmouth,  but  is  one  of  the  most  extensive 
land-owners  of  Henderson  County,  and  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  history  of  this 
community  for  many  years.  He  was  born  in 
Warren  County,  111.,  on  the  8th  of  June,  1836, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Crawford)  Hanna. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  from  the 
Buckeye  State  removed  to  Indiana,  from  whence 
he  went  to  Warren  County  in  1835,  locating  just 
across  the  line  from  Henderson  County.  The 
trip  westward  was  made  by  team.  He  purchased 
eight  hundred  acres  of  land,  built  a  log  cabin,  and 
developed  a  fine  farm,  upon  which  he  lived  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  25th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1862.  He  was  laid  to  rest  in  Monmouth 
cemetery,  by  the  side  of  his  wife,  who  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  in  1852.  This  worthy  couple 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  eight  sous 
and  three  daughters,  namely:  Elizabeth,  Jane, 
William,  Samuel,  Robert,  James  R.,  D.  C,  Lewis 
C,  Orin  L.,  Mary  E.  and  John  C. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  Capt. 
Hanna  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
and  in  the  subscription  schools  which  he  attended 
through  the  winter  season  his  education  was  ac- 
quired. He  remained  under  the  parental  roof 
until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  when  he 'went  to 
Colorado,  making  the  journey  across  the  plains 
with  ox  and  mule  teams  to  Pike's  Peak.  There 
he  engaged  in  prospecting,  mining  and  freight- 
ing, until  the  autumn  of  1861,  when  he  returned 


to  his  old  home  in  Illinois.  In  the  spring  of  the 
following  year  he  took  up  his  residence  upon  a 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  sec- 
tions 11  and  14,  Rozetta  Township,  Henderson 
County,  and  during  the  summer  devoted  his  at- 
tention to  agricultural  pursuits,  but  on  the  12th 
of  August  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
troops. 

Mr.  Hanna  enlisted  as  a  private,  but  at  Camp 
Butler  was  mustered  into  service  as  First  Lieu- 
tenant of  Company  C,  Ninety-first  Illinois  In- 
fantry. At  the  engagement  at  Elizabethtown, 
Ky.,  he  and  his  company  were  captured  by  the 
rebel  general,  John  Morgan,  but  he  was  only 
held  prisoner  for  a  short  time,  when  he  was  sent 
to  Benton  Barracks,  where  he  remained  until  ex- 
changed, the  following  June.  Later  he  partici- 
pated in  the  siege  and  capture  of  Vicksburg,  and 
did  scouting  duty  all  along  the  river  from  that 
city  to  New  Orleans.  In  the  fall  he  started  on 
the  Banks  expedition  to  Brownsville,  Tex.,  where 
he  remained  over  a  year  on  duty  along  the  Rio 
Grande  and  the  Gulf  Coast,  and  then  returned  to 
New  Orleans,  where  he  was  engaged  in  garrison 
duty  for  two  months.  Later  he  took  part  in  the 
battles  of  Mobile,  Ft.  Blakely  and  Spanish  Fort. 
In  Brownsville,  Tex.,  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  Captain,  and  when  the  war  was  over  he 
was  honorably  discharged  at  Camp  Butler,  on  the 
27th  of  Jul}',  1865.  His  promotion  was  won  by 
meritorous  and  faithful  service,  for  he  was  always 
found  at  his  post,  and  the  Union  cause  found  in 
him  a  valiant  defender. 

Capt.  Hanna  at  once  returned  to  his  home  in 
Warren  County,  where  he  lived  until  the  autumn 
of  1866.  On  the  18th  of  October  of  that  year  he 
married  Miss  Martha  Heaton,  daughter  of  James 
and  Nancy  (Henry)  Heaton,  and  they  removed 
to  a  farm  in  Rozetta  Township,  which  he  still 
owns,  and  on  which  he  made  his  home  until  1869, 
when  he  was  elected  County  Clerk  on  the  Inde- 
pendent ticket.  He  filled  that  office  for  eight 
years,  or  until  1877,  and  remained  in  Oquawka, 
where  the  succeeding  ten  years  of  his  life  were 
passed.  Since  the  fall  of  1887  he  has  made  his 
home  in  Monmouth,  and  his  time  and  attention 
are  given  to  the  management  of  his  extensive 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


477 


business  interests.  As  his  financial  resources 
have  been  increased  he  has  made  judicious  in- 
vestments in  real  estate,  and  now  owns  sixteen 
hundred  and  ninety-five  acres  of  valuable  land  in 
Henderson  County,  the  greater  part  of  which  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  therefore 
yields  to  the  owner  a  handsome  income. 

The  family  of  Capt.  and  Mrs.  Hanna  num- 
bered ten  children,  and  nine  are  yet  living, 
namely:  Katherine,  George  F. ,  Lewis  H.,  Ed- 
ward C,  Mabel,  Martha,  Sippie,  Quinta  and 
John.  Robert,  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth,  died 
in  infancy. 

In  his  social  relations,  Capt.  Hanna  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  in  the  fall  of  1892  was  elected  as 
Representative  to  the  General  Assembly  from  the 
Twenty-seventh  District.  A  trust  reposed  in 
him,  whether  public  or  private,  is  never  betrayed. 
In  all  the  relations  of  life  he  manifests  the  same 
loyalty  which  characterized  his  army  record. 
Through  the  legitimate  channels  of  business  he 
has  won  a  handsome  fortune,  and  although  he 
started  out  for  himself  with  little  capital,  he  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward  from  a  humble 
position  to  one  of  affluence. 


QHARLES  S.  COOPER,  one  of  the  represen- 
ts tative  citizens  of  Raritan,  who  is  now  en- 
II  gaged  in  the  harness  business,  claims  Indi- 
ana as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Greencastle  on  the  20th  of  February, 
[840.  His  parents  were  William  K.  and  Louisa 
(Swit/.er)  Cooper.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  in  that  State  spent  his  early  life. 
His  parents  were  natives  of  Virginia,  and  were  of 
Scotch-Irish  extraction.  In  Kentucky  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Switzer,  a  native  of  that  State,  and  in 
1S36  removed  with  his  family  to  Greencastle,  Ind., 
where  he  engaged  in  merchandising  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of  fifty  years. 
He  was  a  well-educated  man,  and  was  one  of  the 


first  Trustees  of  Asbury  University,  now  De  Pauw, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  He  was  recognized  as  a  leading  citizen 
of  the  community  in  which  he  made  his  home, 
and  all  who  knew  him  respected  him.  His  wife 
passed  away  in  Greencastle  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years.  She  was  of  German  lineage.  In  their 
family  were  eight  children,  six  sons  and  two 
daughters,  but  three  of  the  number  are  de- 
ceased. Milton  J.  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in 
Greencastle,  Ind.  Charles  S.  is  the  next  younger. 
John  W.  is  a  contractor  engaged  in  business  in 
Indianapolis,  Ind.  William  H.  is  located  in  Bra- 
zil, Ind.  Joseph  K.  is  engaged  in  business  with 
his  brother  John  in  Indianapolis. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  Greencastle,  and  dur- 
ing his  youth  learned  the  harness-maker's  trade, 
which  he  followed  until  June,  1862,  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  Union  army  for  three  months'  serv- 
ice, as  a  member  of  Company  D,  Fifty-fifth  Indi- 
ana Infantry.  On  the  29th  of  August,  1862,  he 
was  wounded  in  the  left  arm  by  a  minie-ball.  This 
occurred  at  the  battle  of  Richmond,  Ky.,  after 
which  he  returned  home,  remaining  at  the  North 
until  he  had  recovered.  On  the  12th  of  March, 
1864,  he  re-enlisted  in  Company  E,  Twenty-first 
Indiana  Heavy  Artillery,  and  served  until  Jan- 
uary 12,  1866.  He  took  part  in  some  important 
engagements,  and  was  always  found  at  his  post 
of  duty.  At  the  time  of  his  discharge  he  was  a 
member  of  the  regimental  band. 

On  being  mustered  out,  Mr.  Cooper  returned  to 
his  home  in  Greencastle,  where  he  engaged  in 
harness-making  for  six  months,  after  which  he  was 
appointed  Deputy  Sheriff.  A  year  later  he  went 
to  Lawrence,  Kan. ,  where  he  worked  at  the  har- 
ness trade  until  1875,  when  he  came  to  Raritan, 
and  followed  the  same  pursuit  in  the  employ  of 
others  for  about  a  year.  He  then  began  business 
for  himself,  and  has  since  successfully  carried  on 
operations  along  that  line.  His  store  is  filled  with 
a  good  stock  of  harness  and  saddlery,  and  the 
owner  is  now  enjoying  an  excellent  trade. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1875,  Mr.  Cooper  married 
Miss  Mary  E.  Beard,  daughter  of  Dr.  Beard,  one 
of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Henderson  County. 
Two  children  graced  their   union,  but  Pearl  died 


478 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


at  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  Lula  is  still  with 
her  parents.  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can in  politics,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  and  of  the  Reformed  Church.  He  is  a 
man  of  good  business  and  executive  ability,  hon- 
orable and  straightforward  in  all  his  dealings,  and 
those  who  know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  the 
many  excellencies  of  his  character. 


(I  AMES  H.  BUTLER,  who  is  numbered  among 
I  the  early  settlers  of  Henderson  County,  now 
(2/  resides  on  a  farm  on  section  20,  Raritan 
Township.  He  was  born  in  Jefferson  County, 
Ky.,  near  Middletown,  July  15,  1826.  His  fa- 
ther, Hezekiah  Butler,  was  a  native  of  Baltimore, 
Md.,  and  was  of  Irish  descent.  Having  arrived 
at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Margaret  Payne, 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the)-  became  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  Susan,  widow  of 
William  Groom,  and  a  resident  of  Camp  Point, 
111.;  N.  V.,  who  graduated  from  the  Keokuk 
Medical  College,  and  also  from  the  St.  Louis  Med- 
ical College,  and  died  September  16,  1878,  leav- 
ing a  widow,  who  is  now  living  in  La  Harpe,  111.; 
James  H.,  of  this  sketch;  Norman  R.,  who  died 
in  1886;  Charles  S. ,  who  is  living  in  California; 
Mildred,  deceased;  Mary  K.,  wife  of  Paul  John- 
son, of  Missouri;  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  1855; 
Hezekiah,  a  fanner  of  Henderson  County;  To- 
bias, who  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
mauga,  and  died  the  following  spring,  a  minie-ball 
having  passed  entirely  through  his  body;  George 
W.,  a  merchant  of  Camp  Point;  Margaret,  wife  of 
Henry  Hedges,  who  is  living  in  Garnett,  Kan. ; 
Jefferson,  who  died  in  1890;  and  one  child  who. 
died  in  infancy. 

The  father  of  this  family  followed  farming 
throughout  his  life.  He  removed  from  Mary- 
land to  Kentucky,  where  he  lived  until  1832,  and 
in  that  State  was  married.  In  the  year  mention- 
ed he  removed  to  Adams  County,  111.,  locating 
near  the  present  town  of  Columbus,  where  he  en- 
tered two  hundred  acres  of  land  from  the  Govern- 


ment, paying  the  usual  price  of  $1.25  per  acre. 
It  was  still  in  its  primitive  condition,  not  a  fur- 
row having  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made 
thereon.  He  at  once  erected  a  log  cabin,  and  con- 
tinued its  development  until  1865,  when  he  re- 
moved to  a  farm  in  Hancock  County.  A  few 
years  later  he  took  up  his  residence  in  the  town 
of  Augusta,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  on  the  1st  of  February, 
1 89 1,  at  the  age  of  ninety-three  years,  lacking  a 
few  months.  His  remains  were  interred  in  the 
Columbus  Cemetery.  His  wife  passed  awav  in 
April,  1858.  Both  were  members  of  the  Christ- 
ian Church,  and  were  highly-respected  people. 

James  H.  Butler  was  a  child  of  only  six  sum- 
mers when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Illinois. 
In  this  State  he  grew  to  manhood  upon  a  farm, 
and  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  two  miles  from  his 
home,  he  began  his  education,  the  school  being 
conducted  on  the  subscription  plan.  With  the 
family  he  shared  in  all  the  hardships  and  trials  of 
pioneer  life.  Quincy,  which  was  eighteen  miles 
away,  was  their  nearest  market,  and  they  also 
had  to  go  some  distance  to  mill.  Mr.  Butler 
started  out  in  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen, and  after  working  as  a  farm  hand  for  his 
father  for  two  years,  he  purchased  a  farm,  upon 
which  he  resided  until  the  spring  of  1850.  On 
the  25th  of  March  of  that  year, with  a  horse-team, 
he  started  across  the  plains  for  California,  at- 
tracted by  the  discovery  of  gold,  and  on  the  5th 
of  July  he  reached  Weaverville.  Until  the  fol- 
lowing October  he  engaged  in  mining,  and  then 
went  to  San  Francisco.  Later  he  made  his  way 
to  Oregon,  and  took  up  six  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  Government  laud  within  nine  miles  of 
Portland,  but  in  the  fall  of  185 1  he  sold  his 
claim  and  by  the  water  route  returned  to  his 
home  in  Adams  County. 

Ere  leaving  for  the  Pacific  Slope,  Mr.  Butler 
was  married,  on  the  1st  of  March,  1849,  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Miss  Nancy  J.  Matlock.  Six 
children  have  been  born  unto  them:  Julia,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Robert  H.  Barnes,  a  banker  of 
Raritan,  but  is  now  deceased;  George  H.,  a  har- 
ness-dealer of  Stronghurst;  John,  who  died  April 
15,  1868;  Tobias  E., who  married  Mollie  Houchin, 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOi 

URBANA 


Thomas  Geddes 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


481 


and  follows  fanning  in  this  locality;  Charles  C, 
County  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Henderson 
County;  and  James  P.,  who  is  yet  living  on  the 
home  farm. 

After  his  return  from  California,  Mr.  Butler  re- 
mained in  Adams  County  until  the  spring  of 
1852,  when  he  removed  to  Hancock  County,  and 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  partial- 
ly improved  land  near  West  Point,  where  he 
made  his  home  for  three  years.  He  then  rented 
a  farm  near  La  Harpe  for  a  year,  after  which  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on 
section  29,  Raritan  Township,  Henderson  Coun- 
ty, upon  which  he  made  his  home  for  fourteen 
years.  His  next  purchase  made  him  the  owner 
of  the  two  hundred  and  forty  acre  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides. 

Mr.  Butler  manifested  his  loyalty  to  the  Gov- 
ernment during  the  Civil  War  by  enlisting  on 
the  14th  of  September,  1862,  as  a  private  of  Com- 
pany G,  One  Hui  Ired  and  Eighteenth  Illinois 
Infantry,  and  was  elected  First  Lieutenant.  He 
was  mustered  into  -ervice  at  Camp  Butler,  and 
took  part  in  the  e...  igements  at  Arkansas  Post, 
Thompson  Hill,  Gibson,  Black  River  Bridge, 

and  the  siege  of  Vic.sburg.  On  account  of  phys- 
ical disability  he  had  to  leave  the  army,  and  was 
discharged  August  2,  1863.  In  politics,  he  has 
always  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  holds  membership  with  the  Christian 
Church,  and  is  one  of  the  highly-esteemed  citi- 
zens of  the  community,  for  his  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity  have  gained  him  universal  confi- 
dence and  esteem.  As  one  of  the  leading  farmers, 
valued  citizens,  and  early  settlers  of  Henderson 
County,  we  present  him  to  o-ur  readers. 


<^HOMAS  GEDDES,  deceased,  who  for  many 
I  C  years  was  an  honored  and  prominent 
\2)  resident  of  Hancock  County,  >vas  born  in 
Franklin  County,  Pa.,  on  the  7th  of  July,  1805, 
and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  His  father, 
Paul  Geddes,  was  a  fanner  and  early  settler  of 
Path  Valley,  Pa.  He  there  made  his  home  for 
25 


more  than  fort}'  years,  and  was  a  man  of  promi- 
nence in  the  community.  His  life  was  an  honor- 
able and  upright  one,  well  worth}'  of  emulation. 
He  was  an  Elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
reared  his  family  to  respect  and  reverence  religion. 
His  death  occurred  in  1832.  His  wife,  a  faithful 
and  consistent  Christian  woman,  passed  away  in 
1816. 

The  early  life  of  Thomas  Geddes  was  spent  on 
his  father's  farm,  he  there  remaining  until  the 
age  of  eighteen,  when  he  went  to  Shade  Gap, 
Huntingdon  County,  Pa.,  where  he  learned  the 
tanner's  trade.  For  four  years  he  continued  with 
one  employer,  and  for  two  years,  of  that  time  had 
charge  of  the  tan-yard  At  length,  at  the  re- 
quest of  his  father,  who  had  become  enfeebled 
by  age,  he  returned  home  and  took  charge  of  the 
old  farm,  continuing  to  engage  in  its  cultivation 
and  further  improvement  for  a  period  of  seven 
years. 

During  that  time  Mr.  Geddes  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Susan  R.  Walker,  the  cere- 
mony being  performed  on  the  gth  of  December, 
1830.  The  young  couple  continued  to  live  on 
the  old  homestead  in  the  Keystone  State  until  the 
spring  of  1837,  when  they  bade  adieu  to  their 
many  friends  in  the  East  and  emigrated  to  Illi- 
nois. On  the  nth  of  May,  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  two  children,  Mr.  Geddes  reached 
Fountain  Green,  Hancock  County.  The  previous 
year  he  had  visited  this  locality  and  purchased 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good  farming 
land.  As  there  was  no  vacant  house  in  the 
neighborhood,  they  went  to  live  in  a  double  log 
cabin  belonging  to  Jabez  A.  Beebe,  but  the  fol- 
lowing year  Mr.  Geddes  erected  a  frame  house  on 
his  own  land,  the  first  frame  dwelling  in  the 
neighborhood.  The  family  bore  the  usual  expe- 
riences and  trials  of  pioneer  life,  but  in  course  of 
time  the  wild  land  on  which  they  at  first  located 
was  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile  fields,  and 
their  home  became  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of 
the  neighborhood. 

Mrs.  Geddes  was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the 
13th  of  January,  1892,  and  onthe3ist  of  the  same 
month  Mr.  Geddes  departed  this  life.  Both  were 
laid  to  rest  in   the  family  burying-ground  on  the 


482 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


old  homestead.  The  children  have  fitted  up  a 
memorial  room  in  honor  of  their  mother  in 
the  Mary  Holmes  Seminary  of  Jackson,  Miss., 
which  is  known  as  the  Geddes  Memorial 
Room.  Both  parents  were  also  active  in  church 
and  benevolent  work,  and  in  them  the  poor 
and  need}-  found  friends.  Mr.  Geddes,  who  was 
prominent  in  the  organization  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Fountain  Green,  did  much  toward 
the  erection  of  the  church,  and  for  many  years 
served  as  one  of  the  church  Elders.  His  life  was 
always  an  honorable  and  upright  one,  passed  in 
faithful  service,  and  all  who  knew  him  respected 
him  for  his  fidelity  and  sterling  worth.  His  long 
residence  in  Hancock  County  made  him  widely 
known,  and  he  had  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends. 

3  <,  1 ,  .>  15-,,       ,         ■* 

IESLEY  MILLIKEN,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 33,  Media  Township,  is  numbered 
among  the  leading  farmers  and  stock-raisers 
of  Henderson  County.  He  owns  and  operates  a 
good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  fields 
are  well  tilled,  and  all  the  improvements  upon  the 
place  stand  as  monuments  to  the  enterprise  and 
progressive  spirit  of  the  owner. 

Mr.  Milliken  was  born  in  Dearborn  County, 
Ind.,  near  Manchester,  on  the  21st  of  October, 
1S27,  and  is  one  of  thirteen  children  whose  par- 
ents were  James  P.  and  Priscilla  P.  (Noyes) 
Milliken.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Maine,  born 
October  16,  1803.  In  1817  he  emigrated  to  Indi- 
ana, and  in  1841  he  was  elected  as  Representative 
to  the  General  Assembly  of  that  State.  When  his 
term  had  expired  he  was  elected  State  Senator,  and 
served  for  six  years  in  that  office.  During  his  term 
a  prohibitory  liquor  law  was  passed,  and  Mr.  Milli- 
ken took  an  active  part  in  securing  the  passage 
of  the  measure.  Upon  his  return  home  his  many 
friends  in  Dearborn  County  presented  him  with 
a  silver  cup  as  a  testimonial  of  his  services.  In 
1852  he  was  the  Free-Soil  candidate  for  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor. Hewas  an  active  anti-slavery  man, 
and    possessed   the    courage   of  his   convictions. 


When  he  became  a  resident  of  Missouri,  he  in- 
curred the  displeasure  of  the  slave-holders  and 
their  friends  by  distributing  anti-slavery  litera- 
ture. This  led  to  threats  of  mobbing,  and  his  life 
was  in  danger  during  his  residence  in  that  State. 
The  family  urged  him  to  remove  from  that  place, 
and  they  became  residents  of  Iowa.  When  the 
war  broke  out,  he  enlisted  in  the  Thirtieth  Iowa 
Regiment,  and  was  mortally  wounded,  May  22, 
1863,  before  Vicksburg,  dying  the  next  morning. 
At  that  time  hewas  in  command  of  the  regiment. 
Mr.  Milliken  was  a  popular  man  among  his 
friends,  and  possessed  great  influence.  Of  his  eight 
sons  and  five  daughters,  only  five  beside  our  sub- 
ject are  living:  James  M.,  a  farmer  and  carpen- 
ter residing  in  Scotland  County,  Mo. ;  Martha  N. , 
widow  of  Tyler  Morris,  and  a  resident  of  Scotland 
County,  Mo. ;  Noyes,  the  proprietor  of  a  bakery 
in  Topeka,  Kan.;  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Amos  R. 
Lightfoot,  a  farmer  of  Scotland  County,  Mo.;  and 
Thomas  D.,  an  agriculturist  of  the  same  commu- 
nity. 

On  the  old  home  farm  in  the  State  of  his  nativ- 
ity, Mr.  Milliken  spent  his  childhood  days,  and 
attended  the  subscription  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, which  were  held  in  a  log  schoolhouse  a 
mile  from  his  home.  He  there  conned  his  lessons 
at  various  intervals  until  eighteen  years  of  age, 
but  seldom  found  it  possible  to  attend  during  the 
summer  months,  as  his  services  were  needed  on 
the  home  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  be- 
gan earning  his  own  livelihood,  working  on  a  farm 
by  the  day  or  month.  Thus  he  was  employed 
until  he  had  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  make  a 
payment,  securing  to  himself  one  hundred  and 
eleven  acres  of  partially  improved  land.  To  the 
further  development  and  cultivation  of  that  tract 
he  devoted  his  energies  for  three  years,  and  then 
sold,  buying  another  farm,  upon  which  he  lived 
until  1858.  In  that  year  he  again  sold  out,  and, 
removing  to  Missouri,  bought  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  near  Kirksville,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  the  summer  of  1861.  Then 
again  his  place  of  residence  was  changed,  and  he 
bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
Davis  County,  Iowa,  where  he  continued  to  live 
until  the  spring  of  1865. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


483 


On  the  29th  of  May,  1S49,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Milliken  and  Miss  Catherine 
Powell.  To  them  have  been  born  eleven  children: 
Jefferson  B.,  a  farmer  of  Media  Township:  Caro- 
line A.,  wife  of  George  W.  Henry,  a  farmer  of 
Warren  County,  111.;  Zennette  J.,  wife  of  William 
Broom,  an  agriculturist  of  Fulton  County,  111.; 
James,  a  farmer  of  Henderson  County;  Man- 
Grace;  Greeley;  Albertie;  one  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; and  Orville  K.,  Wade  C.  and  Ellsworth. 
The  three  last-named  are  also  deceased. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  Mr.  Milliken  came  to 
Henderson  County,  and  purchased  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides.  He  has  altogether  one 
hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  land,  constituting  a 
valuable  property.  In  polities,  he  has  always 
been  a  supporter  of  .the  Republican  party,  and  has 
been  honored  with  several  local  offices,  having 
served  as  Township  Trustee,  Road  Supervisor 
and  School  Director.  He  has  ever  discharged 
his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity,  and  has 
thus  won  the  commendation  of  all  concerned. 
His  life  has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one,  and,  as 
the  result  of  his  untiring  labor  and  well-directed 
efforts,  it  has  also  been  a  prosperous  one. 

(Tames  Marshall  akin,  who  for  many 

I  years,  has  been  prominently  connected  with 
\Z/  the  educational  interests  of  Henderson  Coun- 
ty, and  is  recognized  as  one  of  its  most  successful 
teachers,  now  resides  in  Oquawka.  He  claims 
Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Tuscarawas  County,  January  14, 
1845.  The  Akin  family  originated  in  Scotland,  and 
removed  from  the  north  of  Scotland  into  Ireland. 
We  do  not  know  who  the  founder  of  the  family  in 
America  was,  but  the  ancestors  came  here  in  early 
Colonial  days.  The  town  of  Aiken,  South  Caro- 
lina, was  settled  by  and  named  for  them.  On  ac- 
count of  their  antipathy  to  the  slave  trade,  they 
early  removed  further  north,  thus  removing  their 
posterity  from  the  pernicious  influence  of  the  sys- 
tem of  slavery.  The  father  of  our  subject,  John 
G.  Eakin,  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  a  cabinet- 


maker and  fanner  by  occupation.  He  married 
Eliza  Connell,  and  eight  children  were  born  of 
their  union,  of  whom  James  M.  is  the  eldest. 
George  W.,  deceased,  was  a  fanner  of  Muskin- 
gum County,  Ohio,  and  spent  his  last  year  near 
Benkleman,  whither  he  removed  about  1885;  Sam- 
uel S.  is  a  stock-dealer  of  New  Concord,  Ohio; 
William  P.  is  engaged  in  house-moving  in  Gales- 
burg,  111.;  Martha  and  two  sons  died  in  infancy; 
and  Lizzie  is  at  home. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  reared  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  whither 
his  father  removed  when  he  was  quite  young. 
His  early  education,  acquired  in  its  common 
schools,  was  supplemented  by  study  in  the  Union 
High  School  of  Cambridge, Ohio,  and  in  the  Mcln- 
tyre  Institute  in  Zanesville,  Ohio.  He  displayed 
special  aptitude  in  the  schoolroom,  and  in  those 
various  institutions  of  learning  was  regarded  as 
one  of  the  best  students.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
he  began  teaching,  and  has  followed  the  profession 
continuously  since.  For  some  time  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  teacher  in  the  district  schools,  but  at 
length  came  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  in  1871, 
and  secured  a  position  as  teacher  in  the  graded 
schools  in  Biggsville,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years.  After  teaching  two  years  at  Olena,  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  in  Oquawka,  where  he  contin- 
ued for  eight  years.  He  has  taught  for  eleven  years 
in  the  graded  schools,  for  nine  years  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  and  for  nine  years  he  filled  the  office 
of  County  Superintendent.  To  that  position  he 
was  elected  in  1877,  serving  for  five  years.  In 
1886  he  was  re-elected  for  the  regular  term  of 
four  years,  and  was  in  charge  of  the  schools  of 
Henderson  County  until  1890.  At  this  writing, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Village  Board  of  Trustees. 

On  the  3d  of  August,  1871,  Mr.  Akin  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  E.  Arthur, 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Orpha  (Callahan)  Ar- 
thur. Four  children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom 
two  died  in  infancy.  Orlando  H.,  a  teacher,  and 
James  L.,  are  still  with  their  parents.  The  eld- 
er early  manifested  considerable  literary  taste 
and  ability.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  wrote 
stories,  which  were  published  in  the  local  press, 
and  attributed  by  the  public  to  older  persons. 


484 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Akin  is  a  warm  advocate  of  Republican 
principles,  and  has  supported  that  party  since 
casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen.  U.  S. 
Grant,  in  1868.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Tran- 
quil Lodge  No.  193,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  Oquawka 
Camp  No.  1037,  M.  W.  A.  Himself  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  are 
highly  respected  citizens  of  this  community.  Mr. 
Akin  has  a  wide  reputation  as  a  teacher,  having 
been  most  successful  in  his  choice  of  vocation. 


ROBERT  T.  MCMILLAN,  one  of  the  highly  - 
respected  and  well-known  citizens  of  Hen- 
derson County,  who  is  serving  as  County 
Sheiiff,  now  makes  his  home  in  Biggsville.  His 
entire  life  has  been  passed  in  Illinois.  He  was 
born  on  the  9th  of  November,  1835,  near  Jackson- 
ville, Morgan  County,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
and  Mary  (Thompson)  McMillan.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  when  a 
young  man  came  to  the  United  States,  and  in  the 
Revolutionary  War  aided  the  Colonies  in  their 
struggle  for  independence.  His  wife  was  a  native 
of  Scotland,  and  the  maternal  grandparents  of 
our  subject  were  also  born  in  the  same  country. 
The  father,  James  McMillan,  was  born  and 
reared  on  a  farm  in  South  Carolina,  but,  not  wish- 
ing to  follsw  agricultural  pursuits,  he  learned  the 
wagon-maker's  trade.  He  served  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  in  1833  emigrated  to  Morgan  County, 
111.,  but  after  a  year  he  came  to  Henderson  Coun- 
ty and  purchased  a  farm  near  Oquawka,  whereon 
he  spent  his  remaining  days.  His  death  occurred 
in  1846,  when  about  forty-eight  years  of  age.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  his  many  excellencies  of  character  gained  for 
him  high  regard.  His  wife,  who  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  South  Carolina,  survived  her  husband  only 
two  weeks,  both  dying  of  measles.  The  family 
numbered  nine  children:  Hugh  D. ,  who  now  car- 
ries on  farming  in  Henderson  County;  Sarah,  the 
wife  of  William  Andrew,  of  Kansas;  William  L., 
an  agriculturist  of  this  community;  Nancy  E., 
who  is  living  in   Henderson   County;   Robert  T., 


of  this  sketch;  Daniel,  a  physician  now  engaged 
in  practice  in  Mercer  County ;  Martha,  who  is  liv- 
ing in  Henderson  County;  Rachel,  wife  of  Alex 
Thompson,  of  Kansas;  and  Elizabeth,  who  died 
in  childhood. 

Robert  McMillan  was  a  lad  of  only  twelve 
years  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  his  parents.  He 
went  to  live  with  a  paternal  uncle,  Dr.  William 
McMillan,  a  farmer  and  physician,  who  was  born 
in  South  Carolina,  and  in  1837  came  to  Hender- 
son County,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his 
death.  For  many  years  he  was  the  only  physician 
in  this  locality.  He  was  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneers,  and  passed  away  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty  years. 

Our  subject  remained  with  the  Doctor  until  the 
1st  of  September,  1862,  when  he  entered  the  army 
as  one  of  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  K,  Eighty- 
fourth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  enlisted  for  three 
years'  service,  and  participated  in  many  of  the 
noted  battles  and  campaigns,  including  the  en- 
gagements at  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge, 
Franklin,  Nashville  and  the  Atlanta  campaign. 
When  the  war  was  over  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged, and  returned  to  the  North  to  again  make 
his  home  with  his  uncle  until  1870.  In  that  year  he 
was  married,  and  removed  to  a  farm  near  Biggs- 
ville, where,  in  connection  with  general  farming, 
he  also  carried  on  stock-raising. 

On  the  27th  of  May,  1870,  Mr.  McMillan  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mattie  Graham, 
of  Henderson  County,  and  to  them  were  born 
five  children ;  Mary,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen years;  Jessie  B.,  who  is  now  attending  college 
in  Monmouth,  111.;  and  Laura,  Edward  and  Wal- 
ter, who  are  still  at  home.  The  parents  are  both 
members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
are  prominent  people,  who  have  many  friends  in 
this  community. 

Socially,  Mr.  McMillan  is  connected  with  Ells- 
worth Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Oquawka.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Democrat,  and  in  1890  was  elected  Sher- 
iff of  the  county,  the  only  Democratic  Sheriff  who 
has  been  elected  in  the  county  for  a  half-century, 
for  this  district  is  strongl)-  Republican.  He  is 
fearless  and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties, 
and  has  therefore  won  the  high  commendation  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


485 


all  concerned.  In  business,  Mr.  McMillan  has 
also  won  success.  He  now  owns  two  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  good  fanning  land,  a  part  of 
which  he  rents,  using  the  remainder  as  pasture 
land,  for  he  raises,  buys  and  sells  considerable 
stock.  He  also  owns  an  interest  in  a  tile  factory 
in  Biggsville. 

e_  ,    =i<  J,  >f=  «f       .        <9 

(JOHN  R.  FO.STER,  a  farmer  residing  on  sec- 
I  tion  5,  township  10  north,  range  4  west,  is 
(2/  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Hender- 
son County,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  17th 
of  December,  1844.  He  is  a  worthy  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  commu- 
nity. His  father,  William  A.  Foster,  was  a 
native  of  South  Carolina,  born  in  the  Abbeyville 
District  on  the  1 6th  of  November,  1816,.  When 
a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years  he  determined 
to  seek  a  home  and  fortune  in  the  West,  and,  em- 
igrating to  Illinois,  took  up  his  residence  in  War- 
ren County,  where  he  spent  about  three  years. 
He  then  came  to  Henderson  County,  and  on  the 
28th  of  April,  1 84 1,  was  here  married  to  Miss 
Jane  McDill.  They  began  their  domestic  life  in 
Little  York,  and  the  following  children  were  born 
of  their  union,  namely:  John,  Samuel,  George 
C.   and  James. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  who  was 
reared  in  his  parents'  home.  Like  the  family,  he 
shared  in  some  of  the  trials  and  inconveniences 
of  frontier  life.  His  early  education  was  acquired 
in  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and 
he  afterwards  attended  Monmouth  College,  of 
Monmouth,  111.,  for  one  year.  Subsequently  he 
took  a  course  of  study  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's 
Business  College,  of  Chicago.  On  attaining  to 
man's  estate  he  began  earning  his  own  livelihood, 
and  to  his  efforts,  his  perseverance  and  good 
management  may  be  attributed  his  success  in  life. 
On  the  2 1  st  of  August,  1867,  Mr.  Foster  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lorena  T.  Camp- 
bell, a  daughter  of  Rev.  'W.  S.  and  Lorena 
(Hendricks)  Campbell.      Her  parents  were  both 


natives  of  Tennessee,  the  former  born  in  Blount 
County,  and  the  latter  in  Carter  County.  Four 
children  graced  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his 
wife:  Mary  A.,  now  the  wife  of  H.  A.  Boyer; 
William  H.,  Roberts,  and  Gracie  G.,  who  are 
still  at  home. 

In  1866  and  the  year  following  Mr.  Foster  was 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  Biggsville.  In  1868, 
his  health  failing,  he  moved  out  and  settled  upon 
a  tract  of  land  he  inherited  from  his  father,  on 
which  he  has  since  made  his  home.  When  he 
became  its  owner  it  was  but  little  improved,  not 
a  building  having  been  erected  upon  it,  while  the 
land  was  still  almost  in  its  primitive  condition.  A 
residence,  barns  and  outbuildings  were  erected  and 
other  accessories  and  conveniences  added,  until 
now  the  farm  has  become  one  of  the  best  in  the 
neighborhood. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foster  are  members  of  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  Their  home 
is  noted  for  its  hospitality  and  they  have  many 
friends  throughout  the  community.  Mr.  Foster 
has  served  as  School  Director  for  nine  years,  and  is 
still  filling  that  office  in  a  creditable  and  accept- 
able manner,  as  is  indicated  by  his  long  contin- 
uance therein.  He  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  socially  is  connected  with  Biggsville 
Lodge  No.  236,  A.  O.  U.  W. 

«»~      ■      *•  da  <"  ?  ">  I^T"6        — §> 

HON.  RAUSELDON  COOPER,  of  Oquawka, 
who  is  now  serving  as  County  Judge  of 
Henderson  County,  has  been  connected 
with  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  this  locality  since 
February,  1876,  and  has  won  a  leading  position 
as  a  lawyer,  one  that  has  not  only  secured  for  him  a 
liberal  patronage,  but  has  also  been  the  means  of 
giving  him  the  responsible  position  which  he  now 
fills.  Judge  Cooper  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in 
this  community,  and  all  who  know  him  hold  him 
in  high  esteem.  We  therefore  feel  assured  that 
this  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to 
many  of  our  readers.  Born  in  Wayne  County, 
Ind.,  on  the  24th  of  December,  1845,  he  comes 
of  a  family  of  English  origin.     His  father,  John 


486 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Cooper,  and  his  grandfather,  William  Cooper, 
were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  former, 
who  follows  farming,  is  now  living  in  Bald  Bluff 
Precinct,  Henderson  County,  whither  he  removed 
in  1849.  He  married  Martha  E.  Smith,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  two  children,  Rauseldon, 
and  Martha  L- ,  now  deceased. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  died  when  he  was 
only  about  four  years  of  age,  and  he  then  went  to 
live  with  his  grandmother  in  Wayne  County,  Ind. 
His  education  in  early  life  was  limited  to  the 
privileges  afforded  by  the  common  schools,  but 
afterwards  he  attended  Lombard  University,  in 
Galesburg,  111. ,  and  was  graduated  from  that  in- 
stitution in  1869,  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.  He 
had  come  to  Henderson  County  in  1853,  locating 
in  what  at  that  time  was  known  as  Greenville 
Precinct,  but  is  now  called  Fall  Creek  Precinct. 
On  completing  his  literary  education,  he  returned 
to  the  farm  and  worked  for  his  father  for  six 
years,  but,  not  content  to  follow  agricultural  pur- 
suits throughout  life,  he  determined  to  enter  the 
legal  profession,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1873  and 
in  the  winter  of  1874-75,  he  was  a  student  in  the 
law  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan, 
being  graduated  therefrom  in  the  spring  of  1875. 
In  February,  1876,  he  came  to  Oquawka,  and, 
opening  an  office,  at  once  began  practice,  which 
he  carried  on  continuously  until  1880.  In  that 
year  he  was  elected  State's  Attorney  of  Henderson 
County,  and  so  ably  did  he  discharge  the  duties 
of  the  office  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1884. 
Again,  on  the  expiration  of  his  second  term  in 
1888,  he  was  chosen  his  own  successor,  and  filled 
the  office  until  1890,  when  he  resigned,  for  he 
had  been  elected  County  Judge.  He  at  once  en- 
tered upon  the  duties  of  that  position,  and  his 
course  on  the  Bench  has  met  with  the  same  high 
approval  and  commendation  that  greeted  his  ad- 
ministration of  affairs  while  serving  as  State's  At- 
torney. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1875,  Judge  Cooper 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  E.  Cum- 
mins, a  daughter  of  Opdyke  H.  and  Ellen  D. 
(Oxford)  Cummins.  They  became  the  parents 
of  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters, 
Moses  R.,  Margaret   E.,   Rauseldon,  Harry  Mac 


and  Leona,  and  the  family  circle  yet  remains  un- 
broken, for  all  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

The  Judge  is  a  warm  advocate  of  Republican 
principles,  having  been  identified  with  that  party 
since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  U.  S. 
Grant.  Besides  the  positions  already  mentioned, 
he  has  filled  several  local  offices,  having  served 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  as  a  member  of  the  Town 
Board  and  as  School  Director.  Socially,  he  be- 
longs to  Tranquil  Lodge  No.  193,  I.  O.  O.  F. ; 
and  Oquawka  Camp  No.  1037,  M.  W.  A.  His 
rulings  on  the  Bench  are  always  just,  the  result 
of  decisions  which  have  been  obtained  after  care- 
ful deliberation  and  weighing  of  evidence.  Skill 
and  ability  have  won  him  prominence  in  the  legal 
profession  and  given  him  a  foremost  place  at  the 
Henderson  County  Bar. 

s—    '      'a  <  ?  >  fa  a  a 

(SI  LEXANDER  W.  LYNN,  one  of  the  leading 
LA  farmers  of  Gladstone  Township,  Henderson 
I  I  County,  now  living  on  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  10,  township  10,  range  5  west,  is 
one  of  the  native  sons  of  this  county,  and  a  wor- 
thy representative  of  one  of  its  honored  pioneer 
families.  His  father,  EzekielW.  Lynn,  was  born 
in  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  1807.  His  parents  were 
also  natives  of  the  Nutmeg  State,  and  had  a 
family  of  eight  children,  namely:  David,  Samuel 
W.,  James,  Asher,  John,  Mrs.  Almira  Brainard, 
Ezekiel  and  Mrs.  Prudence  Cook. 

Ezekiel  W.  Lynn  spent  the  first  twenty-five 
years  of  his  life  in  his  native  State,  after  which  he 
determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  West.  He 
came  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  in  1832,  among 
its  very  first  settlers.  There  were  few  pioneers  in 
the  county  at  that  time;  the  greater  part  of  the 
land  was  still  in  possession  of  the  Govern- 
ment, and  all  seemed  wild  and  unimproved.  Here 
Mr.  Lynn  embarked  in  farming,  and  also  built  a 
sawmill,  which  he  operated  through  the  spring 
and  fall  seasons,  when  there  was  a  sufficient  water 
supply.  In  the  spring  of  1837,  he  returned  to 
Connecticut  and  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Olive    Harvey,  a  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Rachel 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


487 


(Whitmore)  Harvey,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Connecticut.  Her  father  died  in  1846.  His 
wife  passed  away  April  10,  1S26.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  the  following;  children:  Asahel,  born 
May  4,  [801;  Mrs.  Cynthia  Bailey,  September 
22,  1802:  Edwin,  June  8,  1804;  Annie,  February 
8,  1806;  Elisha  H.,  in  1809;  Mrs.  Olive  Lynn, 
May  26,  1S14;  and  Mrs.  Almira  Clark,  June  18, 
1817. 

After  his  marriage,  Ezekiel  W.  Lynn  returned 
with  his  bride  to  Henderson  County,  where  they 
spent  their  remaining  days.  He  carried  on  farm- 
ing until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1871,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  His 
wife  passed  away  in  1846,  and  they  were  both  in- 
terred in  the  South  Henderson  Cemetery.  Their 
family  numbered  six  children:  Alexander  W., 
born  January  29,  183S;  Charles  Ezekiel,  August 
10,  1839;  Mary  O.,  October  1,  1841;  Mrs.  Har- 
riet C.  Tweed,  February  25,  1843;  George  H., 
November  1.8,  1844:  and  Mrs.  Olive  A.  Torpin, 
born  September  29,  1846. 

The  history  of  pioneer  life  is  familiar  to  our 
subject  in  all  its  details,  for  he  was  reared  011  the 
frontier,  aided  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing 
new  land,  and  has  gone  through  the  other  expe- 
riences of  those  early  days.  He  had  no  special 
advantages  in  his  youth,  but  has  always  made  the 
most  of  his  opportunities,  and  has  thus  met  with 
fair  success  in  his  undertakings. 

On  the  1 8th  of  November,  1861,  Mr.  Lynn  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  A.  Applebey, 
and  to  them  were  born  three  children,  Mariette, 
Martha  and  Chauncey,  but  the  last-named  died 
when  quite  young.  The  mother  of  this  family 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  10th  of  Decem- 
ber, 18S0,  and  her  remains  were  interred  in  the 
.South  Henderson  Cemetery. 

Mr.  Lynn  has  throughout  life  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming.  He  was  reared  to  that  pur- 
suit, and  has  made  it  a  business  whereby  he  has 
provided  for  the  wants  of  himself  and  family.  He 
now  owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  of 
arable  land,  which  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  and  which  he  has  improved  with 
good  buildings  and  modern  accessories  and  con- 
veniences, making  it  one  of  the  valuable  places  of 


the  neighborhood.  He  holds  membership  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  since  cast- 
ing his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, has  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  its  principles.  His  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  Henderson  County,  and  as  one  of 
its  honored  pioneers  and  highly  respected  citizens 
he  well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume. 

6  ~~    t:   <=J  <"  T">fa    '  as 

(JOHN  M.  MILLEN,  one  of  the  prominent  and 
I  progressive  agriculturists  of  Henderson  Comi- 
cs ty,  who  is  now  living  on  section  8,  township 
10  north,  range  4  west,  claims  Indiana  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  there  oc- 
curred September  14,  1840.  He  comes  of  an  old 
southern  family.  His  father,  John  Milieu,  was 
born  in  Chester  Count)-,  S.  C. ,  and  in  that  State 
was  reared  to  manhood.  There  he  was  married, 
in  1834,  to  Miss  Barbara  Moffett,  and  about  a 
year  later  they  emigrated  westward,  settling  in 
Monroe  County,  Ind.,  where  the  father  followed 
farming.  They  had  eleven  children,  namely:  W. 
C,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Strong.  J.  M.,  Charles  S.,  Mrs. 
Martha  J.  Wallace,  Mrs.  Emeline  Bell,  James  P., 
Samuel,  Thomas,  Wallace  and  Mrs.  Ida  Rodman. 
The  father  died  in  the  spring  of  1869,  but  the 
mother  is  still  living,  and  has  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty  years. 

John  M.  Milieu  spent  his  early  childhood  days 
in  his  native  county,  and  then  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Tennessee  in  1847. 
Three  years  later  the  family  came  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  Adams  County  in  1850.  There  he  aided 
in  operating  the  home  farm  until  the  breaking  out 
of  the  late  war,  when  he  responded  to  the  coun- 
try's call  for  troops  to  aid  in  suppressing  the  re- 
bellion. In  August,  1861,  he  donned  the  blue 
and  became  a  member  of  Company  G,  Third  Illi- 
nois Cavalry,  in  which  he  served  for  three  years, 
when,  in  September,  1864,  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged. He  then  returned  home,  remaining  at 
the  North  until  February,  1865,  when  here-en- 
listed as  a  member  of  Company  F,  Second  Han- 
cock Veteran  Reserve  Corps.      He  was  then  in  the 


488 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


service  for  a  year,  and  was  with  Gen.  Grant  at 
the  time  of  Lee's  surrender.  His  country- found 
him  a  loyal  and  faithful  defender  of  the  Old  Flag 
and  the  cause  it  represented. 

After  being  mustered  out,  Mr.  Milieu  returned 
home  and  resumed  farming.  On  the  29th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1868,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Sarah  A.  Gordon,  a  native  of  Henderson  County, 
and  a  daughter  of  Daniel  M.  Gordon,  one  of  the 
honored  pioneers  of  this  locality,  widely  known  by 
all. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Milieu  were  born  nine 
children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters,  as  follows: 
William  Gordon,  Charles  F.,  Frank  W.,  Eliza- 
beth J.  (now  the  wife  of  William  Whiteman), 
Flora  Agnes,  Minnie  I.,  JohnM.  and  James  M. 
(twins),  and  Ralph.  William  G.  died  at  the  age  of 
twelve,  and  James  M.  died  in  infancy.  The  Mil- 
len  household  is  a  hospitable  one,  and  its  members 
have  many  warm  friends  in  this  community. 

Mr.  Millen  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has 
been  honored  with  some  local  offices.  He  is  now 
serving  as  Road  Commissioner  for  the  fifth  year, 
having  by  fidelity  to  duty  won  the  election.  He 
and  his  wife  hold  membership  with  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
the  youngest  two,  their  children  are  all  members. 
Socially,  our  subject  is  connected  with  Oquawka 
Lodge  No.  172,  G.  A.  R.  In  this  community  he 
has  a  wide  acquaintance,  and  has  won  the  confi- 
dence and  good  will  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been 
brought  in  contact. 


(TOHN  PEOPLES,  who  carries  on  general 
I  farming  and  stock-raising  on  section  27,  Ro- 
(2)  zetta  Township,  Henderson  County,  where 
he  owns  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valu- 
able and  highly  improved  land,  was  born  on  the 
Emerald  Isle  in  1814,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of 
five  sons  and  two  daughters,  whose  parents  were 
Hans  and  Rebecca  (Williamson)  Peoples.  They 
too  were  natives  of  Ireland. 

Upon    his   father's    farm    John    Peoples    was 
reared  to   manhood,  and  in  the  public  schools  of 


the  neighborhood  acquired  his  education,  but  his 
privileges  along  that  line  were  somewhat  limited. 
In  1842,  he  resolved  to  seek  a  home  and  fortune 
in  America,  for  he  had  heard  much  of  the  privi- 
leges and  opportunities  here  afforded.  Bidding 
adieu  to  friends  and  native  land,  he  boarded  a 
sailing-vessel,  and  after  a  voyage  of  eight  weeks 
landed  at  Philadelphia.  In  that  city  he  worked 
at  general  labor  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  the 
West,  settling  in  Henderson  County,  111.  With 
the  capital  he  had  acquired  through  industry  and 
perseverance  he  purchased  thirty-five  acres  of  land 
in  Rozetta  Township,  and  to  its  cultivation  de- 
voted his  energies  lor  five  years,  after  which  he 
bought  eight}'  acres  of  land  on  section  27,  a  part 
of  his  present  farm.  From  that  time  prosperity 
has  attended  his  efforts,  and  he  has  increased  the 
boundaries  of  the  homestead,  until  now  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  rich  land  pay  a  golden 
tribute  to  his  care  and  cultivation.  He  carries  on 
general  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  everything 
about  his  place  is  in  keeping  with  a  model  farm  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  Everything  is  kept  in  good 
repair,  the  fields  are  well  tilled,  and  an  air  of  neat- 
ness and  thrift  pervades  the  place. 

On  the  3d  of  January,  1852,  Mr.  Peoples  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Mary  Barresford, 
who  is  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Isabella  (Ramage)  Barresford.  Their 
family  numbered  seven  children,  three  sons  and 
four  daughters.  In  1871,  Mrs.  Peoples  crossed 
the  briny  deep  to  the  New  World,  and  in  Phila- 
delphia she  and  our  subject  were  married.  Sev- 
en children  have  been  born  to  them:  John  A., 
who  is  now  living  in  Dekota;  Hens,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Kansas;  Isabella,  wife  of  Doc  Keener; 
Daniel,  who  is  living  in  Henderson  County ; 
Martha  A.,  wife  of  Lincoln  Robbins;  Thomas  H., 
deceased;  and  William,  who  is  still  at  home. 

Mr.  Peoples  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party.  His  wife  be- 
longs to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  They 
have  long  resided  in  Henderson  County,  and 
have  many  warm  friends  within  its  borders.  Mr. 
Peoples  began  life  for  himself  a  poor  boy,  with  no 
capital  save  a  determined  spirit  and  an  indus- 
trious disposition,  but  steadily  he  has  worked  his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


489 


way  upward,  overcoming  the  difficulties  and  ob- 
stacles in  his  path,  and  success  has  at  length 
crowned  his  efforts,  making  him  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial farmers  of  the  community. 

(ILLIAM  JACKSON  ASH,  who  is  success- 
fully engaged  in  farming  on  section  16, 
Wythe  Township,  Hancock  Count}-,  dates 
his  residence  in  Illinois  from  1846.  Three  years 
after,  he  came  to  this  locality,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  He  claims  Tennessee  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  McMinn  County,  on  the  6th  of  June,  1825. 
His  father,  Hugh  Brown  Ash,  was  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  and  the  grandfather,  Robert  Ash, 
was  born  in  Scotland.  Emigrating  to  this  coun- 
try, he  settled  in  South  Carolina,  and  thence  re- 
moved to  Tennessee  in  an  early  day,  becoming 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  State. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  to  man- 
hood in  Eastern  Tennessee,  and,  after  arriving  at 
years  of  maturity,  he  married  Nancy  Jones,  who 
was  born  in  that  State.  The  work  of  frontier 
life  was  familiar  to  him.  He  aided  in  the  arduous 
task  of  clearing  and  developing  wild  land,  and, 
as  the  result  of  his  labors,  opened  up  a  good  farm. 
He  was  energetic  and  industrious,  and  his  well- 
directed  efforts  won  for  him  success.  He  made 
his  home  in  Tennessee  until  his  death,  which  re- 
sulted from  an  accident  in  1834.  His  wife,  who 
long  survived  him,  reared  the  family,  caring  for 
the  children  until  they  were  able  to  care  for  them- 
selves. She  removed  with  the  family  to  Ala- 
bama, and  was  there  again  married.  After  seven 
years  spent  in  that  State,  she  went  to  Missouri, 
locating  in  Dent  County,  where  her  last  days  were 
passed.  She  was  a  faithful  mother  to  her  children, 
who  have  reason  to  bless  her  memory. 

William  J.  Ash  accompanied  his  mother  on  her 
removal  to  Alabama,  and  in  that  State  learned 
the  tanner's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  about 
six  years.  At  length  he  determined  to  seek  a 
home  in  Illinois,  and,  as  before  stated,  the  year 
1846  witnessed  his  arrival  within  its  borders.    He 


first  located  in  Adams  County,  where  he  spent 
about  three  years.  He  was  employed  as  a  farm 
hand  by  the  month  for  two  years,  and  on  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  returned  to  Alabama, 
in  1848.  The  object  of  this  trip  was  seen  when, 
on  the  28th  of  February,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Eliza  Culpepper,  a  daughter  of 
Joel  Culpepper,  formerly  of  South  Carolina.  The 
lady  is  a  native  of  Tennessee,  but  during  her 
early  girlhood  accompanied  her  parents  to  Ala- 
bama, where  she  was  reared  and  educated. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Ash  returned  with  his 
bride  to  Adams  County,  and  upon  a  rented  farm 
they  began  their  domestic  life.  That  season  he 
planted  and  harvested  a  crop,  and  in  the  succeed- 
ing autumn  he  came  to  Hancock  County,  where 
he  again  rented  land,  making  his  home  thereon 
for  a  year.  Having  lived  frugally,  he  had  as  the 
result  of  his  industry  and  perseverance  acquired 
some  capital,  which  he  now  invested  in  land. 
The  farm  which  he  then  purchased  has  since  been 
his  home,  although  it  has  been  increased  in  ex- 
tent. He  first  bought  a  tract  of  forty  acres  of 
raw  land,  which  he  broke  and  fenced  in,  and  con- 
tinued to  cultivate  until  it  was  made  to  yield  to 
him  a  good  return  for  his  labor.  A  few  years 
later  he  added  to  it,  and  from  time  to  time  he  has 
made  other  purchases.  He  now  owns  a  valuable 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  and  has 
also  of  late  years  sold  portions  of  his  farm.  Every 
improvement  upon  the  place  stands  as  a  monu- 
ment to  his  thrift  and  enterprise,  for  it  has  been 
secured  through  his  own  labors.  He  first  built  a 
small  frame  house,  but  in  1872  it  was  replaced  by 
a  very  commodious  and  pleasant  residence. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ash  were  born  six  daughters 
and  a  son:  Sarah  Malvina,  wife  of  W.  H.  King, 
a  prosperous  famer  of  Wythe  Township,  Han- 
cock County;  Mary  Adeline,  wife  of  Fred  C. 
Schrever,  of  Hamilton;  Joel  B.,  who  is  married, 
and  resides  in  Harper  County,  Kan.;  Louisa  Ann; 
Amanda  Jane,  wife  of  Peter  Ernest,  an  agricul- 
turist of  Wythe  Township;  Alice,  wife  of  Charles 
Benderwald,  of  Hancock  County;  and  Narcissa 
Elizabeth. 

Mr.  Ash  deserves  the  success  of  his  life,  as  it 
has  come  to  him  through  his  own  efforts  and  the 


490 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


assistance  of  his  estimable  wife.  He  has  accumu- 
lated a  valuable  property,  and  is  to-day  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  well-to-do  farmers  of  the  com- 
munity. In  politics,  he  is  identified  with  the 
Democracy,  having  supported  that  party  since  he 
cast  his  first  Presidential  ballot  for  Franklin 
Pierce,  in  1852.  He  has  been  elected  to  and  has 
held  several  local  positions  of  honor  and  trust, 
having  served  for  six  years  as  Assessor,  and  for 
four  years  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  cause  of 
education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  he 
gives  a  hearty  support  to  the  public  schools.  He 
did  effective  sen-ice  in  their  interest  during  his 
twenty-one  years'  service  on  the  School  Board. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  of 
Hamilton,  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Wythe  Presbyterian  Church.  For  forty-four  long 
years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Hancock  County, 
and  has  not  only  witnessed  its  growth  and  devel- 
opment, but  has  aided  in  its  advancement,  and 
has  given  his  support  to  all  enterprises  which  he 
believed  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 
He  has  lived  an  honorable  and  upright  life,  and 
throughout  the  community  in  which  he  resides  is 
held  in  high  regard. 

6—    '       ,&-^^'Y"V[J 


WILLIAM  GAINES  MOTT,  M.  D.,  has 
since  the  spring  of  1877  been  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  Basco,  and  is  num- 
bered among  the  leading  physicians  of  this  part  of 
the  county.  He  is  a  close  student,  and  has  won 
his  way  to  a  foremost  place  in  the  profession.  A 
native  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  he  was  born  on  the  13th 
of  April,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  Emmett  and 
Amanda  (Colgan)  Mott,  the  former  a  native  of 
Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  and  the  latter  of  St. 
Charles,  Mo.  The  father  served  as  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812,  under  Gen.  Brown,  and  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  Sergeant.  He  received 
his  discharge  at  Prairie  du  Chien  in  1816,  and  af- 
terward removed  to  St.  Charles,  Mo., where  he  was 
married  in  1826.  He  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  and 
followed  that  business  in  connection  with  farming 
until  1838,  when  he  removed   to  Keokuk,  Iowa, 


then  only  a  small  village.  In  1840,  he  purchased 
four  hundred  acres  of  laud  near  that  place  and 
established  a  ferry  on  the  Des  Moines  River.  His 
death  occurred  in  Keokuk,  in  1848,  and  his  wife, 
who  survived  him  for  a  number  of  years,  passed 
away  in  1876.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  in  his  political  views  was  a  Whig. 
Public-spirited  and  progressive,  he  took  an  active 
interest  in  everything  that  pertained  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community  in  which  he  made  his 
home,  was  a  leading  and  influential  citizen,  and 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  eight  years  un- 
der Gov.  Lucas,  the  first  Territorial  Governor. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mott  were  born  twelve  chil- 
dren: Susan,  now  deceased;  Eliza,  wife  of  Perry 
Condon,  of  California;  Ann,  wife  of  Henry  Gray, 
a  resident  of  Clark  County,  Mo. ;  Clarissa,  wife 
of  Thomas  Phillips,  also  of  Clark  County;  Robert 
Emmett,  who  is  living  in  Yineennes,  Lee  County, 
Iowa;  Henrietta,  wife  of  George  Baker,  also  a 
resident  of  Clark  County,  Mo.;  William  Gaines 
of  this  sketch;  and  Henry,  who  carries  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Clark  County. 

In  his  native  city  W.  G.  Mott  spent  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  attended  its  public 
schools  until  twenty  years  of  age.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-five  he  began  teaching  in  Clark  Count)-, 
Mo.,  and  later  he  was  for  four  terms  a  student  in 
Spring  Street  College,  Quincy,  111. 

In  1872,  Mr.  Mott  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Martha  E.Tinsley,  a  native  of  Clark  County, 
and  with  his  young  wife  removed  to  Centerville, 
Iowa.  In  the  winter  of  1873-74,  he  attended 
lectures  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  in  the  spring  of  1874  he 
came  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  locating  in  Chili. 
He  there  began  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  re- 
mained at  that  place  until  the  spring  of  1877, 
when  he  opened  an  office  and  established  himself 
in  practice  in  Basco.  Here  he  has  since  continued . 
and  is  now  enjoying  a  good  business,  for  his  skill 
and  ability  have  gained  him  the  confidence  of  the 
community. 

Unto  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
three  children:  Hugh  Latimer,  Sterling  Price  and 
Milan  C.  All  are  now  attending  school  in  Basco. 
The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Church, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


491 


and  are  prominent  and  highly  respected  citizens 
of  this  place.  The  Doctor  has  served  for  four 
years  as  Town  Clerk  of  Basco,  was  Assessor  for 
two  years,  Village  Clerk  three  years,  and  County 
Physician  one  year.  He  has  always  supported 
the  Democratic  party.  Socially,  he  is  a  member 
of  Basco  Lodge  No.  618,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and 
Basco  Lodge  No.  682,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

to  6n^ <"T"^"l=a    ;Sr~  «8 

~~LMER  U.  OVERMAN,  State's  Attorney  of 

^3  Oquawka,  and  one  of  the  foremost  members 
m^  at  the  Bar  of  Henderson  County,  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  this  part  of  Illinois.  He  was 
born  in  St.  Albions  Township,  Hancock  County, 
on  the  30th  of  June,  1S64,  and  is  of  German  and 
English  lineage.  His  father,  Charles  Overman, 
was  born  in  Clark  County,  111.,  and  for  many 
years  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  but  is  now 
living  retired  in  Oquawka,  at  the  age  of  seventy. 
He  was  married  on  the  14th  of  January,  1845,  to 
Miss  Martha  Garner,  daughter  of  William  and 
Sarah  (Robinson)  Garner.  Nine  children  were 
born  of  this  union,  five  sons  and  four  daughters, 
of  whom  Edgar  R.  and  Chivyral  W.  died  in  in- 
fancy. James  G.  is  now  engaged  in  farming  near 
Red  Cloud,  Neb.;  Sarah  A.  is  the  wife  of  Alex 
Waggoner,  a  retired  fanner  of  Oquawka,  111.; 
Jennie  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Swartz,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  clerking  in  this  city;  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
Dr.  R.  D.  Demerell,  a  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Red  Cloud,  Neb. ;  William  P.,  who  was  a  lawyer 
of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  died  in  Red  Cloud, 
Neb. ,  at  the  age  of  twenty -seven  years;  and  May  is 
the  wife  of  Leon  Lemaire,  a  grain  and  implement 
dealer  of  Oquawka,  111. 

Mr.  Overman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
is  the  youngest  of  the  family.  No  event  of  special 
importance  occurred  during  his  boyhood  and 
youth,  which  were  quietly  passed  upon  his 
father's  farm  in  St.  Albions  Township.  He  en- 
joyed the  advantages  afforded  by  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  eighteen  years  of  age, 
when   he  entered  Hedding  College,  of  Abingdon, 


111.,  in  which  institution  he  pursued  his  studies 
for  four  years.  Having  chosen  the  legal  profes- 
sion as  one  which  he  wished  to  make  his  life 
work,  he  began  study  in  the  law  office  of  Sharp 
&  Berry  Brothers,  of  Carthage,  111.,  and  in 
May,  1889,  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  continuously  engaged  in  prac- 
tice. He  located  in  Oquawka  in  July,  and  has 
rapidly  won  his  way  to  a  foremost  place  among 
his  professional  brethren.  In  November,  1890, 
he  was  elected  to  fill  an  unexpired  term  as  State's 
Attorney,  and  in  1892  was  re-elected,  so  that  he  is 
now  filling  the  full  term. 

On  the  26th  of  April  of  the  same  year,  Mr. 
Overman  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Nellie 
Zinn,  of  St.  Albions  Township,  Hancock  County, 
daughter  of  William  H.  and  Florence  (Crawford) 
Zinn.  Her  grandfather  is  yet  living,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety  years. 

Mr.  Overman  is  a  warm  advocate  of  Republican 
principles,  and  by  his  first  vote  supported  Hon. 
James  G.  Blaine.  He  is  a  member  of  Tranquil 
Lodge  No.  193,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Oquawka;  of 
Oquawka  Camp  No.  1037,  M.  W.  A.;  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  Mr.  Overman  worked  his  own 
way  through  college,  serving  as  janitor,  and  the 
same  enterprise  and  perseverance  which  led  him 
to  thus  acquire  an  education  characterize  his 
professional  career.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling 
worth,  and  in  business  and  social  circles  occupies 
a  prominent  position. 


I"  RANK  M.  COOPER,  who  carries  on  stock - 
JV)  raising  on  section  10,  Gladstone  Township, 
I  Henderson  County,  was  born  in  Edgar 
County,  111.,  on  the  29th  of  October,  1850,  and 
was  raised  in  Greene  County,  End.  He  is  a  son  of 
Ambrose  and  Louisa  (McRoberts)  Cooper.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  but  in  an  early- 
day  removed  to  Indiana,  locating  in  Greene 
County.  He  was  married  in  Edgar  County,  III., 
to  Mis-.  McRoberts,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  eleven  children,  namely:      Frank  M.,  Johnnie, 


492 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mrs.  Sarah  Davis,  William  S.,  Charles  A.,  Mrs. 
Margaret  C.  Woodall,  James  A.,  George  W., 
Andrew  J.,  Mary  and  Ella.  Nine  of  the  number 
are  now  living.  The  mother  of  this  family  passed 
away  on  the  8th  of  August,  1876,  but  Ambrose 
Cooper  still  survives  and  follows  farming  in 
Indiana.  He  is  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  for 
many  years  carried  on  that  business,  but  now 
gives  his  entire  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

Under  the  parental  roof,  Frank  M.  Cooper  was 
reared  to  manhood.  Ere  he  left  home  his  father 
entered  the  army,  enlisting  in  January,  1861,  as 
a  member  of  the  Thirteenth  Indiana  Battery.  He 
continued  in  the  service  until  after  the  surrender 
of  Gen.  Lee,  and  although  he  participated  in  a 
number  of  important  engagements  was  never 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner.  When  the  war  was 
over  he  returned  to  his  family,  and  Frank  aided 
him  in  the  work  of  the  farm  until  twenty-three 
years  of  age.  Until  the  age  of  nineteen  our  sub- 
ject spent  the  winter  season  in  the  district  schools 
of  the  neighborhood.  He  then  went  to  college, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  a  year,  thus 
completing  a  good  English  education. 

Mr.  Cooper  went  to  Warren  County,  111.,  in 
1 87 1,  and  three  years  later  located  in  Henderson 
County.  On  the  1  st  of  January,  1874,  was  cel- 
ebrated his  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Rya- 
son,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Rebecca  (Lee) 
Ryason.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  honored 
pioneer  settlers  of  this  locality,  and  here  made 
his  home  for  many  years.  Her  mother,  who  was 
a  niece  of  Gen.  Lee,  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
but  grew  to  womanhood  in  Indiana. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooper  have  been  born  six 
children.  Of  these  only  four  are  now  living. 
Samuel  A.  was  born  October  3,  1874;  Edward  E., 
September  24,  1876;  Bertha  I.,  April  5,  1880; 
Sylva  L.,  July  27,  1884;  Lola  F.,  May  8,  1887, 
and  Etta  L-,  August  23,  1890. 

Mr.  Cooper  devotes  his  time  and  energies  to 
stock-raising,  having  a  good  grade  of  horses, 
cattle  and  hogs  upon  his  farm.  His  business  has 
proved  to  him  a  profitable  one,  and  by  the  sale 
of  his  stock  he  has  accumulated  a  comfortable 
competence.  He  well  deserves  that  his  career 
should  be  successful,  for  he  is  straightforward  and 


honorable  in  all  dealings.  Socially,  Mr.  Cooper 
is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  with  the  Sons  of  Veterans.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  Republican  princi- 
ples. Much  of  his  life  has  been  passed  in  Hen- 
derson County,  and  he  is  recognized  as  a  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  who  gives  his 
support  to  all  worthy  enterprises. 

REV.  RICE  HARRIS,  a  minister  of  the  Old- 
School  Baptist  Church,  who  now  has  charge 
of  West  Liberty  Church,  near  Sperry,  Des 
Moines  County,  Iowa,  makes  his  home  on  section 
25,  Bear  Creek  Township,  Hancock  County,  111. 
He  was  bom  on  the  nth  of  August,  1844,  at  Big 
Neck,  Adams  County,  111.,  and  is  one  of  seven- 
teen children  whose  parents  were  Solomon  and 
Lucinda  (Barker)  Harris,  the  former  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  and  the  latter  of  Tennessee.  Of 
their  family,  Jesse,  Nancy  and  Fannie  are  now  de- 
ceased; Solomon  is  living  in  Adams  County; 
George  makes  his  home  in  Kansas;  Lucinda  is 
the  wife  of  Elder  John  Riley,  of  Adams  County; 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  James  Walters;  Minerva  is 
the  wife  of  Joseph  Pond,  of  Monroe  County,  Mo. ; 
Jackson  is  living  in  Hancock  County;  Melinda  is 
the  wife  of  Simon  Kennedy,  of  McDonough 
County;  William  is  now  deceased;  Jane  married 
Milton  Riston,  a  resident  of  Washington;  Sarah 
wedded  Jeremiah  Hickock,  of  Kansas;  Rice  is  the 
next  younger;  Clark  is  living  in  Adams  County. 
The  father  of  this  family  acquired  such  an  educa- 
tion as  was  afforded  by  the  old-time  subscription 
schools.  In  1850,  he  purchased  five  hundred  and 
ten  acres  of  partially  improved  land  near  Wood- 
ville,  Adams  County,  111.,  and  there  carried  on 
general  farming  and  stock-raising  until  1866, 
when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Bowen,  Han- 
cock County.  Retiring  from  active  life,  he  there 
purchased  a  home,  and  spent  his  remaining  days 
in  the  enjoyment  of  a  well-earned  rest.  He  was 
a  prominent  member  of  and  active  worker  in  the 
Old-School  Baptist  Church,  and  was  a  life-long 
Democrat.     His   many  excellencies  of  character 


POkTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


493 


gained  for  him  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom 
he  was  brought  in  contact,  and  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  Bowen,  December  15,  1872,  was 
deeply  mourned.  His  wife  passed  away  on  the 
30th  of  March,  1S78. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of 
Rice  Harris,  who  spent  his  boyhood  days  upon 
his  father's  farm,  and  conned  his  lessons  in  the 
subscription  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  Hav- 
ing arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he  was  mar- 
ried in  June,  1863,  to  Miss  Nancy  Bolinger,  of 
Adams  County,  and  six  children  were  born  of 
their  union,  but  three  of  the  number  are  deceased. 
Those  living  are:  Lucinda  Catherine,  wife  of  Ly- 
man Huff;  Annie  Naomi,  wife  of  James  Roe,  of 
Missouri;  and  Emma  Nancy,  wife  of  Harmon 
Crear,  of  Hancock  County.  On  the  8th  of  Au- 
gust, 1879,  he  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Emily  Lower,  of  this  coun- 
ty. Eleven  children  have  been  born  of  this  union, 
but  only  eight  are  living,  namely:  Minerva 
Maria,  James  Harvey,  William  R.,  Clarence 
Franklin  and  Clara  (twins),  Joseph,  Grover 
Cleveland  and  an  infant  daughter. 

In  1863,  Mr.  Harris  engaged  in  operating  land 
belonging  to  his  father  on  shares.  In  1867, 
he  removed  to  Allen  County,  Kan.,  where  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  wild 
land,  and  for  four  years  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
and  improvement.  He  also  carried  on  stock-rais- 
ing until  187 1 ,  when  he  traded  his  Kansas  farm 
for  ninety-one  and  a-half  acres  on  section  25, 
Bear  Creek  Township,  Hancock  Count}',  and,  re- 
moving hither,  has  since  been  engaged  in  general 
farming,  and  has  extended  the  boundaries  of  his 
farm  until  he  now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  He  has  a  well-improved  place,  and  its 
neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indicates  the  careful 
supervision  of  the  owner. 

In  i860,  Rev.  Mr.  Harris  united  with  the  Old- 
School  Baptist  Church,  and  in  January,  1861,  he 
began  preaching,  although  he  was  not  ordained 
as  a  regular  minister  until  1863.  He  has  had 
charge  of  various  churches  in  Adams  and  Han- 
cock Counties,  and  has  also  been  pastor  of  the 
Coles  Creek  Church  in  Kansas.  He  aided  in 
framing  the  constitutions   of  three    churches  in 


Kansas,  which  now  form  the  Turkey  Creek  As- 
sociation, and  ordained  the  first  Old-School  Bap- 
tist preacher  of  that  State.  His  brother,  George 
Harris,  is  now  an  ordained  Elder  and  Clerk  of 
that  association.  Our  subject  has  been  in  charge 
of  his  present  pastorate  for  about  nine  years,  and, 
in  connection  with  Elder  B.  R.  Warren,  has 
charge  of  the  home  church  at  Bethel.  He  is  a 
member  of  Basco  Lodge  No.  618,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
has  been  a  life-long  Democrat,  and  has  been  hon- 
ored with  various  local  offices.  The  best  interests 
of  the  community  ever  find  in  him  a  friend,  and 
his  hearty  support  and  co-operation  are  ever  given 
to  worthy  enterprises.  He  is  honored  by  all  who 
know  him  for  his  sterling  worth,  and  throughout 
the  community  he  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances  who  esteem  him  highly. 


HERVEY  BRIMHALL  is  the  owner  of  a 
valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-six 
acres  on  section  2 1 ,  Rozetta  Township,  Hen- 
derson County.  The  care  and  cultivation  which 
he  has  bestowed  upon  his  laud  have  resulted  in 
making  it  one  of  the  finest  farms  of  the  com- 
munity. He  is  a  native  of  McHenry  County, 
111.,  born  October  24,  1844,  and  on  the  paternal 
side  is  of  English  descent.  His  parents  were 
Samuel  and  Caroline  (Mills)  Brimhall,  the  for- 
mer a  native  of  New  York,  and  the  latter  of 
Indiana.  The  family  numbered  five  children: 
Adelia  A.,  now  deceased;  Hervey,  of  this  sketch; 
Elmer,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business 
in  Chicago;  and  Andrew  and  Nancy  E. ,  both  de- 
ceased. The  father  of  this  family  removed  from 
the  Empire  State  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
when  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  the  journey 
westward  being  made  by  team.  The  family  were 
among  the  pioneer  settlers.  Samuel  Brimhall  there 
grew  to  manhood,  and  in  the  Hoosier  State  was 
married.  In  1843,  he  went  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  to  McHenry  County,  111.,  where  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
upon  which  he  made  his  home  until  1845.  He 
then  came  to  Henderson  Countv  on  horseback  to 


494 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


look  up  a  location,  and  the  following  year  brought 
his  family,  the  journey  being  made  with  an  ox- 
team  and  wagon.  He  purchased  forty  acres  of 
land  from  the  Government,  and  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  which  had  already  been  entered,  on 
sections  18  and  20,  and  then  erected  a  log  cabin 
20x20  feet.  This  was  mostly  timber-land.  He 
at  once  began  to  clear  and  improve  it,  and  made 
his  home  thereon  until  i860,  when  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Kirkwood,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  his  death.  He  passed  away  August  1,  1888, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Kirkwood  Cemetery.  He 
held  membership  with  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
for  many  years  was  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel, 
working  in  the  ministry  in  Mercer,  Warren  and 
Henderson  Counties.  He  also  spent  two  years  as 
a  preacher  in  Chicago.  He  was  one  of  nature's 
noblemen,  faithful  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him, 
and  his  example  was  one  well  worthy  of  emulation. 
His  wife,  who  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
same  church,  passed  away  November  3,  1859. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  reared  to  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm  in 
Henderson  County,  whither  he  came  with  his 
parents  when  only  three  years  of  age.  The  sub- 
scription schools  afforded  him  his  educational 
privileges,  but  he  is  largely  self-educated,  having 
gained  much  of  his  knowledge  through  business 
experience,  reading,  and  contact  with  the  world. 
He  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  when  seven- 
teen years  of  age  by  working  as  a  farm  hand, 
and  was  thus  employed  until  the  8th  of  August, 
1862,  when  he  enlisted  for  the  late  war  as  a 
private  of  Company  K,  Eighty-fourth  Illinois 
Infantry.  He  was  mustered  into  service  in  Quin- 
cy,  and  after  going  to  the  South  took  part  in  the 
battles  of  Murfreesboro  and  Stone  River,  together 
with  other  engagements.  When  the  war  was 
over  he  received  his  final  discharge  at  Camp  But- 
ler, June  15,  1865. 

Mr.  Brimhall  then  returned  to  Henderson 
County,  and  began  working  at  the  carpenter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  about  three  years. 
Since  that  time  he  has  engaged  principally  in 
farming,  but  has  also  worked  at  carpentering  to 
some  extent.  His  landed  possessions  now  aggre- 
gate three  hundred  and  ninety-eight  acres,  includ- 


ing eight  acres  which  his  father  secured  from  the 
Government  almost  half  a  century  ago.  In  con- 
nection with  general  fanning  he  carries  on  stock- 
raising,  and  in  both  branches  of  his  business  he 
has  met  with  good  success.  His  farm  is  improved 
with  good  buildings,  and  is  supplied  with  all 
modern  accessories  and  conveniences. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  1866,  Mr.  Brimhall 
wedded  Miss  Mary  L.  Alaman,  and  by  their 
union  have  been  born  six  children:  Ida  N.,  who 
was  born  October  31,  1867,  and  is  the  wife  of 
Gideon  T.  Dixon,  a  merchant  of  Biggsville,  by 
whom  she  has  a  daughter,  Elsie;  Ross,  bom  Jan- 
uary 19,  1871;  H.  Elmer,  born  August  2,  1875; 
Frank  A.,  born  February  9,  1881;  Carie  B., 
born  April  24,  1884;  and  Leroy  B.,  born  Novem- 
ber 6,  1885. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Brimhall  is  a  stanch 
Republican.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace  and  School  Director,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Always 
found  on  the  side  of  right  and  order,  he  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  leading  and  highly  respected 
citizens  of  the  community,  and  well  deserves  rep- 
resentation in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county. 


B£+^ 


(ILLIAM  A.  WIEGAND,  one  of  Hender- 
son County's  self-made  men,  who  is  now 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock- 
dealing,  was  born  on  the  25th  of  September, 
1862,  in  Oquawka,  and  is  of  German  descent. 
His  father,  William  Wiegand,  who  was  a  native 
of  Philippsthal,  Hessen  Cassel,  Germany,  was 
born  August  15,  1828.  In  November,  1848, 
he  came  to  this  country,  and,  taking  up  his 
residence  in  St.  Louis,  was  there  married, 
in  1850,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Goempler,  also  a 
native  of  Philippsthal.  In  May,  1852,  the 
family  located  in  Henderson  County,  and  after 
some  years  spent  upon  the  farm  where  our  sub- 
ject now  resides,  the  parents  removed  to  Oquawka. 
The  mother  was  called  to  her  final  rest  October 
20,  1892.     In  the  family  were  the  following  chil- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


495 


dren:  Mrs.  Minnie  Fliege,  Mrs.  Christina  Jami- 
son, August  and  William  A. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  in  the  usual  manner  of  farm  lads 
grew  to  years  of  maturity,  his  educational  privi- 
leges being  those  afforded  by  the  common  schools. 
As  a  companion  and  helpmeet  on  life's  journey, 
he  chose  Miss  Annie  Keener,  a  daughter  of  Mar- 
tin Keener,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  and 
highly  respected  citizens  of  Henderson  County. 
Their  marriage  was  celebrated  on  the  14th  of 
February,  1S84,  and  has  been  blessed  with  a 
family  of  three  children:  Louis  A.,  Elizabeth  S. 
and  William. 

Mr.  Wiegand  received  a  small  share  of  the  home 
farm  as  his  part  of  the  estate,  and  in  1892  he 
purchased  the  interests  of  the  other  heirs,  becom- 
ing the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  valuable  land.  He  is  practically  a  self-made 
man,  his  possessions  having  been  acquired  through 
his  own  industry,  perseverance  and  good  man- 
agement. His  land  is  now  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  and  the  place  is  improved  with  good 
buildings  and  all  the  accessories  of  a  model  farm. 
Mr.  Wiegand  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows' 
society  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  society,  and 
his  wife  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  All 
who  know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  his  strict 
integrity  and  sterling  worth. 


EHARLES  HOMER  McMAHAN  follows 
farming  on  section  25,  Wilcox  Township, 
Hancock  County,  where  he  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  two  and  a-half  acres  of  good  land,  wdiich 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved with  all  modern  accessories  and  conven- 
iences. It  is  complete  in  all  its  appointments,  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  desirable  and  valuable 
farms  of  the  locality.  The  owner  is  a  native  of 
this  county,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Wythe 
Township,  December  4,  1861.  His  father,  Robert 
McMahan,  was  one  of  the  honored  early  settlers 
of  the  county,  and  is  represented  on  another  page 
of  this  work. 


Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  upon  the  old  homestead  farm,  and  in  the 
district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  acquired  a 
good  English  education.  His  early  advantages 
were  also  supplemented  by  one  year's  attendance 
at  Carthage  College.  Mr.  McMahan,  like  a  duti- 
ful son,  gave  his  father  the  benefit  of  his  services 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  pur- 
chased land  and  located  upon  his  own  farm,  ad- 
joining the  old  homestead.  Here  he  has  resided 
srnce  March,  1883,  successfully  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  is  industrious  and  enter- 
prising, and  his  well-directed  efforts  have  brought 
to  him  success. 

On  the  22d  of  March,  1883,  Mr.  McMahan  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Eva  Knox,  a  daughter 
of  Harrison  O.  Knox,  one  of  the  substantial 
farmers  of  Hancock  County.  The  father  came 
here  at  an  early  day,  and  bore  his  part  in  the  de- 
velopment and  upbuilding  of  the  community. 
Mrs.  McMahan  has  here  spent  her  entire  life,  and 
is  both  widely  and  favorably  known.  Unto  our 
subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  four  children, 
all  sons:     Carl,  Robert,  Raymond  and  George. 

In  politics,  Mr.  McMahan  has  been  a  stanch 
Democrat  since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  the  country's  chief  executive,  Grover  Cleve- 
land, in  1884.  He  warmly  advocates  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Democracy  and  never  fails  to  support 
its  men  and  measures.  He  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  local  politics,  and  has  been  honored  with 
some  official  positions.  He  was  elected  and 
served  for  four  consecutive  terms  as  Township 
Clerk,  was  chosen  to  the  office  of  Supervisor,  and 
is  now  filling  that  position  for  the  fourth  time. 
He  is  a  leading  member  of  the  County  Board,  and 
has  always  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  County 
Conventions  since  attaining  to  man's  estate.  In 
whatever  position  he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill, 
he  has  proved  a  faithful  and  efficient  officer,  dis- 
charging his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity. 
He  holds  membership  with  the  Christian  Church 
of  Wythe,  and,  socially,  is  connected  with  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  En- 
campment. Of  the  former  he  is  Past  Grand. 
His  wife  has  taken  the  Rebecca  Degree  in  the 
Odd  Fellows'  society.     She  is  an  estimable  lady, 


496 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  has  many  friends  throughout  this  community. 
Mr.  McMahan  has  led  an  honorable,  upright 
life,  and  his  strict  integrity  and  sterling  worth 
have  gained  for  him  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact. 

UJATHANIEL  H.  CAYWOOD,  one  of  the 
\l  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  Han- 
|/j  cock  County,  was  born  in  Ulster  County, 
N.  Y.,  near  Newburgh,  and  is  the  son  of  Charles 
and  Elizabeth  (Harcourt)  Cay  wood,  the  former  a 
native  of  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and  the  latter  of 
Ulster  County.  After  their  marriage  they  lived 
for  a  time  in  the  last-named  county,  and  then  re- 
moved to  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  where  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  engaged  in  farming  and  dairy- 
ing until  September,  1847.  In  that  year  he  emi- 
grated Westward  to  Washtenaw  County,  Mich., 
and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  partially  improved 
land,  upon  which  he  lived  for  two  years.  In 
1849  he  became  a  resident  of  Clinton  County, 
that  State,  and,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  four- 
teen acres  of  land,  he  there  again  carried  on  the 
dairy  business  in  connection  with  farming.  The 
year  1859  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Illinois.  For 
two  years  he  rented  a  farm  in  Adams  County, 
and  in  1861  came  to  Hancock  County,  where  he 
purchased  an  eighty-acre  tract  of  land  on  section 
14,  Bear  Creek  Township.  Two  years  later  he 
removed  to  a  farm  on  section  1 8 ,  becoming  owner 
of  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he 
cultivated  and  improved  for  two  years,  when,  in 
1865,  he  sold  out.  His  next  property  was  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  27, 
Wvthe  Township,  and  there  he  made  his  home 
from  1865  until  1869.  At  the  last-named  date 
he  emigrated  to  Johnson  County,  Neb.,  where  he 
purchased  an  unimproved  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  Mr.  Caywood  was  a  prominent 
and  influential  citizen,  who  took  a  deep  interest 
in  everything  that  pertained  to  the  welfare  of  the 
community.  The  cause  of  education  found  in 
him  a  warm  friend,    and  he  did  effective  service 


in  its  behalf.  He  was  an  active  and  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  contrib- 
uted liberally  to  its  support,  and  did  all  in  his 
power  for  its  upbuilding.  By  his  right  of  fran- 
chise he  supported  the  Republican  party.  In 
1885  he  went  to  Kansas  to  live  with  a  son,  and 
there  died  on  the  6th  of  September,  1887.  His 
wife  passed  away  September  22,  1867,  while  liv- 
ing in  Wythe  Township. 

In  the  Caywood  family  were  nine  children, 
namely:  Anna  S.,  now  deceased;  Nathaniel  H., 
who  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth;  Eliza  Jane, 
who  resides  in  the  State  of  Washington;  Charles 
B.  and  Sarah  N.,  both  of  whom  are  deceased; 
Joseph  R.,  a  resident  of  Crete,  Neb.;  Caroline, 
deceased;  J.  W. ,  of  Kansas;  and  Charles  A. ,  who 
has  also  departed  this  life. 

The  public  schools  of  his  native  State  afforded 
Nathaniel  Caywood  his  educational  privileges. 
He  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  various  re- 
movals until  1858,  when  he  purchased  forty  acres 
of  unimproved  laud  in  Clinton  Count)-,  Mich.  Of 
this  he  cleared  a  small  portion,  but  soon  disposed 
of  it,  and  on  the  19th  of  March  we  find  him  in 
Quincy,  111.,  where  he  worked  at  any  vocation 
that  would  yield  him  an  honest  livelihood.  It 
was  during  that  year  that  he  made  a  shipment  of 
fine,  black  Morgan  horses  to  Quincy.  On  the 
10th  of  July,  1861,  he  took  up  his  residence  in 
Bear  Creek  Township,  Hancock  County,  and  the 
following  year  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Adams 
County. 

Mr.  Caywood  was  married  on  the  2d  of  Oc- 
tober, 1862,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Ellen 
Huff,  a  native  of  Schuyler  County,  111.  Five 
children  graced  this  union,  but  John  C.  and  Orrin 
H.  are  the  only  ones  now  living.  Eva  V.,  Addie 
and  Sadie  are  all  now  deceased.  The  year  after 
his  marriage,  our  subject  embarked  in  the  grocery 
and  grain  business  in  Bentley,  and  successfully 
conducted  operations  along  that  line  for  a  year. 
In  1864  he  removed  to  Bear  Creek  Township  and 
operated  a  rented  farm  until  1866,  when  he  en- 
gaged in  raising  the  osage-orange  hedge  plant. 
This  enterprise  also  proved  fairly  profitable.  In 
1870  he  embarked  in  general  farming  on  section 
33,  and  the  following  year  he  removed  to  Basco, 


LIBK 
UNIVtKSIIY  OF  ILLI 
URBANA 


Samuel  Mickey 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


499 


where  he  engaged  in  the  butchering  business 
until  1872,  when  he  sold  out  and  began  dealing 
in  grain.  His  time  and  attention  were  given  to 
that  enterprise  for  seven  years.  In  1 880  he  bought 
a  drug  store,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  He 
has  met  with  good  success  in  his  undertakings, 
and  has  a  good  store  in  Basco,  supplied  with 
everything  found  in  his  line,  and  from  the  public 
he  receives  a  liberal  patronage. 

Through  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  Mr.  Cay- 
wood  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, and  since  1873  he  has  been  connected  with 
Basco  Lodge  No.  61S,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  In  poli- 
tics, he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been  elected  on 
that  ticket  to  various  offices.  He  served  as  Con- 
stable, was  Assessor  two  terms,  Collector  and 
Town  Clerk  for  one  term  each,  and  has  been  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  and  Notary  Public  for  many 
years.  On  the  2d  of  November,  1885,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  of  Basco  by  President  Cleve- 
land, and  continued  to  fill  the  office  until  May, 
1889.  He  is  now  serving  as  Police  Magistrate 
and  Notary  Public.  In  the  various  positions  he 
has  filled  he  has  discharged  his  duties  with  a 
promptness  and  fidelity  that  have  won  him  the 
commendation  of  all  concerned.  He  is  true  to 
even-  public  and  private  trust,  and  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  the  community. 
His  wife  holds  membership  with  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  is  one  of  its  active  workers. 


a<'l?">[i 


(JjjAMUEL  MICKEY,  deceased,  was  born  in 
7\  Richland  County,  Ohio,  on  the  22d  of  No- 
\~J  vember,  1827.  His  father,  Robert  Mickey, 
was  a  native  of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  and 
was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  moved  thence  to 
Ohio,  and  lived  upon  a  farm,  where  Samuel  was 
born.  Samuel  Mickey  was  brought  up  on  the 
farm,  but  when  he  reached  manhood  he  became 
discontented  with  his  surroundings.  Hearing  of 
the  discoveries  of  gold  in  California,  bethought  it 
a  great  opportunity,  and  in  the  spring  of  1850 
joined  the  army  of  emigrants  then  streaming  west- 
26 


ward.  He  was  one  of  that  vast  number  of  young 
men  who  followed  the  awful  trail  of  1849,  marked 
by  wrecks  of  suffering  and  death.  He  crossed  the 
Great  American  Desert,  as  it  was  then  known, 
behind  slow-moving  teams  of  horses  and  cattle, 
and  amidst  peril,  privation  and  ceaseless  hard- 
ships. The  Indians  were  on  the  war-path,  and 
another  more  dreadful  foe,  the  cholera,  spread 
from  ocean  to  ocean. 

The  true  history  of  this  great  movement  has  yet 
to  be  written.  No  poet  has  arisen  to  immortalize 
their  achievements  in  verse.  They  had  no  Jason 
to  lead  them,  no  oracles  to  prophesy  success,  nor 
enchantments  to  avert  dangers,  but,  like  self-reli- 
ant Americans,  they  pressed  forward  to  the  land  of 
promise,  and  traversed  thousands  of  miles  where 
the  Greek  heroes  traveled  hundreds. 

After  spending  a  year  in  the  gold  fields  of  Cal- 
ifornia he  returned  to  his  home  in  Ohio,  and  moved 
from  thence  to  Oquavvka,  111.,  where  he  lived  ten 
years.  In  1852  he  was  married  to  Jane  Cousland, 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Palmer)  Cous- 
land. To  this  union  he  ascribed  a  large  share  of  his 
success  in  life.  He  continued  to  reside  in  Oquawka 
until  1862,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Bald 
Bluff  Township,  Henderson  Count}',  where  he 
made  his  home  until  1865.  He  then  went  to  the 
farm  on  which  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  and  to 
its  cultivation  and  improvement  devoted  his  ener- 
gies until  that  Messenger  which  pursues  us  all 
came  and  called  him  away. 

He  was  honored,  respected  and  beloved  in  every 
relation  of  life.  He  was  not  a  man  of  books,  and  the 
education  he  possessed  other  than  what  he  received 
in  the  common  schools  was  acquired  in  the  rugged 
and  busy  affairs  of  life.  The  wisdom  he  had  was 
consequently  keener  and  higher  than  that  obtained 
from  libraries.  He  was  endowed  with  great  nat- 
ural powers,  a  firm  will  and  great  energy;  his  ideas 
were  broad  and  comprehensive;  his  tastes  were 
simple,  and  he  cared  nothing  for  show;  adversity 
but  stimulated  him  to  exertion;  prosperity  but  in- 
creased his  desire  and  power  for  good.  When 
misfortunes  crossed  and  obstructed  his  pathway, 
he  met  them  with  a  defiant  determination,  that 
either  swept  aside  or  surmounted  them.  At  every 
step  in  life  he  acted   upon   the   principle    that  "a 


5°° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


good  name  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than  great 
riches,"  and  so  now  he  sleeps  in  honor  without 
stain  or  blemish  among  those  he  loved  and  knew. 

/JOHN  TWEED,  who  owns  and  operates  a 
I  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
Q)  on  section  14,  Gladstone  Township,  is  a 
native  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  born  July  19,  1829. 
His  father,  John  Tweed,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, on  the  17th  of  April,  1797,  and  was  one  of 
a  family  of  six  children,  namely:  Mrs.  Mary 
Rittenhour,  Jesse,  John,  Mrs.  Margaret  Wyck- 
off,  Abraham  and  Mrs.  Catherine  Jackson. 
John  Tweed,  Sr.,  spent  the  first  seven  years  of 
his  life  in  the  Old  Dominion,  and  then  became  a 
resident  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
mained until  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
He  served  as  a  soldier  for  three  years  in  the  War 
of  18 1 2,  and  was  Captain  of  a  company  during 
the  Black  Hawk  War.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
five,  Mr.  Tweed  removed  to  Warren  County,  Ind. 
He  was  married  about  1822  to  Keziah  Hinson,  a 
native  of  Ross  County,  Ohio.  They  continued  to 
make  their  home  in  Indiana  until  1841,  when 
they  came  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  where  the 
mother  of  our  subject  died  in  July,  1845.  In 
April,  1846,  Mr.  Tweed  married  Sarah  Dunn. 
During  his  entire  residence  in  this  State  he  fol- 
lowed fanning.  He  also  engaged  in  stock-rais- 
ing, and  brought  the  first  Arabian  stock  to  this 
county.  O11  the  27th  of  September,  1856,  he 
was  called  to  the  home  beyond,  and  his  remains 
were  interred  in  the  Kemp  Cemetery.  In  his 
family  were  eight  children,  as  follows:  Mrs. 
Catherine  Osborn;  Maria,  who  is  now  deceased; 
John,  of  this  sketch;  Sarah  J.,  deceased;  Henry; 
Abraham,  who  died  in  early  life;  Mrs.  Mary 
Ward,  and  Jesse,  who  died  in  childhood. 

Mr.  Tweed  of  this  sketch  has  long  lived  in 
Henderson  County,  and  has  witnessed  the  greater 
part  of  its  growth  and  development.  He  was 
reared  here  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier  life, 
for  during  his  boyhood  much  of  the  land  of  the 
county  was  still  in  its  primitive   condition,  many 


of  the  now  thriving  villages  were  mere  hamlets, 
or  had  not  yet  sprung  into  existence,  and  the 
work  of  progress  and  civilization  seemed  just  be- 
ginning. He  attended  school  for  only  about 
eleven  months  altogether,  but  extensive  reading, 
business  experience  and  observation  have  made 
him  one  of  the  best-informed  farmers  of  this  lo- 
cality. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1865,  Mr.  Tweed  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Harriet  C.  Lynn, 
who  was  born  in  Henderson  Count)',  and  is  a 
daughter  of  E.  W.  Lynn,  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  and  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  this 
community.  To  our  subject  and  wife  have  been 
born  no  children,  but  out  of  the  kindness  of  their 
hearts  they  have  given  homes  to  seven  orphan 
children,  carefully  and  tenderly  rearing  them, 
and  some  of  the  number  are  an  honor  to  their 
foster  parents.  The  poor  and  need}-  always  find 
in  them  friends,  and  their  lives  have  been  filled 
with  good  deeds,  quietly  and  unostentatiously 
performed. 

Mr.  Tweed  has  met  with  many  difficulties  and 
obstacles  in  his  path.  Much  sickness  and  the 
loss  of  a  leg  have  been  barriers  in  his  way  to  suc- 
cess, but  with  a  resolute  will  and  a  strong  de- 
termination, he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  up- 
ward, and,  although  not  wealthy,  he  is  comfort- 
ably situated,  having  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  which  yields  to  him  a  com- 
fortable income.  He  is  widely  known,  and  well 
merits  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held. 

0R.  JOHN  R.  MILLER,  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession in  Elvaston,  where  he  also  carries  on 
a  drug  store,  is  a  prominent  and  progressive 
citizen,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  to 
our  readers  this  record  of  his  life  work.  A  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  he  was  born  in  Beaver  County, 
near  Frankfort  Springs,  on  the  12th  of  August, 
1827,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Miller.  The  father 
was  also  born  in  the  Keystone  State,  and  was  of 
Irish    and    Scotch    descent.     He    married  Miss 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


501 


Amelia  Ramsey,  and  to  them  was  born  a  family 
of  eight  children,  namely:  John  R.  of  this 
sketch;  James,  Samuel,  David,  Oliver,  Mary, 
Amelia,    and    one    child    who    died    in     infancy. 

Dr.  Miller's  mother  died  in  1847,  alK'  three 
years  later  John  Miller  married  Mary  Henderson, 
and  soon  after  removed  to  Ohio.  He  afterwards 
spent  a  few  years  in  Virginia,  and  then  removed 
to  Wellsville,  Ohio.  In  1882  the  Doctor  brought 
his  father  and  step-mother  West,  gave  them  a 
home  in  his  family,  and  tenderly  cared  for  them 
in  their  old  age.  Mr.  Miller  died  in  1S89,  having 
attained  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years,  his  wife 
having  gone  to  the  home  beyond  a  few  years 
previously. 

The  Doctor  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  upon  the  homestead  farm  and  in  the  village 
where  his  parents  lived.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  village  school  of  Kendall,  Beaver  Coun- 
ty, where  he  completed  his  literary  course.  His 
father  carried  on  a  store  in  Kendall,  Pa.,  and 
in  it  John  R.  was  employed  as  a  clerk  until 
twenty-three  years  of  age;  but,  desiring  to  follow 
some  other  pursuit,  he  had  taken  up  the  study  of 
medicine  when  a  young  man  of  twenty  years.  He 
continued  reading  through  his  leisure  hours  until 
1853,  when  he' entered  the  medical  college  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio.  In  the  spring  of  1854,  he  be- 
gan practice,  locating  in  what  is  now  Holt, 
Beaver  County,  Pa.  There  he  continued  until 
i860,  when  he  entered  the  medical  college  of 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  the  spring  of  1861. 

Soon  after,  Dr.  Miller  opened  an  office  in  El- 
vaston,  and  has  since  engaged  in  practice  in  this 
place,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  spent  in 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he  has  a  fine  residence 
property.  He  soon  secured  a  good  patronage, 
which  has  steadily  increased,  and  he  is  now  do- 
ing an  excellent  business,  his  skill  and  ability 
having  won  him  the  confidence  of  the  entire  com- 
munity. He  is  a  close  student  of  his  profession, 
and  always  keeps  abreast  with  everything  con- 
nected therewith.  In  18S8,  he  established  a 
drug  store,  which  he  yet  carries  on,  and  in  addition 
to  this  he  supervises  his  excellent  farm  of  three 
hundred  acres,  which  lies  near  to  the  town. 


On  the  20th  of  February,  1S50,  Dr.  Miller  led 
to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Eliza  Kennedy,  and  to 
therii  have  been  born  ten  children,  namely:  two 
who  died  in  infancy;  John  A.,  who  is  at  present 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession in  connection  with  his  father;  Samuel  H., 
a  farmer;  Mary  A.,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Charles  Martin,  and  died  in  1883;  Maggie, 
wife  of  George  Walker,  a  farmer  of  this  county; 
Emina,  wife  of  Dr.  C.  A.  Runyon,  of  Elvaston; 
Clara,  wifeof  F.  W.  Hamann,  of  Elvaston;  James 
A.,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  now  engaged  in 
missionary  work  in  Pekin,  China;  and  Romanna, 
wife  of  Wesley  C.  Ewing,  also  a  farmer  of  this 
place. 

Mrs.  Miller's  parents  were  Samuel  and  Jane 
(Bryan)  Kennedy,  who  were  natives  of  Beaver 
County,  Pa.,  and  of  Irish  descent.  Mr.  Ken- 
ned}, followed  farming,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  3'ears,  in  the  same  neighborhood 
where  he  was  born,  his  wife  having  passed  away 
a  few  years  previous,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three. 
They  had  a  family  of  eleven  children,  of  whom 
eight  grew  to  maturity,  three  dying  in  child- 
hood. Five  are  living  at  this  writing.  Martha 
became  the  wife  of  William  Campbell,  who  died 
a  few  years  later,  after  which  she  married  Cyprian 
Wright,  who  is  also  deceased.  She  resides  in 
Taylor  County,  Iowa.  John  and  Samuel  S. 
are  farming  on  the  old  homestead.  Margaret 
is  the  wife  of  Alex  Ewing,  a  fanner  of  Beaver 
County,  Pa.  Mrs.  Miller  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  her  native  county,  and 
was  a  successful  teacher  for  several  years  before 
her  marriage  to  Dr.  Miller.  She  is  an  intelli- 
gent, cultured  woman,  an  active  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  has  taught  a  class  in 
its  Sabbath   school    for    many  years. 

Mr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  its  work 
and  upbuilding.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of 
the  Democratic  party,  and  has  held  several  local 
offices.  He  served  as  Assessor  of  his  township, 
was  also  Supervisor,  and  has  been  President  of 
the  Board  of  Education  in  Elvaston.  During  his 
long  residence  in  this  place  the  Doctor  has  be- 
come widely  known.      He  has  a  pleasant,  social 


502 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


manner,  and  his  many  excellencies  of  character 
have  gained  for  him  the  high  regard  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact.  He  is  a 
leader  in  both  professional  and  social  circles,  and 
few  men  are  more  favorably  known  than  Doctor 
Miller. 

(]  OHN  B.  CROSE,  who  carries  on  general  farm- 
I  ing  and  stock-raising  on  section  21,  town- 
O  ship  12  north,  range  4  west,  is  an  enterpris- 
ing and  progressive  man,  and  a  worthy  representa- 
tive of  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  commun- 
ity. He  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois, for  his  birth  occurred  in  McLean  County  on 
the  1 6th  of  September,  1851.  The  family,  how- 
ever, is  of  German  lineage.  The  grandfather, 
John  Crose,  and  the  father,  Andrew  Crose,  were 
both  natives  of  Ohio,  and  followed  farming  in 
that  State.  The  latter  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Margaret  J.  Erwin,  daughter  of  Robert 
Erwin.'and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Elizabeth,  widow  of  John  Grable; 
John  B.,  of  this  sketch;  Rosanna,  deceased,  wife 
of  L.  M.  Beeding;  William  R.,  of  Henderson 
Couutv;  and  one  son  and  daughter  who  died  in 
infancy. 

In  the  autumn  of  1853,  Andrew  Crose  removed 
with  his  family  from  McLean  to  Henderson  Coun- 
ty. Our  subject  was  then  only  three  years  of 
age.  The  family  located  on  a  rented  farm  on 
section  29,  township  12  north,  range  4  west,  and 
later  the  father  purchased  one  hundred  aud  sixty- 
acres  of  land  on  the  same  section.  Upon  the  old 
homestead  John  was  reared  to  manhood,  his  boy- 
hood days  being  passed  midst  play  and  work. 
He  also  attended  the  district  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, where  he  acquired  a  fair  English  educa- 
tion. To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his 
services  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when,  in 
1873,  he  removed  to  Hamilton  County,  Iowa,  and 
began  farming  for  himself.  He  there  remained 
for  six  months,  after  which  he  returned  to  Illi- 
nois. Here  he  farmed  upon  rented  land  until 
1880,  when,  with  the  capital  he  had  acquired 
through  perseverance,  industry  and  economy,   he 


purchased  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  on 
section  1,  township  11  north,  range  5  west,  op- 
erating the  same  until  1888.  In  the  spring  of 
that  year  he  traded  his  first  farm  for  eighty  acres 
of  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  From  time 
to  time,  however,  he  has  added  to  this  until  now 
two  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  of  rich  and  valua- 
ble land  pay  tribute  to  his  care  and  cultivation.  In 
connection  with  general  farming  he  carries  on 
stock-raising,  making  a  specialty  of  Percheron 
and  Norman  horses.  His  home  is  a  comfortable 
dwelling,  and  his  barns  and  outbuildings  add  to 
the  thrifty  condition  of  the  place. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  1873,  Mr.  Crose  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ermina  E.  Ryason, 
daughter  of  George  W.  and  Mary  A.  (Carney) 
Ryason,  and  a  native  of  La  Grange  County,  Ind. 
They  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Fannie  M.,  wife 
of  William  W.  Crose,  of  Mercer  Count)-,  111. 

Mr.  Crose  has  served  as  School  Director  of  his 
district  for  one  term,  but  has  never  sought  or  de- 
sired the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  office. 
He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Horace 
Greeley,  and  has  since  affiliated  with  the  Democ- 
racy. In  his  business  dealings  he  has  met  with 
good  success.  He  does  not  easily  give  up  an  un- 
dertaking, and  as  the  result  of  a  resolute  purpose 
aud  judicious  management  he  has  acquired  a 
handsome  competence,  becoming  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  communitv. 


(1  AMES  W.  SAVIDGE,  who  carries  on  gen- 
I  eral  farming  on  section  9,  Hancock  Township, 
V2/  Hancock  County,  was  born  in  Delaware 
County,  Ohio,  February  21,  1853.  His  father, 
George  Savidge,  was  a  native  of  Muskingum 
County,  Ohio,  his  birth  occurring  near  Zanesville, 
August  22,  18 13.  His  parents  were  Thomas  and 
Annie  (Laverige)  Savidge,  and  their  family  num- 
bered thirteen  children,  six  sons  and  seven  daugh- 
ters. Their  son  George  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  be- 
gan life  for  himself.  In  his  youth  he  learned  the 
cooper's  trade,  which  he  followed  to  some  extent. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


503 


The  year  1853  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Illinois. 
He  located  in  Mercer  County,  but  after  a  short 
time  came  to  Hancock  County,  settling  upon  a 
farm  in  Hancock  Township,  which  he  still 
makes  his  home.  He  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
good  land  and  has  made  it  a  rich  and  valuable 
tract.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  is  one  of  the  enterprising  and 
highly-respected  citizens  of  the  community.  On 
the  29th  of  August,  1839,  he  wedded  Miss  Re- 
membrance Budd,  and  unto  them  were  born  seven 
children,  three  yet  living.  The  wife  and  mother, 
however,  passed  away  in  1893. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Hancock  County  dur- 
ing the  days  of  his  infancy,  and  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  lads  he  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  on  the  old  Savidge  homestead. 
He  attended  the  district  schools  during  the  winter 
season,  and  during  the  summer  months  he  aided 
in  the  labors  of  the  farm,  for  as  soon  as  old  enough 
he  began  to  handle  the  plow,  and  has  since  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits.  At  the  age  of 
twenty -three,  he  began  farming  in  connection 
with  his  father.  His  business  interests  have  been 
attended  with  success  as  the  result  of  his  enter- 
prise, perseverance  and  well-directed  efforts,  and 
he  now  owns  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
arable  land.  It  is  all  in  one  body,  but  is  situated 
on  sections  9,  10,  15  and  16.  Part  of  this  is  de- 
voted to  pasturage,  but  one  hundred  and  forty - 
five  acres  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  in  connection  with  general  farming  the  own- 
er is  successfully  engaged  in  stock-raising. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1875,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Savidge  and  Miss  Lizzie  Fletch- 
er, daughter  of  James  D.  and  Martha  Fletcher. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  four  children, 
namely:  Willard;  John;  Dora,  who  died  April 
13,  1888;  and  another.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Savidge 
are  well-known  people  in  this  community  and 
have  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  they  have 
been  brought  in  contact.  Mr.  Savidge  exercises 
his  right  of  suffrage  in  support  of  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  has  affiliated  since  attaining 
his  majority.  The  best  interests  of  the  commun- 
ity ever  find  in  him  a  friend,  and  his  hearty  sup- 


port and  co-operation  are  ever  given  to  those  en- 
terprises which  are  calculated  to  advance  the  gen- 
eral welfare.  His  sterling  worth  and  strict  integ- 
rity have  made  him  a  leading  citizen  of  the  com- 
munity and  one  well  worthy  of  representation  in 
the  history  of  his  adopted  county. 

s~      ■       '■  c3 <"Hf~>"lj=i    s  — 5 

RICHARD  FOULKES  since  1874  has  been 
engaged  in  the  milling  business  in  Hender- 
son County.  He  is  a  native  of  Wales,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  that  country  on  the  7th 
of  April,  1825.  His  parents,  Richard  and  Ann 
( Thomas )  Foulkes,  were  also  born  there.  Their 
family  numbered  three  children,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter:  Richard,  of  this  sketch;  Elizabeth, 
widow  of  Ed  Farrier,  of  Sperry,  Iowa;  and  Ed- 
ward, who  makes  his  home  in  Chicago.  The 
father  of  this  family  was  a  farmer,  and  died  when 
our  subject  was  only  twelve  years  of  age. 

Richard  Foulkes  acquired  the  greater  part  of 
his  education  in  his  native  land,  but  also  attended 
school  for  a  short  time  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  He  left 
his  childhood's  home  in  1844,  crossing  the  broad 
Atlantic  to  America,  and  on  reaching  the  shores 
of  the  New  World  took  up  his  residence  in  Utica, 
where  he  worked  at  the  miller's  trade  for  two 
years,  having  learned  the  same  ere  his  emigra- 
tion. In  1846,  he  became  a  resident  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  and  in  that  city  carried  on  the  milling 
business  until  1849,  when  he  removed  to  Akron, 
Ohio.  Three  years  were  there  passed,  and  in 
1852  he  went  to  Iowa,  locating  in  Burlington, 
where  he  successfully  engaged  in  milling  for  a 
number  of  years. 

During  his  residence  in  the  Hawkeye  State, 
Mr.  Foulkes  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss 
Mary  A.  Evans,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Eliza- 
beth (Jones)  Evans.  Her  parents  were  natives 
of  Wales,  and  at  an  early  day  crossed  the  briny 
deep,  locating  in  Quebec,  Canada.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Foulkes  have  been  born  six  children,  four 
sons  and  two  daughters,  and  the  family  circle  3-et 
remains  unbroken.  George  R.,  the  eldest,  is  now 
living  in  Galesburg,  111.;    Mary  G.  is  the  wife  of 


5°4 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


D.  Morton,  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Charles  J. 
makes  his  home  in  Denmark,  Iowa;  Minnie  N. 
is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Cobel,  of  Los  Angeles, Cal. ; 
David  G.  also  resides  in  Los  Angeles;  and  Perry 
L.  is  located  in  the  same  city. 

Mr.  Foulkes  continued  in  the  milling  business 
in  Burlington  until  1874,  when  he  crossed  the 
Mississippi  into  Henderson  County,  and  has  since 
carried  on  business  as  the  proprietor  of  the  Hen- 
derson River  Mill,  commonly  known  as  Foulkes' 
Mill.  This  enterprise  has  proved  remunerative, 
and  yields  to  him  a  comfortable  competence.  The 
owner  is  a  man  of  enterprise  and  industry,  which, 
combined  with  his  sagacity  and  foresight,  has 
made  him  one  of  the  prosperous  citizens  of  the 
community.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  had 
neither  time  nor  inclination  to  seek  public  office. 
He  belongs  to  Washington  Lodge  No.  1,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  of  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  In  the 
community  where  they  live  they  are  widely  and 
favorably  known,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we 
present  to  our  readers  this  record  of  their  lives. 

1— =-#$+$e— = 1 


gEORGE  W.  DITTO,  one  of  the  highly  re- 
spected and  prominent  citizens  of  Henderson 
County,  now  living  on  section  5,  township 
12  north,  range  4  west,  has  here  engaged  in 
farming  for  forty-two  years.  As  he  is  both  widely 
and  favorably  known  in  this  community,  we  feel 
assured  that  the  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  in- 
terest to  many  of  our  readers.  A  native  of  Ohio, 
he  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  March  29,  1820, 
and  comes  of  a  family  of  French  origin.  His  fa- 
ther, Andrew  Ditto,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
from  whence  he  emigrated  to  the  Buckeye  State, 
and  thence  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Mercer  County 
in  1836.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer,  and 
made  that  pursuit  his  life  work.  He  married 
Margaret  Wyland,  who  was  of  Dutch  descent, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
namely:  John  W.  and  Sarah,  both  of  whom  are 
now  deceased;  George  W.;  Frank,  who  is  living 


in  Gladstone,  111.;  Betsy,  widow  of  Benjamin  Fox, 
of  Oregon;  Samuel,  of  Seatou,  111.;  Levi,  who  is 
located  in  Kansas;  Andrew  J.,  who  resides  near 
Gladstone;  Barbara,  widow  of  John  Cotton;  and 
Louis  N.,  who  makes  his  home  in  Henderson 
County. 

George  W.  Ditto  was  a  youth  of  only  sixteen 
summers  when  with  his  parents  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois. He  began  his  education  in  his  native  coun- 
ty, and  after  coming  West  received  but  limited 
privileges  along  that  line.  He  has  experienced 
all  of  the  hardships  and  trials  of  life  on  the  fron- 
tier, and  has  aided  in  the  arduous  task  of  devel- 
oping wild  land.  After  coming  to  Illinois,  he 
entered  the  employ  of  John  Rumley,  a  farmer  of 
Mercer  Count}-,  with  whom  he  remained  for  a 
year  and  a-half.  The  succeeding  winter  he  spent 
in  Sangamon  County,  and  then  returned  to  Mer- 
cer County,  where  he  engaged  in  breaking 
prairie  until  1840.  In  that  year  he  went  to  Texas, 
and  spent  the  next  decade  in  the  Lone  Star 
State.  During  that  time  he  was  quite  extensive- 
ly engaged  in  cattle-dealing,  driving  cattle  from 
Shreveport,  Tex. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Ditto  returned  to  Illinois,  and  on 
the  9th  of  March,  1851,  he  wedded  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Davis,  the  sixth  child  of  John  F.  and  Nancy 
(Vannosdall)  Davis.  She  was  born  in  Bethel, 
Ohio,  July  13,  1834.  Of  the  thirteen  children  of 
the  Davis  family,  seven  are  now  living:  Mary,  wife 
of  John  Mason,  a  resident  of  Keithsburg,  111. ; 
Louisa  M.,  wife  of  A.  J.  Waggoner,  of  Saunders 
County,  Neb.;  Okey,  a  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  now  living  in  Lincoln  Coun- 
ty, Kan.;  Thomas  J.,  a  soldier  of  the  late  war, 
who  enlisted  in  the  Eighteenth  Wisconsin  Infan- 
try, and  is  now  living  on  a  fruit  farm  in  Douglas 
County,  Ore. ;  Isaac  Vannosdall,  who  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Sixteenth  Kansas  Cavalry,  and  now 
makes  his  home  in  Ashland  Neb.;  and  William 
Polk,  who  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Ninth  Missouri 
Regiment,  and  is  now  engaged  in  merchandising 
in  Kit  Carson  County,  Colo.  Mrs.  Ditto  comes 
from  a  patriotic  family.  Her  grandfather,  Okey 
Vannosdall,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and 
his  eldest  son,  Robert  Vannosdall,  was  a  soldier 
of  the  War  of   1812,  and  was  on   the  ship  where 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


505 


Com.  Perry  with  his  coat  stopped  up  the  hole  made 
in  the  vessel's  side  by  a  cannon-ball.  Mrs. 
Ditto's  educational  advantages  were  very  limited, 
as  her  early  days  were  spent  on  the  frontier  in 
Illinois  and  Missouri.  Instead  of  practicing  on 
a  piano,  her  fingers  were  busy  with  the  spinning- 
wheel,  or  else  she  was  engaged  in  planting  the 
corn-field,  herding  sheep  or  cows,  or  burning 
brush  in  the  clearing.  She  is  now  in  her  sixtieth 
vear,  vet  she  does  her  own  house  work  and  at- 
tends to  her  garden  and  poultry.  She  is  a  great 
lover  of  nature,  especially  of  birds  and  flowers. 
.Since  the  age  of  fifteen  she  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  has  lived  a  consistent 
Christian  life. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ditto  have  been  born  four- 
teen children,  nine  of  whom  are  yet  living. 
George  Thomas  was  born  August  8,  1852;  Le- 
titia  D.,  who  was  born  on  the  13th  of  June, 
1855,  is  the  wife  of  William  Clark,  of  Clay  City, 
Neb.;  Nancy  O.,  who  was  born  August  9,  1857, 
died  December  21  of  the  same  year;  Capitola 
A.,  who  was  born  November  5,  1858,  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  Shike;  Adelia  D.,  who  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1861,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Durr,  of 
Aledo,  111.;  William  L-,  who  was  born  May  15, 
1863,  died  August  16,  1863;  Charles  H.,  who  was 
born  June  21,  1864,  is  now  living  in  Monmouth; 
Walter  P.,  who  was  born  August  21,  1866,  is 
living  in  Henderson  County;  Orlie  C,  who  was 
born  August  15,  1868,  died  March  21,  1874; 
Leah  M.,  who  was  born  December  2,  1869,  is  the 
wife  of  Rich  Newell,  of  Ogle,  111.;  James  C,  who 
was  born  August  28,  187 1,  is  now  living  in  Suth- 
erland, Neb.;  Clarence  C,  who  was  born  Octo- 
ber 30,  1874,  is  now  at  home;  Florence,  who  was 
born  August  28,  1876,  died  in  infancy;  and  Mat- 
tie,  who  was  born  August  30,  1878,  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ditto  also  have  twenty 
grandchildren,  including  a  pair  of  twins,  children 
of  George  T.,  whom  Mrs.  Ditto  christened  Fran- 
ces and  Ruth  Cleveland. 

Mr.  Ditto  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Martin  Van  Buren,  and  has  since  supported  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy.  He  has 
served  as  Supervisor  of  his  township  for  several 
years,  and  for  more  than  thirty    years   has  been 


School  Director.  The  cause  of  education  receives 
his  hearty  support,  and  he  has  done  much  for  its  ad- 
vancement in  this  locality.  He  is  a  member  of 
Mercer  Lodge  No.  210,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Keithsburg, 
and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Encampment. 
Since  the  10th  of  March,  1852,  he  has  lived  upon 
his  present  farm.  He  first  purchased  sixty -three 
acres  of  land,  but  to  this  he  has  added  from  time 
to  time  as  his  financial  resources  have  increased, 
until  his  possessions  now  aggregate  five  hundred 
and  sixty- one  acres.  All  has  been  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts  and  as  the  reward  of 
honesty  and  industry.  His  life  has  been  well 
and  worthily  passed,  and  all  who  know  him  re- 
spect him. 


^"RUMAN  CURTIS  ALLEN,  a  dealer  in 
I  C  dry  goods,  boots  and  shoes,  in  Oquawka,  is 
V^y  numbered  among  the  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful business  men  of  this  place.  He  began 
operations  along  this  line  in  1892,  as  a  partner  of 
John  McFarland,  and  the  firm  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  trade.  Mr.  Allen  is  a  native  of  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Ba- 
tavia,  January  4,  1843.  He  comes  of  a  family  of 
English  origin,  his  parents  being  Daniel  W.  and 
Elizabeth  (  McCullum )  Allen.  His  second  Chris- 
tian name  comes  from  his  father's  mother.  The 
father,  who  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  State, 
entered  the  Union  army  during  the  late  war,  was 
shot  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  died  from  the  ef- 
fects of  his  wound.  In  the  family  were  six  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  two  daughters,  and  the  sons 
were  all  in  the  army  at  the  same  time.  Martha 
J.,  who  is  the  eldest,  is  now  the  wife  of  Howard 
Kendall,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.;  Charles  H.  is  liv- 
ing in  Angola,  Ind. ;  Daniel  W.  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Perryville;  Truman  C.  is  the  next 
younger;  Emma  is  now  deceased;  and  William  W. 
makes  his  home  in  South  Bend,  Ind. 

In  a  very  early  day  Mr.  Allen  removed  with 
his  family  to  Steuben  County,  Ind.,  and  when 
Truman  C.  was  quite  young  his  mother  passed 
away.     He  then  went  to  live  with  friends  in  the 


506 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Hoosier  State,  being  reared  in  Steuben  County 
by  William  McEntarfer.  The  common  schools  af- 
forded him  his  educational  privileges,  and  he  con- 
ned his  lessons  in  a  log  schoolhouse  with  punch- 
eon floor  and  slab  seats.  He  could  attend  only 
through  the  winter  season,  for  his  services  were 
needed  on  the  farm  during  the  summer.  After 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  August  12, 
1861,  in  Company  G,  Thirtieth  Indiana  Infantry. 
In  September  he  was  mustered  into  service,  and 
for  three  years  he  valiantly  aided  in  the  defense 
of  the  Union.  He  participated  in  the  engage- 
ments at  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Lookout 
Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  Rocky-faced  Ridge, 
Dalton,  Resaca,  Dallas,  and  all  the  battles  of  the 
Georgia  campaign,  including  Kenuesaw  Mountain, 
Marietta,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro 
and  Lovejoy.  After  his  three-years  term  had  ex- 
pired, he  was  honorably  discharged  in  Indianap- 
olis, Ind.,  in  October,  1864. 

Mr.  Allen  then  returned  to  his  Indiana  home, 
where  he  remained  until  August,  1866,  when  he 
came  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  locating  near 
Oquawka,  where  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for 
two  years.  From  1 868  until  1871  he  conducted 
a  billiard  hall  in  Oquawka,  and  in  the  latter  year 
he  entered  the  Sheriff's  office  as  Deputy,  which 
position  he  filled  until  1886.  In  that  year  he  was 
elected  Sheriff  for  a  term  of  four  years,  and  when 
his  time  had  expired,  in  1890,  he  took  a  trip  to 
California,  where  he  remained  for  about  eight 
months.  In  1892  he  embarked  in  his  present 
line  of  business,  as  before  stated,  and  has  since 
enjoyed  a  good  trade. 

Mr.  Allen  has  been  twice  married.  On  the  19th 
of  August,  1865,  he  wedded  Laura  McFarland, 
daughter  of  John  McFarland.  To  them  was  born 
a  son,  John,  who  is  now  deceased;  and  Mrs. 
Allen  died  in  July,  1866.  Our  subject  was  again 
married,  May  30,  1891,  his  second  union  being 
with  Mollie  Mackliu,  a  daughter  of  Alfred  Mack- 
lin.     They  now  have  one  daughter,  Ramona. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln,  Mr.  Allen  has  been  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party  and  its  principles, 
but  though  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues 


of  the  day,  he  has  never  sought  or  desired  politi- 
cal preferment  in  the  sense  of  being  an  active 
politician.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Tranquil 
Lodge  No.  172,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  filled  all  its 
chairs.  He  also  holds  membership  with  Ells- 
worth Post  No.  193,  G.  A.  R.  His  country  found 
in  him  a  faithful  defender  during  the  late  war, 
and  he  is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the  enterpris- 
ing citizens  of  the  community. 

s~  A  icf'Si^  -a 

SEORGE  DANIEL  CARPENTER, deceased, 
was  a  native  of  Louisville,  Ky. ,  born  on  the 
21st  of  August,  1832.  He  was  drowned  on 
the  28th  of  March,  1881,  in  the  Cana  River,  near 
Peru,  Chautauqua  County,  Kan.,  while  tempo- 
rarily residing  there  for  the  benefit  of  his  wife's 
health.  He  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  west  of 
Peru,  as  was  also  an  infant  son.  He  was  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  him,  for  his  life  was  well 
spent,  and  his  honorable,  upright  career  gained 
him  high  regard.  He  was  one  of  three  children 
(all  of  whom  are  now  deceased)  born  unto  Daniel 
and  Esther  (Duulap)  Carpenter.  They  bore  the 
names  of  William,   Ann  E.  and  George  D. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  reared  in  his  native  State,  and  acquired  a 
good  education  in  Lexington,  Ky.  He  first  came 
to  Henderson  County,  111.,  in  1848,  when  a  youth 
of  sixteen.  Throughout  his  life  he  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  was  the  owner  of  a 
well-cultivated  farm  in  township  1 1 ,  range  4, 
which,  in  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance,  indi- 
cated to  the  passer-by  the  careful  supervision  of 
the  owner.  Indolence  and  idleness  were  utterlv 
foreign  to  his  nature,  and  his  perseverance  and 
well-directed  efforts  brought  him  a  comfortable 
competence. 

On  the  1 2th  of  May,  1858,  Mr.  Carpenter  was 
married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Mar- 
gery A.  Pollock,  daughter  of  James  F.  and  Re- 
becca (McFarland)  Pollock.  They  became  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  but  four  of  whom  are 
living,  namely:  Annie  A.,  wife  of  J.  M.  Welsh; 
Marv   R,  wife  of   D.    Z.   Gardner,   a    resident  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


507 


Springfield,  Ohio;  J.  Ross  Carpenter,  who  is  liv- 
ing in  Little  York;  and  Guy  E.,  who  makes  his 
home  with  his  mother.  William  R.,  the  eldest 
child,  is  now  deceased,  and  Albert  M.,  George  M. 
and  Alonzo  E.  have  also  passed  away,  beside  one 
who  died  in  infancy. 

During  the  late  war,  Mr.  Carpenter  was  found 
among  the  loyal  defenders  of  the  Union.  In  July, 
1862,  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
troops,  enlisting  in  Company  C,  Ninety-first 
Illinois  Infantry.  He  continued  in  the  service  as 
one  of  the  heroes  in  blue  until  after  the  war  was 
over,  when,  on  the  8th  of  July,  1865,  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  in  St.  Louis.  In  politics,  he 
was  a  Democrat,  but  never  aspired  to  public  office. 
Socially,  he  was  connected  with  Tranquil  Lodge 
No.  193,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  ofOquawka.  He  was  true 
to  even-  trust  reposed  in  him,  whether  public  or 
private,  was  a  valued  citizen,  a  kind  friend  and 
neighbor,  and  a  loving  and  tender  husband  and 
father.  His  wife,  a  most  estimable  lady,  still 
survives  him,  and  with  her  youngest  son  is  now 
living  in  township  12,  range  4. 

IJJATHAN  H.  JAMISON,  who  until  1889 
yl  carried  on  general  farming  on  section  1, 
\fe  township  10  north,  range  5  west,  is  a  native 
of  Kentucky.  He  was  born  in  Washington  County 
on  the  24th  of  December,  1818,  and  is  of  Irish 
lineage  on  the  paternal  side.  His  father  was  born 
on  the  20th  of  April,  1775,  the  day  after  the  bat- 
tle of  Lexington,  the  opening  engagement  of  the 
War  of  the  Revolution.  The  place  of  his  birth  was 
in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  In  1800  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Melinda  Richards,  a  native 
of  Pittsylvania  County,  Va.  They  became  the 
parents  of  three  children:  Joseph  Harvey,  who 
died  in  1875;  Elizabeth,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Alexander  Spence,  and  died  in  March,  1847; 
and  Nathan  H.,  of  this  sketch.  The  parents  both 
lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  and  their  last  days  were 
spent  in  Henderson  County,  where  the  mother 
died  in  1844.  The  father  passed  away  in  August, 
1845,  at  the  age  of  seventy -three. 


In  the  spring  of  1820,  when  Nathan  H.  Jami- 
son was  a  child  of  a  year  and  a-half,  he  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  southern  Indiana,  the  family 
locating  in  Perry  County,  where  they  made  their 
home  until  1830,  when  they  came  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  what  was  then  a  part  of  Warren  County, 
but  is  now  comprised  within  the  limits  of  Hender- 
son County.  Here  Mr.  Jamison  was  one  of  a 
family  of  thirteen,  who  spent  the  winter  of  1830-31 
in  a  log  house  without  a  chimney,  in  which,  when 
the  wind  was  in  the  east,  a  fire  was  impossible, 
on  account  of  smoke,  and  they  had  to  stand  by 
a  huge  log  fire  out  of  doors.  That  winter  was 
exceedingly  cold.  Near  where  Henry  Brainard's 
house  now  stands,  the  seven  or  eight  families 
who  constituted  the  population  of  this  neighbor- 
hood built  a  stockade,  in  which  they  spent  a  part 
of  the  spring  of  1831  and  all  of  the  'summer  of 
1832,  on  account  of  threatened  danger  from  In- 
dians. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1847,  Mr.  Jamison 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sophronia 
Ewing,  and  to  them  were  born  ten  children, 
eight  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years.  Effie, 
now  Mrs.  Nathaniel  Burrus,  of  Madison  County, 
Iowa,  was  born  October  15,  1850.  Mary  E., 
now  the  wife  of  Theodore  Curtis,  of  Henderson 
County,  was  bom  July  31,  1852.  Frances,  now 
Mrs.  James  McKee,  of  Kirkwood,  111.,  was  born 
November  6,  1855.  Sarah  E.,  who  married 
William  K.  Brent,  of  Henderson  County,  was 
born  in  August,  1858.  Elmer  was  born  June  15, 
1861.  Irene,  now  the  wife  of  Albert  Olstrone,  of 
Warren  County,  was  born  November  3,  1863. 
Luna,  the  wife  of  Carl  Cooper,  of  Henderson 
County,  was  born  in  March,  1869.  Joseph  was 
born  May  1,  1872.  Mrs.  Jamison  has  ever  been 
to  her  husband  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate 
on  life's  journey,  and  as  the  years  have  passed 
their  mutual  love  and  confidence  have  increased. 
They  are  now  one  of  the  oldest  married  couples 
in  Henderson  County. 

In  the  year  1855  Mr.  Jamison  left  his  farm 
and  removed  to  Monmouth  in  order  to  better  ed- 
ucate his  children.  The  cause  of  education  has 
ever  found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  resolved 
that  his  children   should   have  good   advantages 


5o8 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


along  that  line.  His  two  youngest  daughters  at- 
tended Monmouth  College,  and  became  cultured 
ladies.  In  1889  he  left  the  city  and  returned  to 
the  farm,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
He  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church.  He  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Gen.  William  Henry  Harri- 
son, in  1840,  and  is  now  a  supporter  of  the  Prohi- 
bition party,  which  embodies  his  views  on  the 
temperance  question.  His  life  has  been  an  hon- 
orable and  upright  one,  being  in  many  respects 
well  worthy  of  emulation.  He  has  won  success 
in  his  business  career,  having  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward  from  a  humble  position  to  one  of 
affluence.  Sixty-four  years  have  passed  since  he 
came  to  this  county,  and  therefore  he  has  wit- 
nessed its  entire  growth  and  development;  in  fact, 
the  county  was  not  yet  organized  under  its  pres- 
ent name  at  the  time  of  his  arrival.  He  has  ever 
borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  development  and 
public  improvement,  and  well  deserves  mention 
among  the  honored  pioneers. 

<g - ,    ■=!■*:,  A  >[=3  -,  «> 

|~)OBERT  CROWNOVER,  a  farmer  residing 
^\  on  section  22,  Lomax  Township,  is  num- 
\\  bered  among  the  honored  pioneers  of  Hen- 
derson County.  His  residence  here  covers  a 
period  of  fifty-two  years,  during  which  time  he  has 
not  only  witnessed  the  growth  and  advancement 
of  the  county,  but  has  also  aided  in  its  develop- 
ment and  progress,  and  has  borne  his  part  in  its 
upbuilding.  He  may  well  be  numbered  among 
its  founders,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  pre- 
sent to  our  readers  this  record  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Crownover  is  a  native  of  Lycoming  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  born  October  16,  181 6,  and  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Elizabeth  (Knox)  Crownover,  who 
were  also  natives  of  the  Keystone  State.  Robert 
is  one  of  thirteen  children,  four  sons  and  nine 
daughters,  but  only  four  of  the  number  are  now 
living:  Mr.  Crownover  of  this  sketch;  Mrs.  John 
Peasley,  of  Burlington,  Iowa;  Almira,  wife  of 
Almeron  Skenkle,  a  resident  of  Dorchester,  Neb. ; 
and  James,   a  farmer  living  near  Princeton,  111. 


The  father  of  this  family  followed  fanning 
throughout  his  entire  life,  and  always  lived  in  his 
native  State,  his  death  there  occurring  in  1832. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  farm  our  subject  spent 
his  boyhood  and  youth,  there  residing  until  1835. 
He  used  frequently  to  walk  three  miles  to  the  log 
schoolhouse,  where  in  a  primitive  manner  the 
common  branches  of  English  learning  were 
taught.  He  could  attend  school  only  through 
the  winter  season,  for  in  the  summer  months  his 
labor  was  needed  upon  the  farm.  In  1835  he 
went  to  Michigan  and  engaged  in  farming  in  St. 
Joseph  County  for  four  years;  he  then  removed  to 
Calhoun  County,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
1842.  That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Hen- 
derson County,  the  family  having  entered  land 
herein  1836.  The  journey  was  made  by  team, 
and  he  settled  near  Shokokon,  but  after  two 
years  removed  to  the  farm  which  has  now  been 
his  home  for  half  a  century,  becoming  owner  of 
two  hundred  acres.  It  was  a  wild  tract,  still  in 
its  primitive  condition,  but  he  at  once  began 
breaking  it,  and  in  course  of  time  rich  and  fertile 
fields  might  be  seen  where  once  was  barren 
prairie.  As  his  financial  resources  increased,  he 
also  made  additional  purchases,  until  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  five  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land. 
He  superintends  its  cultivation,  and  in  return  for 
the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  it  he  receives  a 
good  income. 

On  the  22d  of  January,  185 1,  Mr.  Crownover 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Temperance 
Curts,  daughter  of  John  and  Temperance  (Fred- 
ericks) Curts.  The  lady  was  bom  near  Rock 
Haven,  Pa.,  September  5,  1825,  and  in  1836 
came  with  her  parents  to  Illinois.  Nine  children 
graced  this  marriage:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Albert 
R.  Bryson;  Elisha,  who  is  living  in  Iowa;  John; 
Robert;  Temperance,  twin  sister  of  Robert  and  the 
deceased  wife  of  William  Randall;  Alice,  wife  of 
Charles  Reynolds;  Man*;  William;  and  Mercy, 
wife  of  A.  L-  Gates. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Crownover  is  a  stal- 
wart Republican,  and  has  served  as  Assessor,  and 
held  other  minor  offices.  He  and  his  wife  are 
prominent  members  and  active  workers  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.   Mr.  Crownover  has 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


509 


served  as  one  of  its  Elders  and  is  now  serving 
as  Trustee.  His  life  has  been  well  and  worthily 
passed,  and  during  the  long  years  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Henderson  County  he  has  won  and 
retained  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 

B<.  A.^-^1  ■=■■  « 


n  FRANK  MAINS  is  the  editor  and  publisher 
I  of  the  Stronghurst  Graphic.  He  is  also  one 
Qj  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Stronghurst, 
being  recognized  as  a  wide-awake  and  enterpris- 
ing young  business  man,  who  does  much  for  the 
upbuilding  of  the  city.  He  was  born  near  Olena, 
111.,  June  28,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and 
Mary  J.  (Nichols)  Mains.  His  father  was  born 
in  Washington  County,  N.  V.,  June  20,  1833, 
and  during  his  infancy  was  taken  by  his  parents 
to  Ohio,  from  whence  he  came  to  Illinois  when  a 
child  of  six  years,  the  family  locating  in  Hender- 
son County.  This  was  in  1839,  and  therefore  he 
is  numbered  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the 
community.  Upon  his  father's  farm  he  remained 
until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  then  married 
Miss  Nichols,  who  was  born  July  3,  1832,  in 
Ohio,  and  died  in  Henderson  County,  in  1887. 
Her  ancestors  had  for  several  generations  resided 
in  this  country.  The  Mains  family  is  of  Scotch 
extraction,  and  was  also  founded  in  America  at  an 
early  day.  The  paternal  grandparents  of  our 
subject  were  both  natives  of  New  York,  and  the 
grandfather  served  in  the  War  of  1812. 

Mr.  Mains,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the 
second  in  a  family  of  three  children,  but  Harry 
E.,  the  eldest,  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years. 
Thomas  N.,  the  youngest,  is  now  a  book-keeper 
in  the  employ  of  G.  F.  Swift  &  Co.,  of  Chicago. 
Our  subject  remained  at  home  with  his  parents 
until  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  then,  in  order  to 
complete  his  education,  which  was  begun  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  he  entered 
Monmouth  College,  where  he  pursued  his  studies 
for  two  years.  Later  he  was  a  student  for  a  time 
in  the  Normal  College  of  Valparaiso,  Ind.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  engaged   in   teaching   for  two  or 


three  terms,  and  from  the  age  of  eighteen  to 
twenty-five  he  was  continuously  engaged  in 
teaching  and  attending  college.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  more  than  average  intelligence,  of  a  broad 
and  liberal  mind,  and  his  writings  show  deep 
and  careful  thought.  In  1889  he  purchased 
the  Stronghurst  Graphic,  and  has  since  been  its 
editor  and  publisher. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1893,  -^r-  Mains 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Dulcie  D. 
Davidson,  daughter  of  C.  P.  Davidson,  of  Strong- 
hurst. The  young  couple  have  many  warm 
friends,  and  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
this  community.  In  social  circles  they  hold 
an  enviable  position.  With  them  Mr.  Mains' 
father  now  makes  his  home.  For  several  years 
he  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  this  place, 
but   in     1892  retired  from   active  life. 

On  questions  of  national  importance  J.  Frank 
Mains  supports  the  Republican  party  in  its  prin- 
ciples, but  at  local  elections  votes  for  the  man  he 
thinks  best  qualified  for  the  office,  regardless  of 
party  affiliations.  In  the  spring  of  1893  he  was 
elected  the  first  President  of  the  village,  when 
the  town  was  incorporated.  He  is  now  the 
efficient  President  of  the  Town  Board  of  Strong- 
hurst, and  is  a  charter  member  of  Magic  Lodge 
No.  394,  K.  P.  The  Graphic  is  the  leading 
paper  of  Henderson  County,  and  is  well  worth 
the  liberal  patronage  it  receives.  Its  editor  is  an 
industrious  and  enterprising  young  business  man, 
devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  his  native  county, 
and  is  well  worthy  of  representation  in  this 
volume. 

S— =-#g+^  ■        I 

EH.  BRAINARD,  who  carries  on  farming 
on  section  1,  township  10,  range  5  west,  of 
Henderson  County,  claims  Connecticut  as 
the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  there 
occurred  on  the  1st  of  May,  1832.  His  father, 
Asa  Brainard,  was  born  and  reared  in  Connecti- 
cut, and  after  attaining  to  man's  estate  married 
Almira  Lynn.  They  became  the  parents  of  sev- 
eral children,  and  our  subject  is  the  only  one  now 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


living.  In  1834,  they  emigrated  westward  with 
their  family,  and  on  reaching  Henderson  Comity, 
111.,  made  a  location.  They  were  among  its 
earliest  pioneers,  and  in  true  pioneer  style  they 
began  life  in  the  West.  Their  home  was  located 
on  the  farm  where  our  subject  now  resides,  and 
there  the  father  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  about  1840. 

C.  H.  Brainard  was  only  eight  years  of  age  at 
that  time,  and  was  only  two  years  old  when  he 
became  a  resident  of  this  community.  With  the 
family  he  shared  in  all  the  trials  and  hardships  of 
pioneer  life,  and  with  the  history  of  this  locality 
he  has  been  familiar  since  an  early  day.  When 
quite  voung  he  began  work  in  the  fields,  and  aid- 
ed in  farm  labor  until  1850,  when  he  made  a  trip 
to  California.  The  journey  was  made  across  the 
plains  with  ox-teams,  and  on  reaching  his  desti- 
nation he  engaged  in  mining.  The  return  trip 
was  made  in  1852,  at  which  time  he  rode  a  mule 
across  the  country  from  Sacramento  to  his  home 
in  Illinois.  He  then  remained  in  Henderson 
County  until  1857,  when  he  again  went  to  the 
West  for  his  health,  spending  ten  years  on  the 
Pacific  Slope.  He  met  with  good  success  in  his 
mining  operations  in  California,  and  saved  con- 
siderable money,  so  that  on  his  return  he  was 
enabled  to  purchase  a  good  farm. 

In  April,  1875,  Mr.  Brainard  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Minerva  Applebey,  who 
spent  her  maidenhood  days  in  this  locality. 
Her  mother  is  now  living  in  Gladstone.  Three 
children  graced  their  union,  Almira  E.,  Ariel  C. 
and  William  H. 

Mr.  Brainard  has  followed  farming  throughout 
his  entire  life  with  the  exception  of  the  years 
spent  in  California.  Thoroughly  understanding 
his  business  in  all  its  details,  it  has  proved  to 
him  a  profitable  enterprise,  and  his  industry,  per- 
severance and  good  management  have  secured 
for  him  a  comfortable  home.  From  1877  until 
1 88 1 ,  he  served  as  School  Director,  and  the  cause 
of  education  has  ever  found  in  him  a  warm  friend. 
Few  men  have  longer  resided  in  Henderson 
County  than  Mr.  Brainard,  whose  residence  here 
practically  covers  a  period  of  sixty  years.  He 
has  therefore  witnessed  almost  its  entire  growth 


and  development,  and  in  the  work  of  advance- 
ment and  progress  he  has  ever  borne  his  part. 
All  worthy  enterprises  receive  his  hearty  support, 
and  the  best  interests  of  the  community  find  in 
him  a  friend. 

[~PHRAIM  COOPER,  who  carries  on  general 
f3  farming  on  section  21,  township  12  north, 
I  range  4  west,  of  Henderson  County,  claims 
Indiana  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  for  he  was 
born  in  Wayne  County  on  the  1 8th  of  December, 
1825.  His  father,  William  Cooper,  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
After  attaining  to  man's  estate,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Jennings,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  nine  children,  only  five  of 
whom  are  now  living,  namely:  John  (see  sketch 
in  this  work),  Sarah,  wife  of  M.  Baldwin,  of  Indi- 
ana; Eunice;  Mary,  wife  of  S.  Pickering;  and 
Ephraim.  Those  who  have  passed  awa}'  are 
Perry,  Moses,  Matilda  and  Anna. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Ephraim 
Cooper,  we  present  to  our  readers  the  sketch  of 
one  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this 
community,  for  he  is  numbered  among  the  early 
settlers  of  the  county.  He  acquired  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  State,  but  his 
privileges  in  that  direction  were  quite  limited,  for 
his  services  were  needed  at  home,  and  when  he 
could  attend,  the  schools  did  not  offer  advantages 
of  much  importance.  At  length  he  determined 
to  seek  a  home  in  Illinois,  and  on  the  30th  of  De- 
cember, 1854,  arrived  in  Henderson  County.  He 
at  once  settled  upon  the  farm  which  he  still  owns, 
and  which  has  been  his  home  continuously  since. 
He  was  actively  engaged  in  its  operation  until 
1890,  when  he  laid  aside  business  cares  and  is  now 
living  a  retired  life. 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1862,  Mr.  Cooper 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ruth  Morrel, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  two  children, 
namely:  Charles  W.,  who  is  now  operating  the 
home  farm;  and  Effie  M.,  the  wife  of  W.  T. 
Mason.     The  mother  of  this  familv  was  called  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


5'i 


her  final  rest  on  the  14th  of  April,  1890.  She 
was  a  most  estimable  lady,  and  one  who  had  the 
love  and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  her. 

Mr.  Cooper  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  in 
1848,  supporting  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor.  On  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party,  he  joined 
its  ranks,  and  has  since  advocated  its  men  and 
measures.  He  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the 
sense  of  office-seeking,  but  served  as  County  Com- 
missioner for  three  years,  and  also  as  School  Di- 
rector. He  was  faithful  to  his  public  duties,  and 
a  trust  reposed  in  him  is  never  betrayed.  His 
success  in  life  is  the  reward  of  his  own  efforts,  for 
he  started  out  for  himself  with  no  capital  save  a 
young  man's  bright  hope  of  the  future  and  a  de- 
termination to  succeed.  Steadily  he  worked  his 
way  upward  until  he  had  acquired  a  capital  which 
now  enables  him  to  live  a  retired  life,  in  the  en- 
joyment of  a  rest  which  he  has  so  truly  earned 
and  richly  deserves. 

b  <,|?">'fa  s      '       & 

(ILLIAM  K.  GITTINGS,  one  of  the  en- 
terprising and  successful  farmers  of  Han- 
cock County,  residing  on  section  1,  Dur- 
ham Township,  was  born  in  Union  County,  Ky., 
on  the  5th  of  November,  1822.  His  father,  Will- 
iam H.  Gittings,  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  At 
the  age  of  twenty  years  he  left  that  State  and 
emigrated  to  Kentucky,  where  he  met  and  mar- 
ried Eleanora  Mudd.  by  whom  he  had  fifteen  chil- 
dren, but  four  died  in  infancy,  and  two  sons  and 
a  daughter  departed  this  life  after  attaining  to 
years  of  maturity.  Eight  of  the  number  are  yet 
living,  namely:  William  K.;  Joseph,  a  fanner 
and  stock-raiser  of  Nodaway  County,  Mo. ;  Ber- 
ry B.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  same  pursuit  in 
Henderson  County;  Matilda,  wife  of  Henry  Cam- 
eron, an  agriculturist  of  Nodaway  County;  Ed- 
ward, who  is  living  in  the  same  county;  Francis, 
a  farmer  and  stock- raiser  of  Hancock  County; 
Catherine,  widow  of  Frank  Peasley,  of  Hender- 
son County;  and  Ellen,  widow  of  J.  B.  Madison, 
and  a  resident  of  Dallas  City,  111.  In  1833,  when 
our  subject  was  a  lad  of  eleven  summers,  his  par- 


ents removed  with  their  family  to  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  where  they  remained  for  about  eigh- 
teen months.  In  February,  1835,  they  came  to 
Hancock  County  and  located  in  Fountain  Green 
Township.  The  father  made  a  squatter's  claim 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  entered  an 
additional  two  hundred  and  twenty  acre  tract 
from  the  Government.  This  land  was  entirely 
unimproved,  so  that  work  was  plentiful  for  some 
time.  In  1840  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  in  Durham  Township,  and 
also  a  quarter-section  across  the  line  in  Hender- 
son County,  and  as  his  financial  resources  in- 
creased he  kept  adding  to  this  from  time  to  time, 
until  his  landed  possessions  aggregated  fifteen 
hundred  acres.  He  was  one  of  the  prominent  and 
influential  citizens  of  this  community,  and  one  of 
its  best  business  men,  as  is  indicated  by  the  prop- 
erty which  he  acquired. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, we  present  to  our  readers  the  sketch  of  a  man 
who  is  well  known  in  this  community  and  has  the 
high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought 
in  contact.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
subscriptions  schools  of  Hancock  County,  which 
he  attended  for  six  years  during  the  winter  sea- 
son, while  in  the  summer  months  he  worked  upon 
the  farm,  aiding  in  the  cultivation  and  the  de- 
velopment of  the  old  homestead.  He  continued 
under  the  parental  roof  until  his  marriage,  which 
was  celebrated  on  the  9th  of  January,  1849,  Miss 
Elizabeth  Hardy  becoming  his  wife.  The  lady 
was  born  in  Union  County,  Ky.,  in  1833,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Ira  and  Mary  A.  (Riley)  Hardy. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gittings  have  been  born  nine 
children,  namely:  Mary  E.,  now  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Dean,  a  leading  farmer  of  Hancock  Counts-; 
Julia  A.,  wife  of  William  Yager,  who  also  carries 
on  agricultural  pursuits  in  this  county;  Cora  A., 
wife  of  John  Arnold,  a  resident  of  Burlington, 
Iowa;  Ira,  who  is  a  ranchman  of  California: 
Henry,  who  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Henderson  County;  Catherine,  wife  of  Ernest 
Belisle,  a  hotel-keeper  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo.:  and 
William  B.,  Rosa  and  May,  all  of  whom  are  now 
deceased. 

Mr.  Gittings  made  his  first  purchase  of  land  in 


512 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1844,  becoming  owner  of  a  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acre  tract, ^the  same  upon  which  he  now  resides. 
He  has  devoted  his  entire  life  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  by  his  good  management,  perseverance 
and  industry,  he  has  won  a  well-merited  suc- 
cess. In  politics, 'he  was  originally  a  Whig,  and 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  William  Henry- 
Harrison,  but  is  now  a  supporter  of  the  Democ- 
racy. He  has  been  honored  with  a  number  of 
local  offices,  having  served  as  Supervisor  of  Dur- 
ham Township  for  four  years;  Road  Commis- 
sioner for  fifteen  years;  and  School  Director  for 
thirty  years.  He  was  the  first  Road  Commis- 
sioner in  the  township,  and  in  that  office,  as  in 
all  others  which  he  has  filled,  he  discharged  his 
duties  with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  which  not 
only  led  to  his  frequent  re-election,  but  also  won 
him  the  high  commendation  of  all  concerned.  He 
is  true  to  every  trust,  whether  public  or  private, 
and  therefore  has  the  confidence  of  the  entire 
community.  With  St.  John's  Catholic  Church 
he  holds  membership.  A  public-spirited  citizen, 
he  does  all  in  his  power  for  the  advancement  of 
the  best  interests  of  the  county,  and  gives  of  his 
time  and  means  for  its  upbuilding. 

(JUDGE  JOHN  LOGAN,  one  of  the  prominent 
I  and  highly  respected  citizens  of  Henderson 
G)  County,  now  living  on  section  26,  Lomax 
Township,  was  born  on  the  20th  of  March,  1822, 
near  Connersville,  Fayette  County,  Ind.  His  fa- 
ther was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  Hoosier 
State,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  Af- 
ter arriving  at  years  of  maturity,  he  married 
Susan  Duffy,  and  to  them  were  born  eleven  chil- 
dren: Nancy,  who  died  in  infancy;  James,  who  is 
living  in  Pontoosuc  in  his  eightieth  year;  Will- 
iam, who  died  March  5,  1892;  George  W.,  who 
died  in  Iowa,  September  16,  1890;  John;  Nancy, 
widow  of  Samuel  Babcock,  and  a  resident  of  Han- 
cock County;  Albert  F.,  who  died  May  26,  1881; 
Wesley,  who  died  January  25,  1852;  Eliza  J., 
who  died  December  21,  1859;  Susan,  who  died 
January  10,    1855;   and   Priscilla,  wife  of  George 


W.  Jones,  of  Knoxville,  Iowa.  In  1839,  Samuel 
Logan  brought  his  family  to  Illinois,  the  journey 
being  made  by  team,  and  located  in  Lomax 
Township,  then  Warren  County,  now  Henderson 
County,  where  he  entered  about  six  hundred  acres 
of  land  from  the  Government  on  sections  25,  26, 
and  27.  There  he  built  a  log  cabin,  18x18  feet, 
and  began  the  improvement  of  the  wild  prairie. 
This  farm  continued  to  be  his  place  of  resideuce 
until  his  death.  He  passed  away  December  23, 
1859,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Logan  Cemetery. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  Mrs.  Logan's  death  occurred 
July  21,  1875. 

Judge  Logan  remained  in  his  native  State  until 
seventeen  years  of  age.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  old-time  subscription  schools,  which 
were  held  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  furnished  with 
slab  seats,  and  lighted  by  greased-paper  windows. 
He  accompanied  his  parents  011  their  removal  to 
Illinois  in  1839,  and  to  his  father  gave  the  bene- 
fit of  his  services  until  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
when  he  began  life  for  himself,  upon  an  eighty- 
acre  tract  of  land  on  section  25,  given  him  by  his 
father.  Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  im- 
provement made  upon  the  place.  He  afterwards 
purchased  eighty  acres  on  section  26,  and  moved 
into  the  little  log  cabin  which  was  then  standing 
upon  the  farm.  He  broke  the  prairie  with  ox- 
teams,  and  transformed  the  wild  tract  into  rich 
and  fertile  fields.  He  also  made  many  excellent 
improvements,  and  extended  the  boundaries  of  his 
farm,  until  it  now  comprises  two  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  acres  of  rich  land.  Having  rented 
this,  the  owner  is  now  practically  retired. 

On  the  30th  of  January,  1844,  Mr.  Logan  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Barbara  Davis. 
Unto  them  have  been  born  ten  children,  all  of 
whom  are  yet  living,  namely:  Susan;  Alexander, 
a  farmer  of  Lomax;  Taylor,  who  is  living  in 
Perry,  Okla.;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Lafayette  McKim, 
of  Nevada,  Iowa;  Nancy,  wife  of  Henry  Paul,  a 
farmer  of  Lomax  Township;  Almira,  wife  of 
John  Coble,  who  is  living  in  Newton,  Kan. ;  John 
W.,  who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead;  William, 
a  resident  of  Osceola,  Polk  County,  Neb.;  Me- 
linda,  wife  of  William  Brown,  of  Newton,   Kan.; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


5*3 


and  Edward  L.,  a  telegraph  operator  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quiney  Rail- 
road. There  are  also  sixteen  grandchildren  and 
two  great-grandchildren.  There  have  never  been 
any  deaths  in  the  family. 

In  1853,  Mr.  Logan  was  elected  County  Judge 
of  Henderson  County,  and  filled  that  office  four 
years.  He  was  also  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  four 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  a  stalwart  Republican  in  politics,  having  sup- 
ported the  men  and  measures  of  that  part)'  since 
its  organization.  Previous  to  that  time  he  was  a 
Whig,  and  his  first  Presidential  vote  was  cast  for 
William  Henry  Harrison.  The  cause  of  educa- 
tion finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  his  support 
and  co-operation  are  never  withheld  from  any  in- 
terest which  he  believes  will  prove  of  benefit  to 
the  community.  All  who  know  him  esteem  him 
highly  for  his  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity, 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  we  present  to  our  readers 
this  record  of  his  life. 

1=     '       s—sl  <"  ? '>  B^       '        a 

EHARLES  T.  PAINTER,  deceased,  was  born 
in  Mercer  Count)-,  Pa.,  near  New  Castle,  on 
the  1 8th  of  February,  183 1,  and  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  and  Jane  (Graham)  Painter.  Upon  a 
farm  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  and  during  the 
winter  season  he  attended  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  thus  acquiring  a  fair  English  edu- 
cation. He  became  a  resident  of  Illinois  in  1836, 
at  which  time  his  parents  emigrated  westward 
with  their  family.  The  trip  was  made  by  water, 
and  they  located  in  Hancock  County  upon  a  farm 
in  La  Harpe  Township. 

Mr.  Painter  of  this  sketch  there  remained  until 
1850,  when  he  came  to  Terre  Haute  Township, 
Henderson  County,  and  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  16,  where  his 
widow  resides.  Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or 
an  improvement  made  on  the  place,  but  he  at 
once  began  its  development  and  cultivation.  In 
1S49  Mr.  Painter  made  a  trip  to  California,  at- 
tracted by  the  discovery  of  gold.  The  party  with 
which  he  traveled   crossed  the  river  at  Omaha, 


and,  journeying  by  ox-teams,  reached  their  desti- 
nation after  six  months  of  travel,  locating  near 
Oroville.  There  Mr.  Painter  engaged  in  pros- 
pecting and  mining  for  three  years  with  fair  suc- 
cess, and  then  returned  to  his  home  by  way  of 
the  water  route.      Here  he  engaged  in  farming. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Painter  was  found  among 
the  defenders  of  his  country,  enlisting  in  the 
Union  army  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  One 
Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  He 
was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Butler,  in  Springfield, 
with  the  rank  of  Second  Lieutenant,  and  went  with 
Gen.  Sheiman  to  Vicksburg.  He  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Chickasaw  Bluffs,  Arkansas  Post, 
Millikin's  Bend,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and 
the  engagements  at  Port  Gibson,  Champion 
Hills,  Black  River  Bridge  and  Jackson.  He 
also  took  part  in  many  raids  and  smaller  en- 
gagements. He  was  never  wounded  or  taken 
prisoner,  but  was  always  found  at  his  post  of  duty, 
faithfully  defending  the  Old  Flag  and  the  cause  it 
represented,  and  in  recognition  of  his  service  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant.  In 
October,  1865,  the  war  having  ended,  he  was 
honorably  discharged  and  returned  to  his  home. 
On  Christmas  Day,  1867,  Mr.  Painter  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  A.  Evans, 
a  native  of  Owen  County,  Ind.,  and  to  them 
were  born  five  children,  as  follows:  Eva,  who 
died  in  infancy;  Joseph  E.,  who  married  Ada 
Kimball,  and  carries  on  farming  in  Henderson 
County;  Frank  E.,  who  wedded  Clara  Apt,  and 
is  an  agriculturist  of  this  community ;  and  Ralph 
T.  and  Charles  C,  both  at  home. 

After  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr.  Painter  was 
continuously  engaged  in  farming  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death.  His  life  was  ever  a  busy  and  useful 
one,  and  was  filled  with  a  number  of  interesting 
experiences.  He  traveled  across  the  continent, 
took  part  in  the  greatest  war  that  ever  occurred 
on  the  Western  Hemisphere,  and  was  connected 
with  the  mining  experiences  of  California.  In 
his  farming  operations  he  was  successful,  and  ac- 
quired eight  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in 
Henderson  County.  His  sterling  worth  and  strict 
integrity  won  him  many  friends,  and  his  death 
was  widely  mourned.     He  passed  away  May  30, 


5 14 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1892.  Mrs.  Painter  still  survives  her  husband, 
and  with  her  two  sons  is  still  living  on  the  old 
home  farm,  which  comprises  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  valuable  land.  Here  she  has  a  good 
home,  and  the  property  left  her  supplies  her  with 
the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  this  life. 

f—  r.    ^^    A    >^    ■?■  ■  3 

(JOHN  STINE,  one  of  the  prominent  and  in- 
I  fluential  citizens  of  Henderson  County,  and 
(2/  one  of  its  extensive  land-owners,  now  resides 
on  section  24,  Terre  Haute  Township.  The 
record  of  his  life  is  as  follows:  He  was  born  near 
Dresden,  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  on  the 
26th  of  May,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary 
Stine,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
the  latter  of  Muskingum  County,  Ohio.  The 
father  was  of  German  descent,  and  in  his  youth 
learned  the  trade  of  a  millwright.  About  1826, 
he  removed  with  his  parents  from  the  Keystone 
State  to  Perry  County,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  un- 
til 1828,  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Muskingum 
Count}-.  He  was  there  married,  and  soon  after 
established  a  saw  and  grist  mill,  which  he  oper- 
ated for  about  thirty-five  years.  In  1863,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  settling  near  Danville,  Vermil- 
ion County,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his 
death  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and 
a  highly  respected  citizen.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  in  18 12,  also  passed  away  in  1877.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Josiah,  who  died  in  1875;  Mary  E.,  who  died  in 
1876;  John,  of  this  sketch;  Alpheus,  who  died 
in  1861;  William,  a  carpenter  living  in  Cumber- 
land County,  Ohio;  Madison,  who  is  a  merchant 
and  Postmaster  of  Fairmount,  111.;  Samantha. 
who  died  in  1862;  George,  who  follows  fanning 
near  Danville,  111.;  and  Ellen,  widow  of  John 
Hawkins. 

During  his  youth,  John  Stine  attended  the 
district  schools.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  be- 
gan to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by  working  as  a 
farm  hand  for  $7  per  month.  He  was  thus  em- 
ployed for  three  seasons,  after  which  he  came  to 


Illinois,  in  the  autumn  of  1854,  locating  in  Hender- 
son County.  During  the  first  year  he  worked  as 
a  farm  hand,  and  then  attended  school  at  Terre 
Haute.  In  1856  he  entered  the  college  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Iowa,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for 
one  year,  and  then  spent  one  year  in  the  public 
schools  of  Pontoosuc,  111.  In  the  winter  of 
1 855"56  Mr.  Stine  engaged  in  teaching,  following 
that  profession  for  thirteen  years  during  the 
winter  season,  while  in  the  summer  months  he 
engaged  in  farming.  In  1857  he  purchased  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  La  Harpe  Township, 
Hancock  County,  and  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
for  five  years.  He  then  sold,  and  bought  eighty 
acres  on  section  19,  Raritan  Township,  Hender- 
son County,  but  after  a  year  removed  to  McDon- 
ough  County,  where  he  spent  a  similar  period. 
In  1866  he  purchased  his  present  farm,  and  took 
up  his  residence  thereon  in  1868.  He  now  owns 
eight  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land,  all 
in  one  body.  A  part  of  this  he  rents,  but  all  is 
cultivated  under  his  supervision. 

On  the  2d  of  April.  1857,  Mr.  Stine  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Bradshaw, 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Annie  (Cyrus)  Bradshaw. 
They  now  have  six  children:  Mary  E. ,  wife  of 
Benjamin  Mudd,  a  farmer  of  Henderson  County; 
Reaubena,  wife  of  Charles  Butler,  County  Super- 
intendent of  Schools;  Annie  F. ,  wife  of  Edward 
Link,  an  agriculturist  of  this  county;  Effie  C,  at 
home;  John  W.,  who  also  follows  farming;  and 
Marion  E.,  who  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  Stine  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church,  and  are  prominent 
and  highly  respected  people  of  this  community. 
In  connection  with  his  other  business  interests, 
he  is  now  a  stockholder  and  director  of  the  State 
Bank  of  Stronghurst,  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Street  Railway  Company  of  Davenport,  Iowa, 
and  owns  an  interest  in  a  grain  elevator.  His 
sagacity  and  foresight,  combined  with  persever- 
ance and  enterprise,  have  made  him  one  of  the 
successful  business  men  of  the  community,  and 
have  won  him  a  handsome  property,  which  is  the 
just  reward  of  his  own  labor. 


LIBRARY 
UMiVERSUV  OF  ILLI 
URBANA 


Andrew  Hage  w  \\ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


5'7 


GJNDREW  HAGEMAN,  one  of  the  honored 
Ll  pioneers  of  Henderson  Comity,  now  residing 
I  I  in  Raritan,  and  a  man  respected  by  all  who 
know  him,  was  born  on  the  27th  of  June.  1N24,  in 
Somerset  County,  N.  J.  He  was  the  ninth  in  a 
family  of  eleven  children  born  to  Andrew  and 
Ann  (Hoagland)  Hageman,  but  only  three  of  the 
number  are  living:  John,  who  resides  in  New 
Jersey;  Elsie  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Gilbert  L.  Ker- 
shaw, and  a  resident  of  Raritan;  and  Andrew  of 
this  sketch.  The  father  was  born  May  5.  1779. 
in  Somerset  County,  N.  J.,  and  his  parents  were 
natives  of  the  same  State.  The  family  dates  its 
residence  in  America  back  to  1650,  when  Aaron 
Hageman  and  his  wife  came  from  Holland  and 
settled  on  Long  Island.  A  short  time  afterward, 
however,  they  removed  to  New  Jersey.  Andrew 
Hageman,  Sr.,  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  his  native 
State,  and  there  spent  his  entire  life.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  and  died 
February  S,  i860,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 
His  wife  was  born  November  21,  1785,  in  Somer- 
set County,  N.  J.,  and  died  April  28,  1866.  She 
was  also  of  Dutch  extraction,  her  ancestors  com- 
ing to  this  country  in  an  early  day. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  with  his  parents 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  com- 
menced a  course  of  study  with  a  view  to  taking 
up  the  work  of  the  ministry.  He  entered  Rut- 
ger's  College,  of  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1847,  but  in  less  than  a  year  his  health 
failed,  and  he  was  compelled  to  abandon  mental 
work.  He  then  returned  to  the  farm,  and  there 
remained  until  1854,  when  he  removed  to  New 
Brunswick,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
and  sale  of  clothing  until  April,  1856,  in  which 
year  he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  and  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  where  he  now  resides.  In 
the  spring  of  1868,  he  removed  to  Bushnell,  111., 
and  began  the  publication  of  the  Bushnell  Weekly 
Record.  After  three  years,  however,  on  account 
of  ill-health,  he  sold  his  paper,  and  for  a  time  was 
engaged  in  grain-dealing  at  Swan  Creek,  Warren 
County.  He  also  engaged  in  house,  sign,  buggy 
and  decorative  painting. 

Mr.  Hageman  then  returned  to  Prairieside 
Farm,  and  afterward  embarked  in   the   furniture 


business  in  Raritan,  which  he  continued  for  seven 
years.  He  then  sold  his  store,  and  has  since 
lived  retired  at  his  beautiful  home,  which  adjoins 
the  town  of  Raritan,  and  is  known  as  Prairieside 
Park. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1849,  Mr.  Hageman 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Ker- 
shaw, who  was  born  March  7,  1832,  in  Somerset 
County,  N.  J.  They  became  the  parents  of  six 
children.  Gilbert,  who  was  born  November  27, 
1853,  died  March  14,  1869.  Charles,  born  No- 
vember 27,  1859,  died  October  12,  1862.  Both 
were  buried  in  Raritan.  Those  still  living  are 
Sarah  Anna,  born  October  7,  1850.  She  is  now 
the  wife  of  A.  W.  Van  Dyke,  a  newspaper  man 
of  St.  Louis.  Phoebe,  born  May  19,  1864,  is  the 
wife  of  W.  B.  Rhodes,  a  merchant  of  Monmouth, 
111.  Herman,  born  April  3,  1866,  is  clerking  in 
Monmouth.  Frank,  born  March  22,  1869,  is  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  and  makes  his  home  with  his 
parents. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Hageman  was  a  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party,  but  now  votes  with  the 
Prohibition  party.  He  served  as  Town  Clerk 
while  in  New  Jersey,  and  for  eight  years  has  filled 
the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Raritan.  He 
is  a  man  of  broad  and  liberal  mind,  and  possesses 
considerable  talent  in  several  directions.  He  has 
composed  several  pieces  of  music,  and  expects 
soon  to  publish  a  volume  of  his  own  poems.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church,  has  served 
as  Elder,  and  was  chosen  Superintendent  of  the 
Sabbath-school  on  its  organization  in  1856.  Twen- 
ty-five years  later  he  delivered  an  historical  ad- 
dress on  the  occasion  of  the  twenty-fifth  Sabbath- 
school  anniversary.  He  has  a  fine  library,  con- 
taining about  eight  hundred  volumes,  including 
the  American  Cyclopaedia  and  the  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica,  together  with  a  wide  range  of  standard 
historical  and  scientific  works.  Mr.  Hageman  is 
also  an  artist  of  considerable  merit,  and  has  be- 
come quite  widely  known  as  the  "Prairieside 
Poet. ' '  We  give  to  our  readers  two  of  his  poems, 
one  written  for  the  Harvest  Home  Festival  held 
at  Prairieside  Park,  August  17,  1893,  anc'  reafl 
by  him  on  that  occasion,  and  the  other  an  acrostic, 
called  "A  Reverie.'' 


5'8 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


A    REVERIE. 

Youth's  happy  years  too  swiftly  glide; 
Oh !  could  they  span  Life' s  river 
Unhastened  by  its  flowing  tide, 
Ne'er  cease — but,  stretching  far  and  wide, 
Go  on,  and  on,  forever! 

Life  seems  a  voyage — time  a  stream, 
In  which  we,  gently  gliding, 
Forget  all  else — as  in  a  dream — 
Except  the  joys  and  hopes  that  gleam 
So  bright,  yet  unabiding! 

.Shall  living  friends  and  kindred  meet 
When  safe  beyond  the  river? 
Enraptured  there  each  other  greet, 
Exulting  most  at  Jesus'  feet, 
To  love  and  praise  forever  ? 

Death's  but  a  change  to  raise  us  higher, 
Release  our  captive  spirit. 
Ecstatic  bliss,  hope's  long  desire, 
And  joys  to  which  our  souls  aspire, 
May  we,  at  last,  inherit! 


COLUMBIAN    YEAR. 


Gathered  here  as  friends  and  neighbors, 

Seeking  rest  and  recreation, 

We  to-day  with  joy  and  gladness 

Celebrate  our  Harvest  Home. 
Through  the  year's  successive  seasons 
We  have  traced  our  onward  journey, 
While  unnumbered  daily  blessings 

Into  all  our  lives  have  come. 

Deep  in  labyrinths  of  memory, 

We  discern,  in  retrospection, 

Hopes  and  fears,  and  lights  and  shadows, 

Cares  and  comforts,  new  and  old; 
All  along  life's  pleasant  pathways 
Have  been  sources  of  enjoyment, 
Mingled  oft  with  soul  experience, 

Of  which  half  was  never  told. 

In  the  onward  course  of  nature, 
Toward  the  second  Advent  tending, 
We  have  reached  a  year  of  wonders — 

Eighteen  hundred  ninety-three: 
Year  of  marvellous  surprises, 
Cyclones,  floods,  and  conflagrations, 
Omens  rare,  and  grim  forebodings, 

And     what  shall  its  harvest  be? 


Will  a  conflict  of  the  nations 
Soon  precipitate  the  horrors 
Long  foretold  in  prophecy 

Of  an  internecine  war  ? 
Shall  the  last  days  of  December 
Witness  world-wide  revolution  ? 
Or  shall  peace  flow  like  a  river, 

And  men  learn  to  fight  no  more  ? 

By  the  aid  of  modern  science, 

Education  and  religion, 

Why  should  not  the  world  grow  better, 

Wiser,  older,  every  year  ? 
Hopeful  optimists  inform  us 
That  in  knowledge  and  refinement, 
In  the  elements  of  progress, 

They  discern  no  cause  for  fear. 

In  the  suburbs  of  Chicago 

Has  been  built  "the  great  white  city," — 

Grand  "Columbian  Exposition," — 

Latest  wonder  of  the  world ; 
Wherein  works  of  art  and  nature 
Are  displayed  in  rich  profusion, 
Products  of  the  world's  great  nations, 

Whose  proud  flags  are  there  unfurled. 

Viewed  from  highest  Christian  standpoint. 
There  is  good  in  this  grand  showing 
Of  the  wonderful  and  perfect 

Workmanship  of  God's  own  hand; — 
Rarest  birds  and  beasts  and  fishes — 
Marvellous  forms  of  vegetation — 
Things  of  life  and  beauty,  gathered 

Fresh  from  earth,  air,  sea  and  land. 

Art  exhibits  merit  study, 
While  they  win  our  admiration; 
Tending  much  to  make  us  hopeful 

For  the  future  of  our  race. 
In  them  we  can  see  reflections 
Of  the  great  Creator's  wisdom, 
Whom  to  love,  and  praise,  and  worship, 

Fit  is  every-  time  and  place. 

Phonographic  reproductions — 
Telephone  communications — 
Instantaneous  photographing — 

Telegrams  re-written  plain — 
Street-cars  drawn  by  endless  cable — 
Electricity  dynamic, 
Giving  light  and  heat  and  power, 

Nature's  forces  to  restrain. 

In  the  realm  of  education 
There  is  evidence  of  progress: 
Mathematics,  elocution, 

History,  have  an  honored  place; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


5i9 


Painting,  poetry,  and  music, 

Novelty  in  decoration, 
Endless  lines  of  skill  and  study, 
Elevate  the  human  race. 

Much  is  said  of  Christian  union: 

What  is  it  ? — confederation 

Of  the  various  Christian  churches 

Which  in  modern  times  abound  ? 
Nay,  not  this,  we  think,  but  rather 
Fellowship  of  Christ's  disciples, 
Of  whate'er  denomination, 

Wheresoever  they  be  found. 

Oneness  of  all  true  believers 
Who  accept  and  trust  in  Jesus 
As  their  all-sufficient  Saviour, 

Who  can  for  all  sins  atone: 
Oneness  in  the  faith  delivered 
To  the  saints,  in  Holy  Scripture, 
Who  believe  in  God,  the  Father, 

Son  and  .Spirit,  three  in  one. 

While  religious  controversies 
Have  prevented  churches'  union, 
Great  revivals  of  religion 

Mark  the  progress  of  the  year; 
Orthodox  denominations 
Have  harmoniously  been  laboring, 
Earnest  for  the  world's  salvation, 

Each  within  its  chosen  sphere. 

Theological  opinions 

Now,  as  always,  must  be  various; 

As  in  every  realm  of  nature 

Great  variety  is  found, 
So,  in  matters  of  religion. 
Let  each  one's  own  conscience  answer 
What  for  him  is  obvious  duty, 

And  let  charity  abound. 

Evangelic  churches  differ 

In  their  forms  or  creeds  or  worship, 

Or  historic  precedence, 

Yet  they  cordially  agree 
On  essential  points  of  doctrine, 
Holding  fast  to  their  profession 
In  the  glorious  liberty 

Wherewith  Christ  hath  made  us  free. 

All  believe  in  God,  the  Father — 
In  the  Son,  our  only  Saviour — 
In  the  blessed  Holy  Spirit — 

Ever  glorious  trinity: 
'Tis  by  grace  we  have  salvation: 
Through  repentance  and  believing 
Sinners  shall  find  peace  and  pardon. 

Life  and  immortalitv. 


In  the  Cross  of  Christ  they  glory, 
And  with  one  accord  they  serve  Him: 
With  His  glorious  banner  marching 

On  to  certain  victory, 
Over  all  the  hosts  of  Satan, 
Over  every  form  of  error, 
And  of  vice  and  persecution, 

Which  in  later  days  we  see. 

Sending  forth  the  glorious  message 

Of  salvation  to  the  heathen, 

Through  their  Boards  of  Foreign  Missions, 

Is  the  work  and  aim  of  all; 
While,  in  our  own  country's  borders. 
Semi-civilized  and  Indian, 
Through  denominational  effort 

Have  received  the  Gospel  call. 

Christians  thus  are  all  united 

In  the  work  of  man's  redemption, 

Through  the  words  of  inspiration 

And  the  Holy  Spirit's  power; 
While  obeying  the  injunction 
Of  their  risen,  ascended  Saviour, 
Joy  and  peace  and  heavenly  blessings 

Have  descended  like  a  shower. 

Through  evangelistic  efforts, 
Earnest,  unsectariau  preaching 
Of  the  ever-blessed  Gospel 

To  the  sinful  and  depraved, 
Thousands  have  been  brought  to  Jesus, 
Have  been  led  to  seek  salvation 
Through  the  crucified  Redeemer, 

And  are  now  among  the  saved. 

Satan  has  not  ceased  opposing 
Whatsoever  things  are  lovely 
And  of  good  report,  but  ever 

In  all  ages,  climes  and  states. 
By  deceitful  subterfuges, 
Plots  and  wiles  antagonistic, 
Seeketh  whom  he  may  devour, — 

While  his  own  perdition  waits. 

Some  are  criticising  Scripture: 
Its  inerrancy  they  question ; 
Theories  of  evolution 

Have  been  widely  heralded; 
Yet  the  arguments  concerning 
".Science,  versus  Revelation," 
And  "The  place  of  man  in  nature," 

To  no  great  results  have  led. 

Truth,  invincible,  existing 
With  the  everlasting  ages 
Of  eternity,  can  never 

From  its  stately  temple  fall; 


520 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Not  in  least  antagonism 
To  the  Book  of  Inspiration 
Which  in  mercy  God  has  given 
As  a  guiding  light  for  all. 

Troublous  times  have  come  upon  us 
In  a  threat  financial  crisis, 
Marked  by  failures,  losses,  panics, 

Over  all  our  favored  land; 
Husbandmen  erewhile  predicted 
Scanty  yield  of  earth's  productions, 
While  the  earlier  signs  of  plenty 

Seemed  to  fail  on  every  hand. 

Threatening  ills  have  been  averted; 

We  no  longer  fear  a  famine; 

For  the  rain  from  heaven  descended 

On  the  dry  and  thirsty  soil; 
In  the  cornfields  and  the  meadows 
Crops  and  pastures,  recreated, 
Promise  now  the  hopeful  farmer 

Sure  reward  of  summer's  toil. 

So,  in  view  of  all  the  comforts 
Of  this  year,  let  us  be  thankful; 
Countless  as  the  stars  of  heaven 

Or  the  sands  on  ocean's  shore, 
Is  the  number  of  our  mercies, 
And  while  thinking  of  the  goodness 
Of  the  Lord,  we  know  that  for  us 

Other  blessings  are  in  store. 

(TAMES  M.  BRADSHAW,  one  of  the  enter- 
I  prising,  progressive  and  representative  citi- 
G/  zens  of  La  Harpe,  was  born  in  the  township 
of  La  Harpe  on  the  20th  of  December,  1855,  and  is 
a  son  of  Joel  Bradshaw,  a  native  of  White  County, 
Tenu.,  born  September  15,  1812.  The  family  num- 
bered ten  children,  four  sons  and  six  daughters,  but 
three  of  the  latter  died  in  infancy.  William  Dix- 
on is  now  a  farmer  on  section  30,  La  Harpe  Town- 
ship; Mary  Jane  became  the  wife  of  Frank  Hine, 
of  Jacksonville,  111.,  and  died  in  February,  1881; 
George  W.  is  living  on  section  25,  Durham  Town- 
ship, Hancock  County;  Sarah  Louisa,  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  William  C.  Bainter;  Emma  E.  is 
the  widow  of  James  W.  P.  Davis;  and  Joel  D.  is 
deceased. 

Our  subject  is  the  youngest  child  of  the  family. 
He  acquired  his    early    education    in    the  district 


schools  of  La  Harpe  Township,  but  afterwards 
supplemented  it  by  study  in  the  Jacksonville  Bus- 
iness College,  which  he  entered  in  the  fall  of 
1875.  On  completing  his  course,  he  was  gradu- 
ated therefrom  in  March,  1876.  He  entered  a 
class  of  seventy -five  pupils  in  arithmetic,  which 
was  reduced  in  number  to  fifteen  on  account  of 
their  deficiency.  Mr.  Bradshaw,  however,  re- 
mained with  the  class.  After  leaving  college,  he 
became  a  stock-dealer,  and  in  connection  with  that 
business,  which  he  has  carried  on  extensively,  he 
has  also  been  largely  engaged  in  farming.  He 
now  owns  a  farm  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres, 
of  which  two  hundred  and  thirty  acres  are  located 
on  section  30,  La  Harpe  Township,  while  the  re- 
mainder is  across  the  line  in  Durham  Township. 
His  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  its  well-tilled  fields  and  excellent  improve- 
ments indicate  the  careful  supervision  of  the  own- 
er and  his  thrifty  and  progressive  spirit. 

On  the  13th  of  February,  1S78,  Mr.  Bradshaw 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Tillie  E.  Man- 
ifold, daughter  of  Benjamin  J.  and  Cornelia  (Hut- 
ton)  Manifold.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter, 
but  Lillian  E.  died  at  the  age  of  four  weeks.  The 
others,  James  F.  and  QuintonM.,  are  still  with 
their  parents. 

Mr.  Bradshaw  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Democracy,  and  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  was  cast  for  W.  S.  Hancock  in  1876. 
He  has  served  as  School  Director  for  several 
years,  and  was  also  Road  Overseer  for  several 
terms,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  public  of- 
fice, preferring  to  give  his  time  and  attention  to 
his  business  interests.  He  has  been  a  Director 
of  the  La  Harpe  District  Fair  since  its  organiza- 
tion, and  was  Auditor  for  the  first  three  years. 
The  following  year  he  was  Superintendent  of 
Booths,  and  during  the  fifth  year  was  elected  Di- 
rector and  Superintendent  of  the  Beef  Cattle  De- 
partment, which  position  he  has  held  for  four 
years.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  worthy 
public  enterprises,  and  is  recognized  throughout 
the  community  as  one  of  its  leading  citizens.  He  is 
at  present  Auditor  of  the  La  Harpe  District  Fair 
Association,  and  is  engaged   largely    in    rearing 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


521 


Shorthorn  cattle.  In  1892,  in  connection  with  C. 
S.  Campbell,  he  bought  a  herd,  and  in  January, 
1894,  he  bought  his  partner's  interest  and  now 
has  the  best  herd  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

EVI  J.  RHEA,  M.  D.,  who  is  engaged  in 
I  C  the  practice  of  the  medical  profession  in  La 
l_fj  Harpe,  was  born  in  Hancock  County,  on  the 
8th  of  June,  1854,  and  is  a  worthy  representative 
of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of  this  lo- 
cality. His  father,  Calloway  L.  Rhea,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Warren  County,  Tenn.,  and  was  a  son  of 
Lewis  J.  Rhea,  who,  with  his  wife  and  four  chil- 
dren, emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1832.  His  son  Cal- 
loway was  then  a  child  of  five  years.  In  Han- 
cock County  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  and  after 
attaining  to  mature  years  he  led  to  the  marriage 
altar  Miss  Sarah  J.  Smith,  who  had  come  with 
her  parents  to  this  State  about  1840.  Five  chil- 
dren were  born  of  this  union,  but  two  died  in  in- 
fancy. Those  still  living  are:  Martha  A.,  wife 
of  Hardin  Green  well,  of  Kansas;  Lucy  A.,  wife 
of  R.  T.  Wade,  of  Plymouth,  111.;  and  the  Doc- 
tor. 

Our  subject  spent  his  early  boyhood  days  in  his 
parents'  home,  and  during  his  youth  attended  the 
common  schools,  thus  acquiring  a  fair  English 
education.  Later  he  embarked  in  teaching,  and 
followed  that  profession  for  six  years.  In  1876, 
he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  office  of 
Dr.  William  Booz,  of  Carthage,  and  subsequently 
pursued  his  studies  in  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons  of  Keokuk,  from  which  institution 
he  was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '82.  In  that 
year  he  located  in  Plymouth,  where  for  two  years 
he  was  engaged  in  the  drug  business.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  removed  to  La  Crosse, 
where  for  four  years  he  devoted  his  entire  time  to 
the  practice  of  medicine.  His  next  place  of  resi- 
dence was  in  Cairo,  Louisa  County,  Iowa,  and 
after  two  years  there  spent  he  came  to  La  Harpe, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1880,  Dr.  Rhea  was 
united  in  marriage   with    Miss  Susan   M.  Berry, 


daughter  ot  Acrey  Berry,  a  native  ot  Virginia. 
Three  children  bless  their  home,  namely:  Aaron 
Atlee,  Ollie  Ethel  and  Mamie  Blanche.  The 
parents  are  both  faithful  and  consistent  members 
of  the  Christian  Church  of  La  Harpe  and  take  an 
active  interest  in  all  church  and  benevolent  work. 
They  are  numbered  among  the  best  citizens  ol 
the  community  and  well  deserve  representation  in 
the  history  of  the  county.  Socially,  the  Doctor  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  belonging  to  La 
Harpe  Lodge  No.  195,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  La  Harpe 
Chapter  No.  134,  R.  A.  M.;  and  La  Harpe  Chap- 
ter No.  60,  O.  E.  S.  In  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession he  has  met  with  good  success,  his  skill 
and  ability  winning  him  a  liberal  patronage,  which 
is  well  deserved.  His  many  excellencies  of  char- 
acter have  won  him  high  regard,  and  he  has  a 
large  circle  of  friends  in  this  community. 

to  "*~=]  <*T>lr3   rs  S 

ROBERT  PENCE,  one  of  the  extensive  land- 
owners of  Henderson  Count}-,  who  now  car- 
ries on  general  farming  and  stock-raising  on 
section  15,  Lomax  Township,  claims  Pennsyl- 
vania as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born 
near  Willianisport,  in  Lycoming  County,  June  3, 
1830,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Hannah  Pence. 
The  family  is  of  German  lineage.  Our  subject 
was  one  of  eight  children,  namely:  Robert; 
Martha  J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years; 
Philip,  a  farmer  of  Henderson  County;  Susan, 
wife  of  Hinton  Smith,  an  agriculturist  of  this 
community;  Harriet,  who  died  in  1882;  Louisa, 
wife  of  James  Harwood,  of  Benton  County,  Iowa; 
Annie  B.,  wife  of  Eli  Pickering,  a  ranchman  of 
Kearney,  Neb.;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Pence  of  this  sketch  has  been  connected 
with  agricultural  interests  throughout  his  entire 
life.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  upon  a  farm, 
and  early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  con- 
nected with  its  cultivation.  With  his  parents  he 
came  to  Illinois  from  Pennsylvania  in  1838,  the 
journey  being  made  by  canal  and  river.  The 
family  located  where  our  subject  now  resides,  the 
lather  purchasing  one  hundred  and    sixty    acres 


522 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  land  on  section  15,  Lomax  Township,  which 
he  secured  from  the  Government  with  a  soldier's 
claim.  It  was  a  wild  and  unimproved  tract  of 
prairie,  but  lie  at  once  built  a  log  cabin  upon  it, 
and  began  its  further  development.  In  course  of 
time  the  laud  was  transformed  into  rich  and  fer- 
tile fields,  and  the  farm  became  one  of  the  best  in 
the  neighborhood.  There  John  Pence  made  his 
home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  12, 
i860.  He  was  a  leading  and  influential  citizen,  and 
aided  in  organizing  the  schools  of  this  community 
and  in  laying  out  the  roads.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  1881. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  Robert 
Pence  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
and  became  familiar  with  all  the  experiences  of 
life  on  the  frontier.  He  walked  three  miles  to  a 
log  schoolhouse,  where  a  school  was  conducted 
on  the  subscription  plan,  and  in  that  way  he  ac- 
quired his  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty -three 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  pursuing  the  oc- 
cupation to  which  he  was  reared.  For  a  few 
years  he  operated  the  home  farm,  but  on  his  mar- 
riage removed  to  another  farm. 

On  the  nth  of  December,  1862,  Mr.  Pence  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Ann  Harwood. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  ten  children, 
and  the  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken. 
They  are:  James  R.:  Thomas  L.;  Estella  M., 
wife  of  Newton  H.  Vaughan;  P.  Edward;  Charles 
H. ;  Hettie  A. ,  wife  of  Charles  Smiddy ;  Mattie  J. ; 
Orville  F. ;  Olive  B. ;  and  Harry  F. 

Upon  his  marriage  Mr.  Pence  removed  to  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  9, 
Lomax  Township,  and  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
and  improvement  for  a  period  of  four  years,  when 
he  returned  to  the  old  homestead,  where  he  has 
since  resided,  except  for  eight  years,  when  he 
lived  upon  a  farm  close  by.  He  owns  altogether 
five  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  receives  a  good 
income  therefrom,  owing  to  the  care  and  cultiva- 
tion bestowed  upon  it.  His  well-directed  efforts 
and  good  business  ability  have  brought  for  him  a 
handsome  property  and  made  him  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  community.  In  politics,  he 
was  for  many  years  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic 
party.      He    has   served   as  School    Director   and 


Road  Supervisor,  and  has  always  been  a  wide- 
awake and  enterprising  citizen,  ready  to  aid  in 
the  advancement  of  those  interests  calculated  to 
prove  of  public  benefit.  His  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity  have  won  for  him  main-  friends, 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  this  record 
of  his  life  to  our  readers. 

6  "3~si  <"  T  ">  1=3    ?  * 

V  /I  RS.  ANN  ROBERTS,  who  for  some  years 
Jr  has  resided  in  Henderson  County,  making 
(g  her  home  on  section  36,  Gladstone  Town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  England.  Her  parents,  William 
and  Elizabeth  (Roberts)  Griffith,  were  also  na- 
tives of  England,  the  former  born  in  Llanllowell, 
Monmouthshire,  in  1776,  and  the  latter  in  1804. 
They  were  married  in  January,  1833,  in  Llanllo- 
well Church,  and  when  called  to  the  home  beyond 
were  buried  in  the  churchyard.  The  father  and 
grandfather  of  William  Griffith  were  born  in  the 
same  parish.  William  Griffith  and  wife  had  the 
following  children:  Mrs.  Ann  Roberts,  William, 
Elizabeth,  Catherine,  Thomas,  Mrs.  Sarah  King, 
Mrs.  Mary  Williams,  Edward  and  Mrs.  Emma 
Williams. 

Mrs.  Roberts  of  this  sketch  spent  her  girlhood 
days  in  her  parents'  home,  where  she  became 
familiar  with  all  the  duties  of  the  houshold.  After 
attaining  to  womanhood  she  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  Thomas  Roberts,  a  native  of  Newport, 
England.  The  wedding  ceremony  was  performed 
in  June,  1854, at  the  Stow  Church  in  Newport, 
and  they  began  their  domestic  life  in  their  native 
land,  where  they  continued  to  reside  until  1862. 
In  that  year  they  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends 
and  sailed  for  the  United  States,  believing  that  in 
the  New  World  they  would  have  better  opportun- 
ities of  securing  a  comfortable  competence.  Im- 
mediately after  landing  in  New  York,  they  made 
their  way  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Henderson 
County,  where  Mrs.  Roberts  has  since  lived. 
Their  capital  at  that  time  consisted  of  $1,000, 
which  they  had  saved  up  in  England,  and  which 
they  then  invested  in  land,  a  part  of  the  present 
farm.      Mr.  Roberts  gave  his  time  and   attention 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


523 


to  the  labors  of  the  field,  and  the  wife  to  the  du- 
ties of  the  household.  In  this  way,  by  careful 
management,  their  financial  resources  were  in- 
creased, and  they  were  enabled  to  add  to  their 
home  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

Nine  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts, namely:  Thomas,  who  was  born  July  2,  1855; 
William,  April  2,  1856;  George,  September  19, 
1857;  Hannah,  who  was  born  November  26,  1S58, 
and  is  the  wife  of  Arthur  Gray;  Mary,  born  Sep- 
tember 22,  i860,  and  the  wife  of  Thomas  Gray; 
Mrs.  Emma  Russell,  born  November  29,  1862; 
Annie,  February  15,  1864;  Mrs.  Sallie  YValburn, 
born  April  29,  1869;  and  Arthur,  born  on  the  19th 
of  November,  1871. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, belonging  to  the  lodge  in  Gladstone.  In 
politics,  he  was  a  supporter  of  Democratic  princi- 
ples, but  his  widow  believes  in  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party.  In  connection  with  gen- 
eral farming,  he  carried  on  stock-raising,  and  in 
both  branches  of  his  business  met  with  fair  suc- 
cess. He  was  thus  employed  until  called  to  the 
home  beyond,  on  the  25th  of  November,  1875 
Since  her  husband's  death,  Mrs.  Roberts  has 
managed  the  property  and  has  added  to  her  farm, 
until  now  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land 
yield  to  her  a  good  income.  She  is  a  lady  of  en- 
ergy and  good  executive  ability,  and  all  who 
know  her  hold  her  in  high  esteem. 


ISAAC  T.  THOMAS,  one  of  the  extensive 
land-owners  of  Hancock  County,  who  for 
many  years  has  successfully  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Sonora  Township,  now  makes  his  home  on 
section  27.  He  there  located  in  1852,  when  the 
land  was  wild  and  uncultivated,  the  only  improve- 
ment upon  the  place  being  a  small  log  cabin.  The 
care  and  cultivation  he  bestowed  upon  the  farm, 
however,  soon  made  it  yield  to  him  a  good  return, 
and  as  his  financial  resources  increased  he  made 
other  purchases,  and  has  become  one  of  the  wealthy 
citizens  of  this  community. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  born  in  Nelson  County,  K.V., 


January  23,  1826,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and 
Abigail  ( Langsford)  Thomas.  The  father  was  also 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  is  of  Welsh  descent. 
The  family  numbered  eight  children,  namely: 
Nancy,  Louisa,  Isaac  T.,  William  R.,  John  I... 
James  M.,  Silas  M.  and  Presley.  Our  subject 
was  born  and  reared  upon  his  father's  farm,  and 
when  a  child  of  three  years  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Adams  County,  111.,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood.  His  education  was  acquired  in  theold- 
time  subscription  schools,  which  were  held  in  a 
log  schoolhouse,  in  which  he  spent  about  three 
months  during  the  year.  His  advantages  were 
thus  limited,  but  experience  and  observation  have 
made  him  a  well-informed  man.  When  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  his  father 
gave  him  a  small  tract  of  land,  and  be  began  fann- 
ing in  his  own  interest.  Since  that  time  he  has 
continuously  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
lived  in  Adams  County  until  1852,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Hancock  County,  and  settled  in  Sonora 
Township.  His  farm  at  first  comprised  only  eighty 
acres,  and  it  formerly  belonged  to  one  of  the 
Mormons  who  lived  in  this  neighborhood.  To  this 
he  has  since  added,  however,  until  the  home  farm 
now  comprises  four  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  It 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  is  improved 
with  a  comfortable  dwelling,  barns  and  outbuild- 
ings 1  which  are  models  of  convenience),  and  all 
modern  accessories.  In  connection  with  general 
farming  he  carries  on  stock-raising.  His  landed 
possessions  altogether  aggregate  seven  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  acres,  and  with  the  exception  of 
one  tract  in  Montebello  Township,  the  entire 
amount  is  in  Sonora  Township. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  jour- 
ney, Mr.  Thomas  chose  Miss  Louisa  Nichols,  and 
their  marriage  was  celebrated  March  23,  1849. 
They  became  the  parents  of  nine  children:  Laura 
A.,  at  home;  Lelburn  T.,  who  carries  on  farming 
in  Montebello  Township;  William  H.,  a  farmer 
of  the  same  community;  Sarah  L.,  wife  of  Henry 
Weber,  a  well-known  farmer  of  Rock  Creek  Town- 
ship, Hancock  County;  Mattie,  wife  of  Orville 
Hauntz,  of  Montebello  Township;  Naomi  J.,  at 
home;  James  H.,  who  is  still  on  the  old  home 
farm;  George  M..  who  died    at    the    age    of  two 


524 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


years;  and  Pearl  E.,  who  died   in   her  nineteenth 
year. 

Mr.  Thomas  supports  the  Democratic  party, 
but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  office, 
preferring  to  give  his  entire  time  and  attention  to 
his  business  interests.  He  holds  membership 
with  the  Christian  Church,  and  gives  his  support 
to  all  worthy  public  enterprises  which  are  calcu- 
lated to  advance  the  general  welfare.  Although 
he  began  life  a  poor  boy,  he  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward,  and  has  achieved  a  success  of 
which  he  may  well  be  proud.  His  prosperity  is 
not  the  result  of  fortunate  circumstances,  but  is  the 
reward  of  earnest  labor. 


HHHM 


GlNDREW  JACKSON  DITTO,  who  carries 
J  1  on  general  farming  on  section  14,  township 
/  |  10  north,  range  5  west,  has  the  honor  of 
being  a  native  of  Illinois,  for  his  birth  occurred  in 
Mercer  County,  on  the  5th  of  November,  1838. 
He  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Margaret  (Wyland) 
Ditto,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
of  French  descent,  while  the  latter  is  of  Dutch 
lineage.  The)-  became  pioneers  of  Mercer  Coun- 
ty, locating  there  in  1836.  The  father  embarked 
in  farming  and  developed  a  good  home.  In  the 
family  were  ten  children:  John  W.  and  Sarah, 
both  of  whom  are  now  deceased;  George  W.,  a 
prosperous  farmer  of  Henderson  County,  who  is 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Frank,  who 
resides  in  Gladstone,  111.;  Betsy,  widow  of  Ben- 
jamin Fox,  of  Oregon;  Samuel,  who  is  living  in 
Seaton,  111.;  Devi,  of  Kansas;  Andrew  J.,  of  this 
sketch;  Barbara,  widow  of  John  Cotton;  and 
Louis  N.,  of  Henderson  County. 

In  his  native  county,  Andrew  J.  Ditto  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  His  father 
died  in  1854,  and  he  then  went  to  live  with  his 
eldest  brother,  John  W.,  with  whom  he  made  his 
home  until  his  marriage.  On  the  3d  of  April, 
1856,  he  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Ellen  J. 
Wright,  a  native  of  Mercer  County,  111.,  and  a 
daughter  of  Elias  Wright,  who  was  born  in  San- 
gamon County,   Va.      The   young  couple  began 


their  domestic  life  in  Mercer  County,  and  there 
remained  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1872,  they 
came  to  Henderson  County,  and  for  a  year  resided 
on  a  farm  northeast  of  Oquawka.  Two  years 
were  then  passed  on  a  farm  south  of  Gladstone, 
and  in  1875  they  took  up  their  residence  upon 
their  present  farm.  In  that  year  Mr.  Ditto  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  fifty -f;ve  acres  of  land, 
and  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to 
its  cultivation. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  the 
following  children:  Mrs.  Anna  Zeina  Leonard, 
who  is  now  living  in  Taylor  County,  Iowa;  Mrs. 
Aurora  N.  Wheatley,  also  of  Taylor  County; 
Elizabeth  and  James  A.,  both  deceased;  Mrs. 
Orpha  Duvall;  John  W.,  who  is  located  in  Tay- 
lor County,  Iowa;  Budd;  Clyde  H.,  deceased; 
and  George  L.  and  Bert  A.,  who  are  still  on  the 
home  farm. 

Mr.  Ditto  has  been  a  supporter  of  the  Democ- 
racy since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He  has  never  sought  or 
desired  political  preferment,  wishing  to  give  his 
entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests 
and  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  home,  yet  he  is  rec- 
ognized as  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citi- 
zen, and  the  best  interests  of  the  community  al- 
ways receive  his  co-operation.  In  the  manage- 
ment of  his  farm  he  displays  good  business  ability, 
and  now  has  one  of  the  well-cultivated  places  of 
the  neighborhood. 

8 ■ «■  <=r'<.^<>^-^       '         g 

s ■ — ss=j=:-c  ¥ ">fci  ^ 

0AMHEL  GALBRAITH,  who  follows  farm- 
/\  ing  on  section  27,  township  10  north,  range 
(*y  5  west,    was  born  on  the  6th  of  November, ' 

1824,  in  Roane  County,  Tenn.  On  the  paternal 
side  he  is  of  Scotch- Irish  descent,  and  on  the  ma- 
ternal side  is  of  Irish  lineage.  .  His  father,  Thomas 
Galbraith,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  He  married  Miss  Margaret  White, 
who  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1800,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  eight  children,  namely:  Eliz- 
abeth, Alexander,  Mary,  William,  Eveline,  Rob- 
ert, Samuel  and  Franklin.    Onlv  two  ot  the  num.- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


525 


her  are  now  living,  Samuel  of  this  sketch,  and 
Eveline,  widow  of  Sanford  Harned. 

When  our  subject  was  a  child  of  five  summers 
he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Illinois,  the  family  locating  in  Morgan  County, 
from  whence  they  removed  to  Adams  County  in 
18.51.  There  they  resided  until  December,  1834, 
when  they  came  to  Henderson  County,  locating 
on  section  26,  township  10  north,  range  5  west. 
Two  years  later  they  removed  to  the  farm  cm 
which  our  subject  now  resides.  The  father  be- 
came owner  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
laud,  and  continued  its  cultivation  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1843.  Samuel  and  his  brother 
Franklin  then  took  care  of  the  family,  and  con- 
tinued to  work  in  partnership  until  1857,  when 
they  divided  their  property,  which  by  that  time 
had  been  increased  to  a  tract  of  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  Each  took  half  a  section  and  began 
farming  in  his  own  interest.  The  elder  brother 
has  met  with  excellent  success  in  his  undertak- 
ings, and  is  now  the  owner  of  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  valuable  land,  all  in  one  body  ex- 
cept one  tract  of  eighty  acres,  which  lies  separate 
from  the  other. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1849,  Mr.  Galbraith  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Evans,  a 
daughter  of  John  Evans.  She  was  born  in  Ohio, 
but  her  father  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  her 
grandfather  Evans  was  a  native  of  England.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Galbraith  have  been  born  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Amanda  Belle,  who  is  living  in 
Emerson,  Iowa;  James  F.,  who  carries  on  fann- 
ing near  Emerson;  Mrs.  Minerva  Slump,  who  re- 
sides in  Oakland,  Iowa;  Mrs.  Mary  Pratt,  of  Par- 
son, Iowa;  John,  who  died  in  infancy;  Mrs.  Eve- 
line Bacon,  of  Henderson  County;  Margaret  Jane 
and  George  M.,  at  home;  William  Thomas,  who 
carries  on  fanning  in  Henderson  County;  Charles 
Edward,  an  agriculturist  of  Oakland,  Iowa;  Clyde 
E.,  a  farmer;  Addie  Clair,  at  home;  and  Sarah 
Myrtle,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen. 
Zachary  Taylor,  Mr.  Galbraith  has  been  a  sup- 
porter of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy. 
He  has  twice  been  elected  Township  Trustee, 
and  for  a  period  of  ten  years  served  as  School  Di- 


rector. His  family  all  hold  membership  with  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  since  1869  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
His  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond,  for  he  is  honora- 
ble and  upright  in  all  his  dealings,  and  has  the 
confidence  and  trust  of  his  fellow-citizens.  His 
success  in  life  is  due  to  well-directed  efforts,  enter- 
prise and  industry,  and  is  the  just  reward  of  his 
labors. 


REV.  FATHER  H.  J.  REIMBOLD,  who  is 
pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church  of  Nauvoo, 
was  born  in  Cologne,  Germany,  on  the  31st 
of  May,  1842,  and  is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  four 
sons,  whose  parents  were  John  and  Gertnule 
(Broicher)  Reimbold.  His  father  and  mother 
were  both  natives  of  Cologne.  In  1848,  accom- 
panied by  their  family,  they  bade  adieu  to  friends 
and  home  and  sailed  for  the  New  World.  They 
first  located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  but  after  a  short 
time  resumed  their  westward  journey  and  came  to 
Nauvoo.  Here  the  father  began  business  as  a 
grain-dealer,  and  carried  on  operations  along  that 
line  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of 
thirty-nine  years.  His  widow  still  survives  him, 
and  now  makes  her  home  with  our  subject,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven  years.  She  is  a  devout  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  Church,  to  which  her  hus- 
band also  belonged. 

Father  Reimbold  was  reared  under  the  parental 
roof,  and  in  early  boyhood  attended  the  public 
schools.  He  afterwards  became  a  student  in 
Notre  Dame  University,  and  after  being  gradu- 
ated from  that  institution  was  ordained  in  Chi- 
cago in  1866  as  a  priest  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
For  one  year  he  remained  in  that  city,  and  on 
the  4th  of  July,  1867,  came  to  Nauvoo  to  take 
charge  of  the  church  at  this  place.  Under  his 
supervision,  and  largely  through  his  instrumen- 
tality, their  present  house  of  worship,  the  finest 
in  the  county,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $24,000. 
The  congregation  now  numbers  one  hundred  and 
ten  families.  There  is  also  a  flourishing  academy 
for  young  ladies,  established  almost  twenty  years 


526 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ago,  and  in  charge  of  the  Benedictine  Sisters. 
This  centre  of  learning  has  justly  a  wide-spread 
reputation,  some  of  its  pupils  coming  year  after 
year  from  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis  and  va- 
rious other  large  cities.  Quite  a  large  number  of 
the  pupils  are  not  Catholics,  but  their  religious 
views  are  never  interfered  with.  All  are  treated 
with  the  utmost  kindness  and  enjoy  all  the  lib- 
erty compatible  with  a  first-class  institution  of 
learning. 

Father  Reimbold  is  a  good  man  and  is  beloved 
by  all  who  know  him.  He  devotes  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  the  work  of  the  church,  and  the 
fact  that  he  has  been  stationed  in  Nauvoo  for  al- 
most twenty-seven  years  indicates  his  efficient 
service  in  this  place,  and  also  tells  of  the  love  and 
respect  which  his  congregation  bears  him. 

(e  '        ,0^"S)<'T    >(=~*^  S 

<^"HOMAS  McMURRAY,  who  resides  on  sec- 
I  Q  tion  1 1 ,  Terre  Haute  Township,  is  a  self- 
V£y  made  man,  who  by  his  own  efforts  has 
worked  his  way  upward  from  a  humble  position, 
until  he  has  become  one  of  the  most  extensive 
land-owners  of  Henderson  County.  He  is  also 
one  of  its  honored  pioneer  settlers,  having  wit- 
nessed its  growth  and  development  from  a  very 
early  day.  As  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
in  this  community,  we  feel  assured  that  the  record 
of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our 
readers. 

Mr.  McMurray  was  born  in  Morganfield,  Ky., 
January  I,  1829,  and  comes  of  a  family  of  Scotch- 
Irish  lineage.  His  parents,  George  and  Eliza 
(Waller)  McMurray,  were  both  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky. The  father  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  but 
after  emigrating  to  Illinois  carried  on  farming. 
He  made  the  journey  westward  by  team  in  the 
spring  of  1829,  locating  in  Adams  County,  near 
Quincy,  where  he  purchased  a  farm,  on  which 
was  a  log  cabin,  and  there  he  made  his  home  for 
about  seven  years.  He  then  entered  eighty  acres 
of  land  from  the  Government  near  Clayton,  built 
upon  it  a  cabin  home,  and  there  resided  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1878.      He  and  his  wife 


were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and,  in  politics,  he  was  a  Whig  and  afterwards  a 
Republican.  After  coming  to  Illinois,  in  connec- 
tion with  his  farm,  he  carried  on  a  tannery.  For 
several  years  he  survived  his  wife,  who  passed 
away  in  1873.  They  were  the  parents  of  thirteen 
children:  James,  deceased;  Thomas,  of  this  sketch; 
Wilson;  John;  Fletcher,  deceased;  George  M.,  of 
Quincy;  Aaron,  Mary  Ann,  Margaret  J.  ami 
Granville,  all  four  of  whom  have  passed  away; 
Ella;  Joseph;  and  Elihu,  who  is  also  deceased. 

Upon  a  farm  in  Adams  County  Mr.  McMurray 
was  reared  to  manhood.  His  educational  privi- 
leges were  those  afforded  by  the  subscription 
schools,  and  he  had  to  walk  from  a  mile  and  a-half 
to  five  miles  to  the  schoolhouse.  He  continued 
his  studies  for  about  three  months  during  each 
year  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  after  which  his 
entire  time  and  attention  were  given  to  farm  work. 
On  attaining  his  majority,  he  left  home,  and  for 
three  years  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  rented 
laud.  He  then  began  improving  a  prairie  farm 
in  Adams  County,  upon  which  he  made  his  home 
until  1854,  when  he  came  to  Henderson  Count}', 
locating  in  Terre  Haute  Township,  where  he  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  laud.  This 
farm  he  still  owns,  but  after  living  upon  it  for  five 
years,  he  removed  to  the  one  upon  which  he  now 
makes  his  home.  It  is  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation, and  improved  with  all  the  accessories  and 
conveniences  of  a  model  farm.  His  landed  pos- 
sessions now  aggregate  eleven  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  acres,  six  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  in 
Henderson  Count}-,  and  the  remainder  in  Han- 
cock County.  Some  of  it  is  devoted  to  pasturage, 
for  the  owner  is  quite  extensively  engaged  in 
stock-raising. 

On  the  14th  of  March,  1850,  Mr.  McMurray 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  A., 
daughter  of  Lytle  and  Eliza  (McCaun)  Griffing. 
Her  father  was  a  saddler  by  trade,  and  he  and  his 
wife  were  both  reared  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky. 
After  their  marriage  they  emigrated  by  team  to 
Quincy,  111.,  and  after  a  short  time  removed  to 
Columbus,  111.,  where  Mr.  Griffing  was  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits  for  ten  years.  He  then  re- 
tired  from   business,  but  continued   to  reside   in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


527 


Columbus  until  his  death,  which  occurred  August 
16,  1846.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  served  in  the  Mormon  War.  His  wife,  who 
was  also  a  faithful  member  of  the  same  church, 
was  called  to  the  home  beyond  August  7,  1S46. 
They  had  a  family  of  five  daughters:  Eleanor  P.; 
Frances,  deceased;  Nancy  A.;  Mary  J.,  deceased; 
and  Celena  J. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McMurray  was  born  a  daugh- 
ter, Mary  E.,  who  died  October  17,  1893.  The 
mother  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and 
her  excellencies  of  character  have  won  her  a 
large  circle  of  friends.  Mr.  McMurray  cast  his 
first  Presidential  vote  for  Henry  Clay,  and  was  a 
Whig  until  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  has  been  identified  from  the 
beginning.  There'  are  only  two  or  three  voters 
in  Terre  Haute  Township  who  were  here  when  he 
located  here,  and  he  remembers  the  city  of  Quincy 
when  it  contained  only  two  stores.  He  has  not 
been  a  disinterested  witness  of  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  this  locality,  but  lias  aided  in  its 
advancement  and  taken  a  commendable  interest 
in  its  progress.  His  success  in  life  is  an  enviable 
one,  and  is  well  deserved,  for  it  has  been  secured 
through  honest  and  earnest  effort,  enterprise  and 
good  business  ability. 

IESFKY  C.  BRIDGES,  one  of  the  honored 
and  highly  respected  citizens  of  Hamilton, 
who  has  long  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  best  interests  of  the  community,  aiding 
in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  public  welfare, 
was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Tenn.,  July  24,  [838, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  Alex  Bridges,  also  a 
native  of  Tennessee.  The  grandfather,  Willis 
Bridges,  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  was  for 
forty-five  years  a  Baptist  preacher,  and  probably 
no  one  was  better  known  in  Tennessee  in  an  early 
day. 

Having  attained  to  mature  years,  the  father  of 
our  subject  married  Miss  Louisa  Neal  Ridings, 
who  was  born  in  Tennessee,    but   whose  parents 


were  natives  of  North  Carolina.  Three  children 
graced  this  marriage:  Wesley  C,  of  this  sketch; 
Joel  W.,  a  railroad  man  living  in  Hamilton,  111.; 
and  James  M.,  who  died  in  1862,  in  Macon  City, 
Mo.,  his  death  resulting  from  exposure.  He  en- 
tered the  army  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  Sev- 
enth Missouri  Cavalry. 

The  father  of  this  family  died  January  18,  1844, 
when  our  subject  was  not  quite  six  years  of  age, 
so  he  was  left  to  the  care  of  his  mother,  who  was 
quite  poor.  His  early  educational  advantages 
were  very  crude.  He  lived  in  a  slave  State  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  and  no  free-school  system 
existed  in  Tennessee.  When  a  "subscription" 
teacher  came  to  the  neighborhood,  he  would  ask 
Mrs.  Bridges  for  how  many  scholars  she  would 
sign,  and,  looking  at  her  three  young  sons,  she 
would  have  to  reply,  "I  cannot  pay  for  more  than 
one,  or  maybe  for  not  more  than  half  of  one. "  She 
economized  in  order  to  send  her  three  boys  to 
school  enough  to  take  up  the  time  allowed  for 
one  scholar,  and  in  order  to  do  this  she  spun  and 
wove  many  a  night  after  the  clock  had  struck 
twelve.  When  a  youth  of  fourteen,  Wesley  ac- 
companied his  mother  to  Illinois,  locating  on  a 
farm  of  eighty  acres  iu,  Jackson  County,  which 
land  was  entered  from  the  Government.  The 
journey  hither  was  made  with  an  ox-team  and 
wagon,  and  for  four  weeks  they  were  upon  the 
road.  They  lived  upon  the  land  entered  in  1852 
for  two  years,  after  which  they  came  to  Hancock 
County  in  1854,  locating  in  Augusta  Township, 
where  a  farm  was  rented.  The  boys  of  the  fam- 
ily worked  for  farmers  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
first  wages  Wesley  received  was  $10  per  month, 
which  was  given  to  his  mother,  who  used  it  in 
the  support  of  the  family.  As  he  was  the  eldest 
son  he  was  the  mainstay  and  dependence  of  his 
mother  and  brothers,  and,  although  his  lot  was 
not  an  easy  one,  he  performed  his  tasks  uncom- 
plainingly. From  1854  until  1858  he  attended 
school  in  the  neighboring  district  as  he  could 
find  opportunity.  In  the  latter  year  his  mother 
was  married  to  Thomas  A.  Smart,  an  early  set- 
tler of  this  locality. 

From  that  time  until  i860,  our  subject  en- 
gaged in  working  for  himself,  and  as  a   compan- 


528 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss 
Mary  Ellen  Harrison,  daughter  of  William  and 
Alice  B.  (Davis)  Harrison.  She  was  born  in 
Salem,  Ind.,  January  23,  1843,  and  their  mar- 
riage, which  was  celebrated  October  14,  i860,  has 
been  blessed  with  five  children,  all  of  whom  are 
yet  living,  namely:  Louisa  Alice,  wife  of  Robert 
Watson,  foreman  of  a  planing-mill  in  Hamilton; 
Martha  Ellen,  wife  of  Elmer  F.  Dennis,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  nursery  business  in  Hamilton; 
Laura  Belle,  Julia  Viola  and  Abbie  Ethel,  who 
are  yet  at  home. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Bridges  rented  a  farm 
in  Augusta  Township,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  October,  1862,  when  he  went  to  work  as  a 
common  laborer  on  the  Indiana  &  Southern  Illi- 
nois Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the  Wabash  Road, 
running  from  Clayton  to  Keokuk,  Iowa.  He  was 
thus  employed  until  July,  1863,  after  which  he 
worked  for  eighteen  months  as  an  engine-wiper 
on  the  same  road.  In  February,  1864,  he  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  fireman,  and  after 
three  years  and  three  months  was  made  an  engi- 
neer, in  May,  1867.  In  that  capacity  he  served 
until  October  27,  1883,  during  which  time  he  had 
charge  of  all  kinds  of  trains,  yet  never  met  with  a 
serious  mishap,  or  was  reprimanded,  suspended 
or  discharged.  On  the  27th  of  October,  1883,  he 
was  made  foreman  of  the  Wabash  machinery  and 
car  department  at  Hamilton.  At  this  time  there 
were  four  lines  under  the  control  of  the  Wabash.  In 
1 885  the  dissolution  of  the  four  railroads  occurred, 
and  Mr.  Bridges  was  left  to  decide  whether  he 
would  take  back  his  old  Wabash  run,  or  remain 
in  charge  of  the  shops.  He  chose  the  latter,  and 
has  held  the  position  continuously  since  without 
the  loss  of  a  day's"  wages.  That  he  has  been 
faithful  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him  and  prompt  in 
the  discharge  of  the  duties  devolving  upon  him, 
is  a  fact  well  established  by  his  long-continued 
service  in  the  position. 

Mr.  Bridges  and  his  family  are  all  members  of 
the  Christian  Church.  He  aided  in  organizing 
the  church  in  Hamilton,  and  has  served  as  one  of 
its  Deacons  from  the  beginning.  He  has  always 
been  found  among  its  faithful  members,  and  does 
what  he  can  for  its  upbuilding.      He  takes  quite 


an  active  interest  in  civic  societies,  is  a  member 
of  Black  Hawk  Lodge  No.  238,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.; 
Tecumseh  Chapter  No.  152,  R.  A.  M.;  Clayton 
Council  No.  50,  R.  &  S.  M.;  Delta  Commandery 
No.  48,  K.  T.,  of  Clayton,  111.;  and  Pocahontas 
Commandery  No.  49,  O.  E.  S.,  of  Hamilton.  He 
also  belongs  to  Rescue  Camp  No.  212,  M.  W.  A., 
and  to  Division  No.  56,  Brotherhood  of  Locomo- 
tive Engineers,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Bridges  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  but  since  that  time  has  been 
a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  has  been  honored  with 
a  number  of  local  offices.  For  four  years  he 
served  as  Mayor  of  the  city,  during  which  time 
he  was  instrumental  in  securing  and  equipping 
for  the  city  its  present  fire  organization.  In  1888 
he  was  the  main  promoter  of  the  Hamilton  Loan 
and  Building  Association,  was  elected  its  first 
President,  and  served  as  Director  for  three  years. 
This  organization,  which  has  done  so  much  toward 
securing  homes  for  the  working  men  in  Hamil- 
ton, practically  owes  its  existence  to  Mr.  Bridges, 
and  he  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for  its  es- 
tablishment. The  best  interests  of  the  commun- 
ity have  ever  found  in  him  a  friend,  and  his  hearty 
support  and  co-operation  are  always  given  to 
worthy  enterprises. 


REV.  JACOB  BARR  KING,  pastor  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church  of  Alexis,  is  now 
living  on  his  farm  on  section  27,  Lomax 
Township,  Henderson  County.  A  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  he  was  born  in  Lancaster  County, 
February  22,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and 
Martha  (Barr)  King,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  the  Keystone  State.  The  family,  however,  is 
of  German  lineage.  The  father  was  twice  married. 
He  wedded  Annie  Ritzer,  and  to  them  were  born 
two  children:  Annie,  now  deceased;  and  Sarah, 
widow  of  John  R.  Campbell  of  Salem,  Ohio. 
Four  children  were  born  of  the  second  union: 
Esther  M.,  wife  of  J.  W.  Hartzell,  of  Kansas; 
Mattie,  wife   of  John    Cooper,    who    is  living  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


529 


Terre  Haute,  111.;  Jacob  B.  of  this  sketch;  and 
John  Hugh,  a  wagon  and  carriage  manufacturer 
of  Shenandoah,  Iowa. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farm  lads,  Mr.  King 
of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  came 
West  with  his  parents  in  1S56,  when  a  lad 
of  eleven  summers,  the  family  locating  upon 
a  farm  in  Henderson  Count}-,  where  he  now 
makes  his  home.  He  attended  the  district  schools 
of  the  neighborhood  until  eighteen  years  of  age, 
and  then  entered  the  college  at  Denmark,  Iowa, 
from  which  institution  he  graduated  in  1864.  He 
also  studied  theology,  pursuing  a  three-years 
course  in  order  to  fit  himself  for  the  ministry. 
His  first  pastoral  work  was  done  at  home.  For 
eight  years  he  labored  with  the  United  Brethren 
Church  in  this  locality,  during  which  time  he 
erected  two  churches,  one  in  Colusa  and  the  other 
three  miles  east  of  Dallas  City.  During  the 
vears  1S75  and  1876,  he  engaged  in  preaching  in 
Fowler,  Adams  County,  and  during  the  two  suc- 
ceeding years  he  was  pastor  of  the  church  at  Da 
Prairie. 

During  that  time  Mr.  King  was  married.  On 
Christmas  Day.  1S77,  he  wedded  Miss  Louisa 
George,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  ( Steck) 
George.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  four 
children:  Tillie,  George  L-.  Bessie  A.,  and  Eva 
L-,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  month. 

In  1878,  Mr.  King  returned  home  and  for  two 
years  labored  at  Terre  Haute.  He  then  spent 
two  years  at  Sciota,  McDonough  County,  and 
some  time  later  was  pastor  of  a  church  atQuincy 
for  two  years,  but  on  account  of  failing  health  he 
was  forced  to  retire  from  the  ministry  ior  a  year. 
In  1892  he  accepted  a  call  from  the  church  at 
Alexis,  and  is  now  its  pastor.  A  fine  house  of 
worship  has  recently  been  erected  and  the  church 
is  now  in  a  flourishing  condition.  Mr.  King  re- 
sides  upon  the  old  homestead,  which  comprises 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  land  in 
Lomax  Township,  and  personally  superintends 
the  cultivation  of  his  farm.  He  is  a  warm  advo- 
cate of  Republican  principles,  supporting  that 
party  on  questions  of  national  importance,  and  is 
a  triend  to  temperance  and  education.  By  ex- 
ample   as  well  as  precept  he  is  a   teacher  of  the 


Gospel,  and  his  consistent  Christian  life  has  won 
him  the  love  and  regard  with  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  brought  in  contact.  For  many  years  he 
has  resided  in  this  locality  and  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance. 

is,  "^    c=J<"  ?">Q_';  "5 

fl  H.  EMERY,  M.  I).,  was  born  February  5, 
I  1834,  in  Richland  County,  Ohio.  He  is  the 
(*/  second  son  of  Henry  and  Olive  1  Jacobs) 
Emery,  who  moved  from  Ohio  to  this  State  in  an 
early  day  and  settled  in  Fulton  County,  111.  J. 
H.  Emery  lived  and  worked  on  a  farm  until  he 
was  of  age,  then  attended  school  in  Knox  College, 
Galesburg,  about  two  years,  and  then  went  to 
teaching  school.  He  followed  that  profession  for 
four  years,  giving  good  satisfaction  as  a  teacher. 
Coming  to  McDonough  County  in  1861.  he  taught 
school  six  months  near  Bushnell,  and  six  months 
at  Good  Hope,  where  he  became  acquainted  with 
Dr.  Dungan,  and  studied  medicine  with  him  for 
one  year.  He  attended  medical  lectures  at  Keo- 
kuk, Iowa,  and  came  to  Blandinsville  in  186.5. 
where  he  has  since  resided,  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine.  In  the  year  1S64  he  opened 
a  drug  store,  and  carried  that  on  in  connection 
with  his  practice  until  1891,  when  he  sold  out 
the  drug  store  and  retired  from  business  for  one 
year.  During  this  time  he  traveled  over  five 
thousand  miles  on  the  railroads,  viewing  different 
portions  of  the  country.  He  has  also  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock-raising  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, and  has  a  farm  admirably  adapted  to  the 
latter,  located  three  and  one-half  miles  west  and 
south  of  Blandinsville,  and  containing  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres.  He  has  several  head  of 
thoroughbred  Short-horn,  good  grades,  and  other 
stock  cattle  on  his  farm. 

Dr.  Emery  was  married  in  1865,  to  Rhoda 
Hardesty,  a  native  of  McDonough  County,  and 
has  by  this  union  seven  children:  Olin  P., 
James  H.,  Otto  B.,  Roscoe  D.,  Lois  E.,  Daisy 
R.  and  Mamie  N.  In  the  fall  of  1891,  he  pur- 
chased a  newspaper  plant  in  Augusta,  111.,  called 
the  Augusta  Eagle,  and  there  he  has  established 


53° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


his  sou  Olin  P.  in  the  newspaper  business.  In 
1893  he  bought  a  new  printing  outfit  and  started 
a  new  paper  in  this  city,  called  the  Blandinsville 
Star.  This  was  established  for  the  benefit  of  his 
sou  Otto,  and  there  the  Doctor  keeps  his  medical 
office  and  employs  his  time  in  the  practice  of 
medicine,  and  writing  for  his  papers.  He  is  now 
the  proprietor  of  two  newspapers,  has  been  suc- 
cessful as  a  practitioner,  druggist,  and  as  a  stock- 
raiser,  and  hopes  to  be  as  a  newspaper  man.  Po- 
litically, he  has  always  supported  the  Democratic 
party.  As  a  citizen,  he  is  popular  and  highly 
reputed. 

a  g=B'<T>P::S== SI 

f^RESTON  MARTIN,  who  is  now  living  a  re- 
ly tired  life  in  Biggsville,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
\H  and  one  of  the  most  honored  of  Henderson 
County's  citizens.  He  was  born  in  Bourbon 
County,  Ky.,  on  the  25th  of  October,  1804,  and 
was  one  of  ten  children,  whose  parents  were 
William  and  Annie  (Hopper)  Martin.  The 
father  was  born  in  Greenbrier  County,  Va.,  about 
1767,  and  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Bourbon 
County,  Ky.  The  members  of  the  family  were 
Jefferson,  Preston,  Mrs.  Polly  Black,  Mrs. 
Frances  Campbell,  Emily,  Mrs.  Annie  Thompson, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Christian,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Black  (a 
twin  sister  of  Mrs.  Christian),  Mrs.  Julia  Gregory, 
and  William,  who  died  in  Warren  County  many 
years  ago. 

Mr.  Martin  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
like  the  other  members  of  the  family,  attended 
the  common  schools  of  Kentucky,  but  his  educa- 
tional advantages  were  quite  limited.  He  had 
to  walk  a  distance  of  about  three  miles,  to  a 
schoolhouse,  a  primitive  structure,  without  a 
floor,  and  furnished  with  slab  benches.  He  made 
the  most  of  his  opportunities,  however,  and  at 
length  engaged  in  teaching. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  1828,  Mr.  Martin  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann  E.  Taylor, 
whose  family  was  from  Virginia.  She  was  born 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  in  February,  1803. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  became  the  parents    of  ten 


children,  and  with  one  exception  all  are  living  at 
this  writing.  Benjamin  H.,  who  was  born 
March  18,  1829,  resides  in  Biggsville;  John  T., 
born  July  6,  1830,  is  a  resident  of  Eugene, 
Ore.;  Mrs.  Frances  M.  Plummer,  born  January 
5,  1832,  is  deceased;  William  F.  and  Charles  A., 
twins,  the  former  a  resident  of  Oregon,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  this  county,  were  born  February  13,  1833; 
Robert  J.,  born  February  14,  1837,  >s  living  in 
.South  Dakota;  Andrew  W.,  born  June  7,  1838, 
resides  in  Kuoxville,  Iowa;  Mary  A.,  born 
March  5,  1840,  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  John  Hood,  of 
Galesburg;  Margaret  J.,  born  May  28,  1S44,  is 
now  Mrs.  Rice  of  Bald  Bluff,  Henderson  County; 
and  Sarah  A.,  born  November  1,  1843.  married 
John  McDill,  and  lives  at  Emerson,  Iowa.  Four 
of  the  sons  served  in  the  Civil  War,  and  the 
father  twice  went  to  the  South  to  visit  and  look 
after  the  interests  of  his  boys  in  blue.  Besides 
his  large  family  he  now  has  thirty-eight  grand- 
children, and  thirty-two  great-grandchildren. 

It  was  in  1836  that  Mr.  Martin  came  to  Hen- 
derson County,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
numbered  among  its  honored  citizens.  He  lo- 
cated on  section  25,  Gladstone  Township,  and 
there  embarked  in  farming,  which  he  successfully 
followed  for  many  long  years.  When  he  became 
its  owner  the  land  was  still  in  its  primitive  con- 
dition, not  a  furrow  having  been  turned,  or  an 
improvement  made  thereon,  but  he  at  once  began 
its  development,  and  transformed  it  into  a  fine 
farm.  He  had  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
which,  when  he  came  to  the  county,  was  consid- 
ered quite  a  large  property.  In  connection  with 
general  farming  he  was  also  quite  extensively 
engaged  in  stock-raising,  making  a  specialty  of 
the  breeding  of  cattle  and  hogs.  Thus  he  carried 
on  his  business  interests  until  1870,  when  he  re- 
tired from  the  farm  and  removed  to  Biggsville. 

Mr.  Martin,  who  has  taken  quite  a  prominent  part 
in  public  affairs,  for  some  time  served  as  County 
Commissioner,  and  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  of 
the  South  Henderson  District  for  about  twenty 
years.  He  also  was  School  Director  for  about 
thirty  years,  and  in  these  various  offices  he  dis- 
charged his  duties  with  a  promptness  and  fidelity 
which  won  him    high  commendation.     The  best 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


53' 


interests  of  the  community  have  ever  found  in 
him  a  friend,  and  he  has  done  much  for  public 
advancement  and  improvement.  In  1880,  he  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who 
passed  away  on  the  16th  of  December.  She  pos- 
sessed many  excellencies  of  character,  had  the 
love  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  her,  and  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Martin  also  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  in  politics  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party.  In  the  long  years  of  his  residence  in  Hender- 
son County,  he  has  formed  a  wide  acquaintance, 
and  is  held  in  the  highest  regard  by  both  young 
and  old,  rich  and  poor. 

■e  t|   cg<  !>&-, 9 

(JOHN  FREDERICK  CLOVER,  who  is  liv- 
I  ing  on  section  3,  Lomax  Township,  Hender- 
Qj  son  Count}-,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native 
of  Illinois,  for  he  was  born  in  Warren  County, 
November  9,  1843.  His  father,  Cornelius  Clover, 
was  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  March  21, 
1  794,  and  was  of  German  descent.  Having  at- 
tained to  mature  years,  he  married  Narcissa  Bil- 
lingsly,  who  was  born  near  Greensboro,  N.  C, 
March  14,  1813.  Six  children  grace  this  union: 
La  Fayette,  now  a  farmer  of  Henderson  County; 
Josephus,  who  died  December  15,  1889;  Merritt 
A.,  an  agriculturist  of  Neosha,  Kan.;  John,  of 
this  sketch;  Marcellus,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Henderson  County;  and  Lucina,  who  is  living  on 
the  old  homestead.  Ere  his  marriage  to  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  Cornelius  Clover  had  married  Miss 
Rebecca  Persons,  and  to  them  were  born  eight 
children,  but  the  eldest  died  in  infancy,  seven 
growing  to  maturity,  namely:  Armenia,  of  Hen- 
derson County;  J.  Perry,  who  died  December  26, 
1S77;  Clarissa  N.,  wife  of  J.  P,  White,  of  Okla- 
homa; Elizabeth,  who  died  October  31,  1855; 
Jane,  who  died  March  16,  1885;  Cornelius  T., 
an  agriculturist  of  Henderson  County;  and  Re- 
becca, widow  of  John  Kays,  and  a  resident  of 
Oregon. 

The  father  of  this  family  was  a  millwright    by 
trade,  and  followed  that  business  for  some  years. 


On  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  18 12,  he  en- 
listed, and  served  until  its  close.  He  then  re- 
turned to  the  Empire  State,  where  he  made  his 
home  for  some  time,  after  which  he  removed  to 
Indiana  and  engaged  in  keeping  a  hotel  until 
1843.  That  year  witnessed  his  removal  to  War- 
ren County,  111.  He  settled  near  Avon,  and  took 
up  land  from  the  Government,  upon  which  he 
made  his  home  until  1852,  when  he  came  to 
Henderson  County,  and  located  upon  the  farm 
which  is  now  the  home  of  our  subject.  He  first 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section 
3,  Lomax  Township,  upon  which  only  a  few 
acres  had  been  broken,  while  a  log  cabin  consti- 
tuted the  only  improvements.  To  the  further  de- 
velopment of  the  place  he  then  devoted  his  ener- 
gies until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  5, 
1863.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  his  life  was  a  straightforward  and  honorable 
one,  which  gained  him  the  confidence  and  high 
regard  of  all  with  whom  he  was  brought  in  con- 
tact. His  wife  survived  him  about  thirty  years, 
and  died  February  9,  1893.  She  too  was  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  was  interred 
in  the  family  burying-ground  by  the  side  of  her 
husband. 

Mr.  Clover  of  this  notice  has  always  lived  in 
this  State,  and  since  the  age  of  nine  years  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  Henderson  County.  In  the 
usual  manner  of  farm  lads  he  was  reared  to  man- 
hood, aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  farm  through 
the  summer  months,  while  in  the  winter  season 
he  attended  the  common  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. Upon  his  father's  death  he  took  charge  of 
the  old  home  farm,  which  he  has  since  operated. 
In  connection  with  his  sister  he  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  rich  land,  and  the  place  is 
now  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well 
improved. 

During  the  late  war,  Mr.  Clover  entered  the 
country's  service,  enlisting  September  17,  1861, 
as  a  private  of  Company  E,  Tenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry .  He  was  mustered  into  the  service  at  Cairo, 
and  the  first  engagement  in  which  he  participated 
was  at  New  Madrid,  Mo.  He  took  part  in  many 
of  the  most  important  battles  of  the  war,  and 
when  his  first  term  of  service  had   expired  re-en- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


listed,  serving  until  July  4,  1N65,  when  he  was 
discharged  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  with  the  rank  of 
Corporal.  He  was  a  valiant  defender  of  the 
Union,  and  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  boys  in  blue. 
When  his  country  no  longer  needed  his  service, 
he  returned  to  the  farm,  and  has  since  devoted 
his  time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  is  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen. 


(31  RTHVR  GRAY,  one  of  the  enterprising  farm- 
T\  ers  and  stock-raisers  of  Henderson  County, 
(1  now  living  in  Gladstone,  is  a  representative 
of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of  the  coun- 
ty. He  was  born  in  this  locality  January  8,  1858, 
and  is  a  son  of  Patrick  Gray,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
born  in  County  Kildare  in  181 7.  On  the  Emerald 
Isle  he  grew  to  manhood,  and  there  married  Ann 
Logan,  who  was  born  in  1S27.  In  1849,  Mr. 
Gray  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  for  he  be- 
lieved he  might  better  his  financial  condition  in 
the  New  World.  Landing  in  New  York  City, 
he  there  remained  six  years,  after  which  he  went 
to  Chicago,  and  a  year  later  removed  to  Burling- 
ton, Iowa.  In  that  city  he  spent  two  years, 
working  as  a  fuller  in  a  woolen  factory,  after 
which  he  came  to  Henderson  County,  where  he 
embarked  in  farming.  He  was  soon  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leading  and  successful  agriculturists 
of  this  community,  and  as  one  of  its  influential 
citizens.  He  carried  on  general  farming  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  on  the  old  homestead  farm 
on  the  6th  of  December,  1892.  His  wife  still  sur- 
vives him,  and  is  yet  living  on  the  old  homestead 
three  miles  south  of  Gladstone.  In  their  family 
were  eight  children:  Mrs.  Ellen  O'Leary,  Arthur, 
Thomas,  Mrs.  Mary  Leonard,  and  four  who  died 
in  childhood. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  Arthur  Gray,  who  upon 
the  home  farm  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  was 
early  inured  to  the  labor  of  the  field,  and  through 
the    summer  months  aided   in  the  cultivation  of 


the  soil,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  attended 
the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1881,  Mr.  Gray  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Hannah  E.  Rob- 
erts, a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Ann  (Griffith  | 
Roberts,  who  were  natives  of  Monmouthshire, 
Wales,  and  in  1862  crossed  the  briny  deep  to  Amer- 
ica, taking  up  their  residence  in  Burlington. 
Iowa.  Soon  after,  they  came  to  Henderson  Coun- 
ty. They  had  a  family  of  nine  children,  namely: 
Thomas,  William,  George,  Mrs.  Hannah  Gray, 
Mrs.  Mary  Gray,  Mrs.  Emma  Russell,  Annie, 
Mrs.  Sallie  Walburn  and  Arthur.  They  are  all 
farming  people,  who  have  become  well-to-do  and 
are  widelj-  and  favorably  known  throughout  the 
county.  Three  children  grace  the  union  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife:  Mabel,  born  June  15,  1883: 
Clyde,  September  5,  1885:  and  Edgar,  October 
7,   .S87. 

Mr.  Gray  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  farmers 
of  the  county.  He  owns  and  operates  five  hun- 
dred and  thirty -five  acres  of  good  land,  which  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  is  well 
improved.  All  the  accessories  and  conveniences 
of  a  model  farm  may  here  be  found,  and  the  neat 
appearance  of  the  place  indicates  the  thrift  and 
enterprise  of  the  owner.  In  connection  with  gen- 
eral farming,  he  is  also  engaged  quite  extensively 
in  raising  cattle,  which  branch  of  his  business  has 
proved  to  him  quite  profitable.  His  prosperity 
is  the  result  of  his  own  efforts  and  the  assistance 
of  his  amiable  wife,  and  is  therefore  well  merited. 


HHHN 


(TOHN  CHRISTIAN  STRIPE,  a  retired  farmer 
I  living  in  Oquawka,  is  numbered  among  the 
(2/  early  and  honored  settlers  of  Henderson  Coun- 
ty, and  for  many  years  has  not  only  witnessed 
the  growth  and  progress  of  this  region,  but  lias 
also  aided  in  its  advancement  and  upbuilding. 
He  is  a  native  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  born 
November  6,  1832.  His  father,  Jacob  Stripe, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  same  country,  and  wras  a 
cloth-weaver  by  trade.  He  married  Miss  Cath- 
arine Smith,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  eleven 


UNIVLRSiiK  Ui-  ILLI 
URBANA 


JoeljBradshaw 


Mks.  Joei.   Bradshaw 


LIBRARV 

UNWERSW  Of  ILL1N01C 

URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


535 


children,  four  of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood.  Annie  became  the  wife  of  George 
Hofflich,  of  Wurtemberg,  Germain-,  but  is  now 
deceased;  John  C.  is  the  next  younger;  Barbara  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  Shoemaker,  a  merchant  of 
Philadelphia;  and  Ursula  is  the  widow  of  Fred 
Windolph,  of  Dover,  Del.  Mr.  Stripe  is  an  only 
son,  as  were  his  father,  grandfather  and  great- 
grandfather. 

Our  subject  obtained  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Germany.  He  was  left  an  orphan 
when  quite  young,  and  in  1847,  when  a  youth  of 
fifteen  years,  he  bade  adieu  to  his  native  laud  and 
started  for  America,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  a 
sailing-vessel,  which,  after  a  voyage  of  forty-one 
days,  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  York. 
He  immediately  proceeded  to  Philadelphia,  where 
he  completed  his  trade,  that  of  carriage-making, 
which  he  then  followed  for  ten  years,  becoming 
an  expert  workman  along  that  line.  In  the  fall 
of  1857  he  emigrated  westward,  and  cast  in  his 
lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  Oquawka,  where  for 
six  years  he  followed  carriage-making  in  the  em- 
ploy of  others.  In  1863  he  embarked  in  the 
carriage  and  wagon- making  business  for  himself 
in  Oquawka,  and  his  time  was  thus  passed  for  fif- 
teen years.  In  1878  he  rented  land  and  began 
farming,  continuing  its  cultivation  for  five  years. 
He  then  purchased  a  farm,  and  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  1891,  when  he  retired  from 
active  business  life. 

Mr.  Stripe  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
2istof  May,  1855,  he  wedded  Miss  Rebecca  A. 
Eckley,  and  by  their  union  were  born  nine  chil- 
dren: Mary  A.,  now  the  wife  of  J.  L-  Thomas, 
who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Mercer  Count}-; 
Harry,  who  is  employed  in  a  restaurant  in  Mon- 
mouth; Arthur  and  Wilbur,  who  are  engaged  in 
the  livery  business  in  Oquawka;  Maud,  at  home; 
John  C.  and  Frank,  who  have  passed  away; 
Lucy,  who  became  the  wife  of  Robert  Hattou,  but 
is  now  deceased;  and  one  child  who  died  in  infan- 
cy. The  mother  of  this  family  was  called  to  her 
final  rest  September  27,  1877,  an^  on  the  10th 
of  November,  1881,  Mr.  Stripe  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mrs.  Almira  Fames,  widow  of  Pern- 
Fames,  of  Oquawka. 
28 


Our  subject  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party,  and  on  that 
ticket  has  been  elected  Road  Commissioner, 
School  Director  and  School  Trustee.  He  is  a 
member  and  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  also  belongs  to  Tranquil 
Lodge  No.  193,  I.  O.  O.  F.  His  life  has  been 
well  spent,  and  an  honorable,  straightforward  ca- 
reer has  won  him  high  regard.  From  a  financial 
standpoint  he  has  also  been  successful,  and  he  is 
now  the  manager  of  five  hundred  acres  of  valuable 
land,  the  income  derived  therefrom  enabling  him 
to  live  retired. 


(lOEL  BRADSHAW  was  one  of  Hancock 
I  County's  honored  pioneers,  and  this  history 
\Z/  would  be  incomplete  without-  the  record  of 
his  life.  He  was  born  near  Sparta,  White  Coun- 
ty, Tenn.,  on  the  15th  of  September,  1812,  and 
when  a  lad  of  seven  summers  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  emigration  to  Illinois,  the  family 
settling  in  Madison  County,  where  they  resided 
for  a  year.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
and  his  mother  of  Kentucky.  To  them  were  born 
ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters.  In 
1820,  Mr.  Bradshaw  went  with  his  parents  to 
Morgan  County,  where  his  father  entered  seven 
hundred  acres  of  land  from  the  Government.  The 
unsettled  condition  of  the  county  at  that  time  may 
be  imagined  from  the  fact  that  what  was  once 
wild  land,  comprised  within  the  Bradshaw  home- 
stead, is  now  the  site  of  the  city  of  Jacksonville. 
Joel  Bradshaw  attended  the  district  schools  ot 
Morgan  County,  and  acquired  an  excellent  edu- 
cation. He  then  embarked  in  farming,  which  he 
followed  in  that  county  until  1837,  which  year 
witnessed  his  removal  to  Hancock  County.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  he  purchased  one  thousand  acres 
of  land  in  La  Harpe  Township,  and  for  many  years 
extensively  engaged  in  farming.  He  bore  all  the 
hardships  and  trials  of  pioneer  life,  and  took  part 
in  the  Mormon  War,  which  occurred  near  Camp 
Point  and  Nauvoo,  and  which  resulted  in  driving 
the   Mormons  from  the  State.     When    he   came 


536 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


here,  much  of  the  land  was  in  possession  of  the 
Government,  and  the  settlements  were  widely 
scattered,  for  the  work  of  civilization  and  progress 
seemed  scarcely  begun. 

On  the  20th  of  March,  1834,  Mr.  Bradshawwas 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine  Dickson, 
daughter  of  Hugh  and  Margaret  (Xeib )  Dickson. 
They  became  the  parents  of  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren: Jane,  who  was  born  on  the  14th  of  March, 
1835,  and  is  now  deceased;  William  D. ,  who  was 
born  March  30,  1837;  Mary  J.,  who  was  born 
January  3,  1839,  and  has  now  passed  away; 
George  W.,  born  January  1,  1841 ;  Sarah  L-,  who 
was  born  January  14,  1845,  and  is  now  deceased; 
Susanna  S. ,  who  was  born  December  18,  1842, 
and  has  been  called  to  the  home  beyond;  Emma 
E.,  who  was  born  February  8,  1847,  and  is  the 
widow  of  James  W.  P.  Davis;  Alviua  C,  who  was 
born  May  20,  1849,  and  is  now  deceased;  J.  D., 
who  was  born  October  2,  1852,  and  has  departed 
this  life;  and  James  M.,  who  was  born  December 
20,  1855,  and  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this 
work. 

Mr.  Bradshaw  was  an  advocate  of  Democratic 
principles,  but  was  never  an  office-seeker.  The 
history  of  Hancock  County  was  familiar  to  him 
for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  he  could  relate 
many  interesting  incidents  of  frontier  life.  He 
always  bore  his  part  in  the  work  of  upbuilding 
and  development,  and  was  much  respected  by  his 
friends  and  neighbors,  who  deeply  mourned  his 
death.  He  passed  away  in  La  Harpe  Township, 
November  5,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years. 


0ANIEL  L.  DICKSON,  a  retired  farmer,  now 
residing  in  Dallas  City,  well  deserves  men- 
tion among  the  honored  pioneers  of  Hancock 
County,  for  a  half-century  has  passed  since  he 
located  within  the  borders  of  the  county,  and  he 
has  tberefore  witnessed  the  greater  part  of  its 
growth  and  upbuilding.  He  has  seen  its  wild 
land  transformed  into  beautiful  homes  and  farms, 
its  hamlets  become  thriving  towns  and  villages, 
and  the  work  of  progress  and  civilization  carried 


forward  so  rapidly  that  the  county  of  to-day 
bears  little  resemblance  to  that  of  fifty  years  ago. 

Mr.  Dickson  was  born  in  East  Tennessee,  May 
18,  18 1 7,  and  is  the  second  in  a  family  of  seven 
children  whose  parents  were  Hugh  and  Margaret 
(Leib)  Dickson.  His  father  claimed  Pennsylva- 
nia as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  and  removed  from 
there  to  Tennessee,  where  he  spent  several  years. 
In  1824  he  brought  his  family  to  Illinois,  and  lo- 
cated in  Morgan  County,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1843,  when  he  came  to  Hancock  County.  Set- 
tling in  La  Harpe  Township,  he  there  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  for  many  years.  He  served 
in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  was  familiar  with 
all  the  experiences  and  hardships  of  frontier  life. 
His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  His  wife,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
years.  The  Dickson  family  is  of  Irish  extraction, 
and  was  probably  founded  in  the  United  States 
during  early  Colonial  days. 

Daniel  L.  Dickson  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Morgan  County,  and  there  remained  until  1838, 
when  he  came  to  Hancock  County  and  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  La  Harpe 
Township.  This  he  at  once  began  to  develop 
and  improve,  but  after  seven  years  he  sold  out  and 
purchased  a  cpiarter-section  of  land  in  Durham 
Township.  From  time  to  time  he  added  to  that 
tract  until  he  had  become  the  owner  of  one  thou- 
sand acres  of  valuable  land.  He  was  very  suc- 
cessful in  his  undertakings,  and  continued  to  en- 
gage in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1883,  when  he 
came  to  Dallas  City-  and  sold  a  part  of  his  farm. 
Purchasing  a  handsome  residence,  he  has  since 
here  lived  a  retired  life,  enjoying  the  rest  which 
he  has  so  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves. 

In  1837  Mr.  Dickson  married  Miss  Mary  Shot- 
well,  of  Morgan  County,  who  died  leaving  four 
children:  Hugh,  now  one  of  the  leading  mer- 
chants of  La  Harpe;  Josiah,  a  prosperous  farmer 
of  Hancock  County;  Emma,  widow  of  John 
Strawn,  who  is  living  in  La  Harpe;  and  Daniel,  a 
farmer  residing  near  Butler,  Mo.  Mr.  Dickson 
is  very  justly  proud  of  his  sons.  Not  one  of  his 
boys  was  ever  heard  to  swear,  known  to  drink 
liquor,  play  cards  or  use  tobacco.     On  the  6th  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


537 


January,  1867,  Mr.  Dickson  was  again  married, 
and  one  child  was  born  of  that  union,  Freddie  J., 
who  is  now  attending  school.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dickson  are  active  members  and  prominent  work- 
ers in  the  Christian  Church,  and  have  contributed 
liberally  to  the  support  of  the  church. 

Mr.  Dickson  has  always  been  a  friend  to  those 
enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit,  and  is  recognized  as  a  valued  citizen  of  the 
community.  He  lived  in  Hancock  County  all 
through  the  Mormon  troubles,  but  took  no  part  in 
them.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  on  the 
prairie,  and  his  home  was  one  of  those  of  frontier 
style.  He  now  has  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
residences  in  Dallas  City,  and  in  connection  with 
this  owns  several  town  lots,  together  with  five 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  farm  land.  All  has 
been  acquired  through  his  own  efforts,  and  his 
possessions  are  a  monument  to  his  thrift  and  en- 
terprise. 

fc  -=H)  <'  T  ••>  [ir*t      :       5> 

HENRY  MOHR,  one  of  the  leading  and  rep- 
resentative farmers  of  Lomax  Township,  now 
living  on  section  32,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Henderson  County  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  since  1849,  and  is  therefore  numbered  among 
its  pioneer  settlers.  He  claims  Germany  as  his 
native  land,  for  he  was  there  born  December  2, 
1837.  He  is  one  of  three  children  whose  parents, 
Conrad  and  Elizabeth  (Weggs)  Mohr,  were  also 
natives  of  Germany.  His  brother  and  sister  bore 
the  names  of  John  and  Elizabeth  respectively.  In 
1846  the  family  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America 
in  a  sailing-vessel,  which  was  upon  the  ocean  for 
six  weeks,  and  then  reached  the  harbor  of  Balti- 
more. Coming  West,  they  located  in  Nauvoo, 
where  they  made  their  home  until  1849,  when 
they  came  to  Henderson  County. 

Henry  Mohr  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  at  the  time 
of  the  emigration.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  Illi- 
nois, and  received  a  limited  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools.  His  training  at  farm  labor,  however, 
was  not  meagre,  for  at  an  early  age  he  began 
work  on  the  old    homestead,    and    was  thus  em- 


ployed until  1864,  when  he  made  a  trip  to  the 
West  with  horse-teams,  spending  about  eighteen 
months  in  California  and  Nevada.  In  the  au- 
tumn of  1865,  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  has  since 
made  it  his  home. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1866,  Mr.  Mohr  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Minnie  Wamsauser,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  eight  children:  Lewis,  John, 
Emma,  Edward,  Willie,  Caroline,  Clara,  and 
Louisa,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 

Mr.  Mohr  has  always  been  a  stanch  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party  and  its  principles,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church.  He 
has  served  as  School  Director  for  nine  years,  and 
takes  an  active  and  commendable  interest  in  all 
worthy  public  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to 
benefit  the  community.  He  has  a  pleasant  home 
on  section  32,  Lomax  Township,  whither  he  re- 
moved in  1 87 1,  having  since  made  his  home  there- 
on. He  has  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
valuable  land,  which  is  now  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  He  has  made  all  the  improvements 
upon  the  place  himself,  and  therefore  they  stand 
as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise.  In  all 
its  appointments  the  place  is  complete,  and  the 
owner  is  now  successfully  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  started  out  in  life 
a  poor  boy,  but  has  steadily  worked  his  way  up- 
ward, and  has  now  become  one  of  the  thrifty  and 
substantial  citizens  of  the  communitv. 


(TAMES  R.  HULL,  M.  D.,  has  for  the  pastfive 
I  years  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
Q)  cine  in  Sciota,  and  has  secured  a  liberal  pat- 
ronage. He  was  born  May  3,  i860,  in  Peoria 
County,  111.  His  father,  Dr.  Abram  Hull,  was  a 
native  of  Licking  County,  Ohio,  and  he  too  was  a 
physician  and  surgeon.  Having  graduated  from 
the  St.  Louis  Medical  College  in  the  Class  of  '44, 
he  established  an  office  and  began  practice  in  Ma- 
rietta, Fulton  County,  111.  For  many  years  he 
continued  the  prosecution  of  his  profession,  but  is 
now  living  a  retired  life  in  Good  Hope.  For  a 
time  he  engaged  in  practice  in  Ellisville,  111. ;  later 


538 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  spent  a  year  in  Peoria,  and  then  returned  to 
Ellisville.  In  1865  he  removed  to  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  where  the  succeeding  ten  years  of  his  life 
were  passed,  and  then  took  up  his  residence  in 
Lewistown.  In  1877  he  removed  to  Good  Hope, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

Dr.  Abram  Hull  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Caroline  R.  Hezlep,  and  to  them  were  born 
two  children:  JaniesR.,  of  this  sketch;  and  Eliza- 
beth C,  who  is  yet  at  home.  The  former  was 
reared  in  Kansas  City  until  fifteen  years  of  age, 
and  acquired  a  good  education  in  its  public  schools. 
About  1875  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Lewistown,  111.,  and  two  years  later  he 
became  a  resident  of  Good  Hope.  Wishing  to 
make  the  practice  of  medicine  his  life  work,  he 
began  studying  under  the  direction  of  his  father, 
with  whom  he  continued  his  reading  for  two 
years.  In  the  autumn  of  1878  he  went  to  Keo- 
kuk and  entered  the  Keokuk  Medical  College, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  the 
Class  of  '  80,  on  completing  a  thorough  course  of 
study. 

Soon  after,  Dr.  Hull  opened  an  office  in  Sciota, 
and  here  continued  in  active  practice  until  1883, 
when  he  went  to  Good  Hope,  there  spending  two 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  left 
for  the  West  and  again  took  up  his  residence  in 
Kansas  City,  where  he  continued  practice  until 
1889.  In  that  year  he  again  came  to  Sciota, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

O11  the  9th  of  September,  1880,  Dr.  Hull  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  MissChloe  B.  Warner,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Isabel  ( Hezlep)  Warner,  who 
are  residents  of  Fulton  County,  111.  Two  chil- 
dren grace  this  union,  a  sou  and  a  daughter,  Car- 
rie B.  and  Fred.  A.  W.  The  parents  are  promi- 
nent and  highly  respected  citizens  of  this  commun- 
ity, and  in  social  circles  hold  an  enviable  posi- 
tion. They  both  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  take  an  active  interest  in  its 
work  and  upbuilding. 

Socially,  the  Doctor  is  connected  with  Indus- 
trial Lodge  No.  440,  K.  P.,  of  which  he  is  now 
Chancellor  Commander,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of 
Sciota  Lodge  No.  552,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  the  Mod- 
tin  Woodmen  of  America.     He    votes   with  the 


Republican  party  and  is  a  warm  advocate  of  its 
principles,  but  has  never  sought  political  prefer- 
ment. He  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward 
in  the  ranks  of  his  profession,  until  he  now  occu- 
pies a  leading  place  in  the  medical  fraternity  of 
this  community. 


3OHN  W.  LIONBERGER,  the  present  Su- 
pervisor of  Pilot  Grove  Township,  Hancock 
County,  and  a  representative  farmer  residing 
on  section  12,  was  born  on  the  14th  of  February, 
1827,  in  Page  County,  Va.,  and  comes  of  a  family 
of  German  origin.  His  parents,  Joseph  and 
Esther  (Burner)  Liouberger,  were  also  natives  of 
the  Old  Dominion.  The  father  followed  farming 
throughout  his  entire  life.  He  was  reared  in  the 
State  of  his  nativity,  and  on  leaving  the  South,  in 
the  autumn  of  1835,  he  came  to  Illinois.  The 
trip  westward  was  made  by  team,  and  he  located 
in  Springfield,  but  in  the  spring  of  1836  he  came 
to  Hancock  County,  and  took  up  his  residence  in 
what  is  now  Fountain  Green  Township.  Dur- 
ing that  year,  however,  he  purchased  land  in 
Pilot  Grove  Township,  becoming  owner  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  sections  11  and  12, 
partly  prairie  and  partly  timber-land.  The  only 
improvement  upon  the  place  was  a  small  log  cabin. 
He  erected  a  gristmill  on  Crooked  Creek  in  1839, 
the  first  mill  built  in  this  section  of  the  country. 
He  was  prominently  identified  with  the  develop- 
ment of  this  region,  and  took  an  active  interest 
in  everything  pertaining  to  its  advancement.  He 
aided  in  laying  out  the  roads  in  this  and  adjoin- 
ing townships,  and  also  helped  organize  the 
schools.  He  served  as  a  soldier  throughout  the 
War  of  18 1 2.  He  died  in  Hancock  County,  Jan- 
uary 15,  186S,  in  the  faith  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
and  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  Andrews' 
Cemetery  of  Fountain  Green  Township.  His 
wife,  who  passed  away  in  1864,  is  also  there  buried. 
In  the  Liouberger  family  were  eight  children, 
namely:  Rebecca,  wife  of  Jacob  Grove,  a  resident 
fanner  of  Fountain  Green  Township;  Hamilton 
and  Joseph,   who   are  both  deceased;  Benjamin, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


539 


who  is  now  living  retired  in  Benton  County, 
Ark.;  Mary,  wife  of  William  H.  Grubb,  a  resi- 
dent of  Quiney,  111.;  Ann  E.,  deceased;  John  \\\, 
of  this  sketch;  and  Franklin,  who  has  also  passed 
away. 

John  W.  Lionberger  spent  the  first  eight  years 
of  his  life  in  his  native  State,  and  then  came  with 
his  parents  to  Hancock  County.  He  is  numbered 
among  its  pioneers,  for  he  saw  the  county  ere  the 
work  of  civilization  and  progress  had  scarcely  be- 
gun. The  greater  part  of  the  land  was  wild,  and 
much  of  it  was  yet  in  possession  of  the  Gov- 
ernment. The  homes  were  mostly  log  cabins,  and 
these  were  widely  scattered.  It  was  an  arduous 
task  to  open  up  a  farm,  and  there  were  other  dif- 
ficulties and  hardships  to  be  borne;  yet  those  pi- 
oneer days  also  afforded  many  pleasures  which 
are  not  known  to  a  more  modern  civilization. 
Mr.  Lionberger  acquired  his  education  in  the 
subscription  schools,  to  which  he  often  walked  a 
distance  of  three  miles.  He  began  life  for  him- 
self at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  by  operating 
a  part  of  the  old  homestead  on  shares.  Here 
he  has  lived  since  coming  to  the  county.  He 
now  owns  two  hundred  acres  of  the  old  farm 
where  his  father  first  located,  and  in  addition  to 
this  he  has  another  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five acres.  For  many  years  he  has  carried 
on  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  still 
follows  that  pursuit  with  good  success.  Mr. 
Lionberger  took  an  active  part  in  the  Mormon 
War,  as  it  is  called,  was  with  the  artillery  gun 
No.  2,  and  remained  all  through  the  war.  He 
helped  to  get  them  across  the  river  into  Iowa. 

On  the  30th  of  October,  1850,  Mr.  Lionberger 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Philena  Rob- 
erts, daughter  of  Abijah  and  Lucy  A.  (  Andrews  1 
Roberts.  The  lady  was  born  in  the  Empire  State, 
and  with  her  parents  came  to  this  county  in  1.S47, 
locating  in  Durham  Township.  Her  parents 
there  resided  until  1S65,  when  they  removed  to 
Minnesota,  where  the  father's  death  occurred  in 
1874.  His  wife  still  survives  him,  and  has  now 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lionberger  were  born  six  children, 
namely:  Mary  E. ,  wife  of  W.  A.  Pickernell,  a 
farmer  residing  in  Iowa;   Edward  A.,  who  is  en- 


gaged in  business  in  La  Harpe;  Clara  A.,  wife  of 
W.  C.  Bainter;  Robert  R.,  a  stock-buyer  and 
shipper  of  La  Crosse;  John  F.,  who  is  still  at 
home;  and  one  child  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Lionberger  is  a  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  its  principles,  and  takes  quite  an 
active  interest  in  political  affairs,  keeping  well  in- 
formed on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He  has  served 
his  township  as  Supervisor  for  five  terms,  was 
Assessor  for  the  long  period  of  twenty  years,  and 
has  filled  every  office  in  the  township  except  that 
of  Clerk.  He  is  now  serving  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  a  position  he  has  filled  for  the  past  sixteen 
years.  His  fidelity  to  duty  is  attested  by  his  long 
retention  in  office,  which  also  indicates  the  confi- 
dence reposed  in  him.  That  he  is  ever  true  to 
all  public  and  private  trusts  is  a  fact  known  to  all 
who  are  acquainted  with  Mr.  Lionberger.  He  is 
a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen  and  an 
honorable  and  upright  man,  and  it  is  with  pleas- 
ure that  we  present  to  our  readers  this  record  of 
a  life  so  well  worthy  of  emulation. 

0AMUEL  EDWARD  VAUGHAN,  who  re- 
/\  sides  on  section  10,  Lomax  Township,  is  one 
Q)  of  the  extensive  land-owners  of  Henderson 
Count)'.  His  possessions  aggregate  seven  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  comprising  a  valuable  and 
highly  improved  property,  which  yields  to  him  a 
good  income.  As  all  this  has  been  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts,  he  may  truly  be  called  a 
self-made  man. 

Mr.  Vaughan  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native 
of  Illinois,  for  he  was  born  in  the  adjoining 
county  of  Hancock,  September  11,  1840.  His 
parents,  William  and  Elizabeth)  Russell  JVaughan, 
were  both  natives  of  Maryland.  They  had  a 
family  of  five  children:  Joseph,  who  crossed  the 
plains  to  California  in  1849,  and  there  died  in 
1859;  Jonathan,  who  died  February  9,  1S91; 
Mary,  deceased;  William, 'a  grain  merchant  and 
implement  dealer  of  Carman,  Illinois;  and  Samuel 
E.,  of  this  sketch.  By  occupation  the  father  of 
this  family  was  a  farmer,  and  throughout  life  fol- 


540 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


lowed  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1835,  he  removed 
with  his  wife  and  children  to  Ohio,  and  in  1837 
emigrated  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  settling  near 
Appanoose,  where  he  died  in  June,  1840. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  in  that  locality  our 
subject  spent  the  first  years  of  his  life,  and  then 
came  to  Henderson  County,  locating  near  Carman, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  Two  and  a-half 
miles  from  his  home,  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  was 
conducted  a  subscription  *school,  which  he  at- 
tended at  intervals  until  sixteen  5-ears  of  age. 
He  then  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and  since 
that  time  has  been  dependent  on  his  own  re- 
sources, so  that  the  success  of  his  life  is  the  just 
reward  of  his  own  labor.  He  began  working  as  a 
farm  hand  for  $6  per  month,  and  in  that  way  was 
employed  for  five  years,  when  he  rented  a  farm, 
but  after  two  years  he  purchased  forty  acres  of 
laud,  an  unimproved  tract  of  prairie,  on  section 
36,  Carman  Township.  A  year  later  he  bought 
a  farm  on  section  34,  and  he  now  has  two  farms 
near  Carman,  comprising  two  hundred  and 
seventy  acres  of  good  land.  In  that  locality  he 
made  his  home  until  1888,  with  the  exception  of 
one  year  spent  in  Washington.  In  1888  he  came 
to  Lomax,  where  he  embarked  in  merchandising. 
He  also  carried  on  a  lumber-yard,  and  served  as 
Postmaster,  continuing  business  along  those  lines 
until  the  spring  of  1893,  when  he  removed  to  his 
present  farm. 

Mr.  Vaughan  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
30th  of  May,  1865,  he  wedded  Miss  Mary  Kirby, 
and  to  them  were  born  four  children:  Risden, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Newton,  who  follows  farm- 
ing in  Henderson  County;  Jonathan,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  two  years;  and  William,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  five  months.  The  mother  of  this 
family  was  called  to  the  home  beyond  February 
8,  1869.  On  the  9th  of  November  following, 
Mr.  Vaughan  married  Miss  Emma  Hamblin,  and 
five  children  blessed  this  union:  Elizabeth;  Man-, 
who  died  March  21,  1884;  Roxie,  who  died 
October  23,  1888;  Clara  and  Archie. 

Since  proudly  casting  his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  Mr.  Vaughan  has 
been  a  faithful  supporter  of  the  men  and  measures 
ot    the    Republican    party.     He    has  served    as 


Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Road  Supervisor,  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  belongs 
to  the  Methodist  Church.  The  best  interests  of 
the  community  have  always  found  in  him  a  warm 
friend,  and  during  his  long  residence  in  Hender- 
son County  his  upright  life  and  sterling  worth 
have  gained  him  the  confidence  and  good-will  of 
all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact. 

s-      '       *  =J"  <*' lr  ">  !=  =1 

ROBERT  MATHERS,  who  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  on  section  34,  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  land- 
owners of  Henderson  County.  He  was  born  in 
Washington  County,  Pa.,  on  the  19th  of  August, 
1827,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Green) 
Mathers.  His  parents  were  both  natives  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  but  were  married  in  New  York, 
and  removed  to  Washington  County,  Pa.,  where 
the  father  carried  on  farming  on  rented  land  until 
1842,  when  he  emigrated  with  his  family  to  the 
West.  He  moved  to  Henderson  County,  111., 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  passing  away 
in  August,  1859.  Mrs.  Mathers  died  on  the  13th 
of  February,  1891,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
one  years.  In  their  family  were  ten  children, 
four  of  whom  are  now  living.  Jo  Mathers,  the 
eldest  surviving  member,  is  now  a  resident  of 
Biggsville.  Robert  is  the  next  younger.  Samuel 
follows  farming  in  the  same  township  with  his 
brother;  and  George  now  makes  his  home  in  Cal- 
ifornia. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  Robert 
Mathers  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 
He  made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  his  mar- 
riage, but  for  some  time  previous  earned  his  own 
livelihood.  When  he  started  out  for  himself  he 
had  no  capital,  but,  possessed  of  a  resolute  will 
and  a  determination  to  succeed,  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward.  The  first  year  he 
worked  for  John  Peasley,  and  though  he  only  re- 
ceived $1 22.50  for  the  entire  year's  work,  he  saved 
some  money  out  of  that.  As  the  result  of  his 
industry  and   frugality  he  at   length  became  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


54' 


owner  of  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres. 

On  the  12th  of  October,  1859,  Mr.  Mathers 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Alzoria  Powell, 
daughter  of  Nathan  and  Mary  Powell,  who  were 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Henderson 
County.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  a 
family  of  seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet 
living:  Eugene,  at  home;  Dora,  wife  of  John 
Irons,  a  prosperous  and  well-known  fanner  of 
Walnut  Grove  Township;  James  and  Samuel  N., 
who  aid  their  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home 
farm;  and  Ethel,  who  completes  the  family. 
They  also  have  with  them  a  grandchild,  a  son  of 
their  deceased  daughter.  Their  family  is  one  of 
which  they  may  well  be  proud,  for  all  are  doing 
well  in  life  and  are  a  credit  to  their  parents. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Mathers  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  has  served  as  Road  Supervisor,  but  has 
never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office- 
seeking,  preferring  to  give  his  entire  time  and 
attention  to  his  business  interests,  in  which  he 
has  met  with  signal  success.  As  his  financial 
resources  have  increased  he  has  made  judicious 
investments  in  farming  lands,  until  his  possessions 
now  aggregate  ten  hundred  and  seventy  acres,  all 
in  one  township.  This  is  certainly  a  creditable 
showing  for  a  man  who  started  out  empty-handed. 
Step  b\-  step  he  has  worked  his  way  upward  until 
he  has  reached  a  position  of  affluence.  Upon 
his  farm  are  good  buildings,  a  good  residence, 
barns  and  outbuildings  (which  are  models  of  con- 
venience), and  all  modern  accessories.  Among  the 
self-made  men  of  the  community  Robert  Mathers 
well  deserved  to  be  numbered. 

ROBERT  LOMAX,  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  prominent  families  of  Henderson  Coun- 
ty, is  now  living  in  the  village  which  bears 
the  family  name.  He  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  this  locality,  and  we  feel  assured  that 
the  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many 
of  our  readers.  A  native  of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in 
Clinton  County,  near  Wilmington,  April  27,  18 13, 


and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Ann  (Wiggins)  Lomax. 
The  family  is  of  English  origin,  and  the  father 
was  born  in  North  Carolina.  When  a  young  man 
he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  followed  that 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  continued  his  resi- 
dence in  his  native  State  until  18 12,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  making  the  trip 
by  team.  There  he  entered  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  from  the  Government,  a  tract  of 
heavy  timber,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  forest  he 
erected  a  log  cabin  and  hewed  out  a  farm.  There 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  the  spring 
of  1844,  when  he  made  an  overland  trip  to  Mc- 
Donough  County,  111.,  purchasing  a  farm,  on 
which  he  lived  for  two  years.  He  then  came  to 
Henderson  County  and  bought  a  three  hundred 
acre  farm,  upon  which  the  village  of  Lomax  was 
built.  His  death  there  occurred  in  the  ninety- 
third  year  of  his  age,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in 
Blandinsville  Cemetery.  He  held  membership 
with  the  Christian  Church,  and  also  belonged  to 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  His  wife  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  They  were  the 
parents  of  thirteen  children,  but  Lydia,  William, 
Sarah,  Rachel,  Eliza,  Abel  and  Jesse  are  now  de- 
ceased. Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Elisha  Knox, 
who  is  residing  in  Bureau  County,  111.  Robert 
is  the  next  younger.  Sarah  is  living  in  Jack- 
sonville. 111.  James  is  an  attorney-at-law  of  San 
Francisco,  Cal.  Alfred  is  a  farmer  of  Elmer,  Mo. ; 
and  Nancy  also  makes  her  home  in  Elmer,  Mo. 

Upon  the  old  home  farm  in  the  Buckeye  State 
Robert  Lomax  was  reared.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  subscription  schools,  held  in  a  log 
schoolhouse,  but  his  advantages  in  that  direction 
were  somewhat  limited.  On  attaining  his  major- 
ity he  began  the  operation  of  the  old  homestead, 
and  continued  farming  in  Ohio  until  1848,  when 
he  came  by  team  to  Illinois.  After  two  years 
spent  in  McDonough  County,  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Henderson  County,  and  for  three  vears 
engaged  in  farming  with  his  father  near  Lomax. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  we  find  him  in 
Blandinsville,  where  he  purchased  a  flouring-mill 
and  for  four  years  engaged  in  the  milling  business. 
His  next  home  was  in  Warsaw,  where  he  carried 
on  a  hotel  for  a  period  of  twelve  years.      He  then 


542 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


came  to  Henderson  County  and  purchased  three 
hundred  acres  of  land.  He  still  owns  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  this,  besides  several  homes  in  the 
village  of  Lomax. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1S51,  Mr.  Lomax  was 
united  in  marriage  with  MissLydia  Millis,  and  to 
them  were  born  three  children:  James  and  Will- 
iam, who  died  in  infancy;  and  Frank,  who  married 
Emma  Rollen,  by  whom  he  has  four  children: 
William,  Frederick,  Lester  and  Robert  M.  Mrs. 
Lydia  Lomax  was  called  to  her  final  rest  Novem- 
ber 6,  1893,  and  was  buried  in  Terre  Haute  Cem- 
etery. She  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  was  a  lady  who  possessed  many  ex- 
cellencies of  character. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Lomax  was  an  old-line  Whig, 
but  since  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
has  been  one  of  its  stanch  supporters.  He  has 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  but  has  never  been 
an  office-seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests.  He 
belongs  to  the  Christian  Church,  and  is  a  warm 
friend  of  the  cause  of  education,  and  of  all  other 
interests  and  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to 
prove  of  public  benefit.  His  life  has  been  well 
and  worthily  passed,  and  the  community  recog- 
nizes in  him  one  of  its  valued  citizens. 

<^"HOMAS  MORGAN,  deceased,  who  for  many 
I  C  years  was  a  leading  farmer  of  Henderson 
\fj)  County,  was  born  in  Monmouthshire,  Wales, 
on  the  iSth  of  July,  181 1,  and  was  a  son  of 
William  and  Hannah  Morgan,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  the  same  country.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  nine  children,  seven  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters. Mr.  Morgan  of  this  sketch  was  reared  upon 
a  farm,  and  was  early  inured  to  the  arduous  labor 
connected  therewith.  He  was  entirely  self-edu- 
cated, but  became  well  informed  for  a  man  who 
had  no  advantages.  At  the  early  age  of  ten 
years  he  began  earning  his  own  livelihood,  and 
from  that  time  forward  was  dependent  on  his  own 
resources.  During  his  residence  in  England  he 
was  engaged  in  farm  labor  and  general  work. 


In  1835,  in  his  native  land,  Mr.  Morgan  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Howell,  a 
native  of  Wales  and  a  daughter  of  WTalter  and 
Jane  Howell.  In  the  spring  of  1848  he  bade  adieu 
to  home  and  friends  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America,  making  the  voyage  in  a  sailing-vessel, 
which  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks  reached  the 
harbor  of  New  York.  Mr.  Morgan  took  up  his 
residence  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
began  work  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand.  In 
the  following  autumn  he  was  joined  by  his  wife 
and  five  children,  who  were  thirteen  weeks  on  the 
ocean  coming  from  the  Old  to  the  New  World. 
The  family  resided  in  New  York  until  1851 , 
when  they  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Terre 
Haute  Township,  Henderson  County,  where  the 
father  rented  land  for  two  years.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  purchased  the  farm  upon 
which  he  was  living  at  the  time  of  his  death.  It 
comprised  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 8,  and  when  it  came  into  his  possession  was 
a  wild  and  unimproved  tract,  but  he  transformed 
the  barren  prairies  into  rich  and  fertile  fields. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan  became  the  parents  of  a 
family  of  six  children,  all  born  in  England. 
Annie,  the  eldest,  became  the  wife  of  John  P. 
Barnes,  and  to  them  were  born  three  children: 
Edwin  J.,  now  of  Sheridan  County,  Neb.;  Mary, 
who  is  also  living  in  that  State;  and  Joseph  J., 
who  is  serving  as  County  Clerk  of  Sheridan 
County.  Mr.  Barnes  died  in  1878,  and  ten  years 
later  his  widow  became  the  wife  of  Philip  Ed- 
munds a  farmer  of  Henderson  County.  They 
are  well-known  people  of  this  community,  highly 
respected  by  all.  James,  the  second  child  in  the 
Morgan  family,  follows  farming  in  Terre  Haute 
Township.  George  J.  is  serving  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace  and  Notary  Public  of  Stronghurst. 
Annie  died  at  the  age  of  five  years.  Thomas  died 
in  1S61,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  and  John  was 
drowned  in  the  Erie  Canal  when  the  family  was 
coming  to  Illinois. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Morgan  was  a  Republican 
and  served  as  a  School  Director  and  in  other 
local  offices.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows' society  in  England,  and  while  living  in 
New  York    held    membership    with    the    Baptist 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


543 


Church.  He  possessed  many  excellencies  of  char- 
acter, was  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  strict  in- 
tegrity, and  his  upright  life  won  him  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  all.  His  wife  passed  away 
August  16,  1891,  at  the  age  of  eighty -four  years, 
and  his  death  occurred  October  14,  1893,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-two.  They  were  laid  to 
rest  side  by  side  in  Terre  Haute  Cemetery,  and 
their  loss  was  mourned  by  many. 

HUGH  M.  ALLISON,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  on  the  16th  of  May,  1838, 
in  Washington  County,  Pa.,  and  comes  of  a 
family  of  Scotch  origin.  His  paternal  grand- 
parents, however,  were  also  natives  of  Washing- 
ton County.  His  father,  John  M.  Allison,  was 
born  and  reared  on  a  farm  in  the  same  county, 
and  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  a 
number  of  years.  In  1835  he  married  Miss 
Margaret  Carter,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  came 
to  America  with  her  parents,  Andrew  and  Marga- 
ret Carter,  when  she  was  but  two  years  of  age. 
After  this  marriage  they  located  in  Greene 
County,  Pa.  Four  children  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Allison:  Hugh  M.;  Viola,  now 
the  wife  of  A.  B.  Harvey,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
banking  business  in  Muscotah,  Kan;  John  C, 
who  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  and  died  of  camp 
fever  at  Ft.  Donelson,  September  23,  1862;  and 
Andrew  C,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Henderson 
County,   111. 

The  western  fever  reaching  Pennsylvania, 
John  M.  Allison  with  his  little  family  started  for 
Illinois  in  May,  1850,  traveling  by  water  all  the 
way.  The  day  after  reaching  Burlington  his 
wife  died  of  cholera,  and  was  buried  in  the  ceme- 
tery of  that  city.  He  with  his  motherless  chil- 
dren continued  his  journey,  locating  for  a  time 
upon  a  farm  near  where  the  present  town  of  Strong- 
hurst  now  stands.  In  1852  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land,  and  went 
through  all  the  hardships  and  experiences  which 
fall  to  the  lot  of  early  settlers.  They  began  life  in 
a  log  cabin,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  broke 


the  prairie  with  five  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  twenty-four 
inch  plow,  this  being  the  usual  way  of  preparing 
the  virgin  soil  for  the  rich  after  harvests  of  wheat 
and  corn.  In  1854  John  M.  Allison  married 
Sarah  Rodman,  of  Henderson  County,  who  died 
in  1863.  By  their  union  were  born  four  children: 
Maria  and  Clara,  now  deceased;  Webster,  a  resi- 
dent of  Kansas;  and  Nellie  M.,  wife  of  Rev.  T.  S. 
Roberts,  of  Osawatomie,  Kan.  In  September, 
1867,  Mr.  Allison  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Smile}',  of  Warren  County,  111.,  who  is  still  liv- 
ing in  Monmouth,  near  her  old  home.  Two 
children  were  born  of  this  union:  John  S.,  farm- 
ing near  Monmouth;  and  Mary,  who  is  married 
and  lives  in  Galesburg.  Mr.  Allison  lived  on  the 
same  farm  for  nearly  thirty-five  years,  and  there 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  He  was  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  always  took  a  leading  part  in 
local  politics.  He  held  membership  with  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church,  as  did  also  the 
mother  of  our  subject. 

Hugh  M.  Allison  spent  the  first  twelve  years 
of  his  life  in  his  native  State.  He  attended  the 
common  schools,  acquiring  a  good  English  edu- 
cation, and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  un- 
til he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  pur- 
chased eight)-  acres  of  laud  adjoining  his  father's 
place,  and  commenced  farming  in  his  own  inter- 
est. Thus  he  was  employed  until  August,  1862, 
when  he  entered  the  service  of  his  country. 
Prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  he  left  his  farm 
with  his  grain  unstacked  to  enlist  in  Company  F, 
Eighty-third  Illinois  Infantry,  for  three  years,  and 
took  part  in  various  important  engagements,  the 
first  being  February  3,  1863,  at  Ft.  Donelson, 
Tenn. ,  where  seven  hundred  Union  troops  opposed 
four  thousand  Confederate  soldiers.  His  regiment 
was  largely  on  detached  service.  He  continued 
with  it  all  through  the  war,  and  was  never 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner,  but  had  several  nar- 
row escapes.  When  the  country  no  longer 
needed  his  services,  he  returned  home,  and  pur- 
sued a  commercial  course  of  study  in  Burlington, 
Iowa.  In  April,  1867,  he  married  Miss  Jennie 
E.  Taylor,  of  that  city,  daughter  of  Allen  and 
Margaret  E.  Taylor.  Their  home  has  been 
blessed  with  four  children.   Edwin  H.,  the  eldest, 


544 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


is  one  of  the  wide-awake  young  business  men  of 
Henderson  Count}-,  now  serving  as  Cashier  of 
the  State  Bank  of  Henderson  County;  William 
F.  was  also  interested  in  banking  for  a  time, 
acting  as  Cashier  in  his  uncle's  bank  in  Muscotah, 
Kan.,  but  is  now  devoting  his  entire  time  to 
farming;  Harry  C.  died  of  la  grippe  at  the 
early  age  of  fifteen;  and  Maude  J.  is  now  attend- 
ing school  in  Stronghurst. 

With  the  exception  of  one  year  Mr.  Allison 
has,  since  his  marriage,  resided  upon  his  present 
farm,  owning  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
valuable  farm  land,  and  in  connection  with  its 
cultivation  is  largely  engaged  in  cattle-dealing. 
His  property  all  represents  his  own  labors,  having 
been  acquired  through  industry  and  enterprise. 
He  is  also  President  of  the  State  Bank  of  Hender- 
son County,  located  at  Stronghurst,  and  the  suc- 
cess of  that  institution  is  due  in  no  small  degree 
to  his  careful  management.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
the  nation,  and  its  educational  interests  find  in 
him  a  warm  friend. 

He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Allison  is  widely 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  and  influential 
citizens  of  Henderson  County,  and  his  well-spent 
and  honorable  life  has  gained  for  him  universal 
confidence  and  esteem. 

JJJATHAN  WEAVER,  Postmaster  at  Media, 
|  /  who  devoted  his  time  to  agricultural  pur- 
1/9  suits  on  section  15,  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
ship, Henderson  County,  from  1854  to  1879,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Greenwich,  Washington 
County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  3d  of  August,  1823.  His 
parents  were  John  and  Mercy  (Barney)  Weaver, 
and  they  too  were  natives  of  the  Empire  State. 
The  father  was  a  farmer,  a  shoemaker  and  a 
weaver  of  cloth.  Both  he  and  his  wife  died  in 
1871,  being  over  eighty  years  of  age  at  the  time. 
Their  family  numbered  ten  children,  namely: 
Edward  B.,  Andrus,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Curtis,  all 
of  whom  are  now  dead;  Mrs.  Elsie  Williams;  Asa 


F. ;  John  B.,  deceased;  William  E. ;  Nathan;  Jacob; 
and  James,  who  died  in  childhood.  John  B. ,  who 
was  in  Kansas  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of 
the  late  war,  took  sides  with  the  anti-slavery 
party,  and  assisted  in  its  support  till  the  close  of 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

In  the  district  schools,  Nathan  Weaver  ac- 
quired his  education.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he 
left  home  and  went  to  live  with  his  brother,  E.  B. 
Weaver,  with  whom  he  remained  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  On  attaining  his  majority  he 
went  to  Wisconsin,  in  the  fall  of  1844,  and  at- 
tended the  academy  at  Milton  for  two  terms  of 
three  months  each,  paying  his  own  way  with 
money  which  he  had  previously  earned.  About 
Christmas  of  1844,  he  started  for  Illinois,  mak- 
ing the  journey  on  foot,  and  during  the  holidays 
he  arrived  in  Henderson  County.  For  a  short 
time  he  attended  the  district  schools,  after  which 
he  began  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  several  years.  In  1849,  how- 
ever, he  returned  to  New  York,  spending  two 
years  in  his  native  State  in  the  home  of  his  brother, 
A.  F.  Weaver.  There  he  attended  school,  fol- 
lowed fanning  and  worked  at  his  trade. 

In  1851,  we  again  find  our  subject  in  Wiscon- 
sin, where  he  followed  carpentering  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother  for  a  year.  In  1852  he 
once  more  came  to  Henderson  County,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  On  attaining  his  majority  he 
had  no  capital  save  a  young  man's  bright  hope 
of  the  future  and  a  determination  to  succeed.  He 
made  a  start  by  teaching  school  and  working  at 
the  carpenter's  trade,  and  when  he  had  acquired 
a  sufficient  capital  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land. 
This  was  in  1854.  As  time  passed  its  value  was 
increased,  and  he  also  added  to  that  at  various 
intervals,  until  he  now  owns  six  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  fine  land,  all  in  one  body.  This 
is  highly  cultivated  and  well  improved  and  yields 
to  the  owner  a  handsome  income,  which  is  well 
deserved,  as  the  reward  of  his  earnest  labors. 

The  cause  of  education  has  ever  found  in  Mr. 
Weaver  a  warm  and  faithful  friend.  He  built 
and  gave  to  the  public  the  commodious  school- 
house  at  Media,  in  order  that  the  children  of  the 
community  should  receive  good  and  thorough  in- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


545 


struction,  and  for  the  maintenance  of  the  school 
he  pays  $900  annually.  He  has  served  as  School 
Trustee,  is  the  present  Postmaster  (which  posi- 
tion he  filled  for  two  years  once  before,  under 
Cleveland's  administration),  and  has  served  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  duties  of  these  various 
positions  have  ever  been  promptly  and  faithfully 
performed,  and  thereby  he  has  won  high  com- 
mendation. In  connection  with  his  farm  prop- 
erty he  owns  three  dwellings  in  Media,  all  of 
which  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  en- 
terprise, for  they  have  been  acquired  through  his 
own  efforts.  He  is  truly  a  self-made  man,  and 
certainly  deserves  great  credit  for  attaining  to  the 
prosperous  position  in  which  we  now  find  him. 

In  1888,  when  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  was  con- 
structed through  Henderson  County,  Mr.  Weaver 
located  the  town  of  Media  on  his  farm  (part  of 
section  15),  and  a  pretty  village  has  grown  up  in 
a  few  years. 


[""RANKUN  BACON,  one  of  the  self-made 
r^  men  of  Henderson  County,  now  living  in 
I  Media,  has  from  a  humble  position  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward  to  one  of  affluence,  and 
for  his  success  in  life  deserves  great  credit.  He 
was  born  in  New  York,  December  24,  1826,  and 
is  a  son  of  Silas  and  Chloe  (Wait)  Bacon,  who 
were  also  natives  of  the  Empire  State,  the  former 
born  in  1787,  and  the  latter  in  1797.  They  were 
married  in  1820,  and  in  1837  emigrated  with  their 
family  to  Illinois,  reaching  Henderson  County 
on  the  13th  of  September.  Here  the  father  en- 
gaged in  farming,  which  was  his  life  work.  He 
entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  laud  from 
the  Government,  and  began  the  development  of  a 
farm,  but  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  his 
new  home,  his  death  occurring  in  1841.  His  wife 
long  survived  him,  passing  away  in  1870.  Our 
subject  is  the  only  one  of  their  five  children 
now  living.  Alonzo,  the  eldest,  died  in  Hender- 
son County  in  1861;  Mary  J.  died  in  1844;  Frank- 
lin is  the  next  younger;  Charlotte  died  in  1844; 
and  Ransom  departed  this  life  in  1872. 


Amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  frontier  Mr.  Bacon 
of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  manhood,  and  with 
the  family  he  shared  in  all  the  hardships  and 
trials  of  pioneer  days.  His  educational  privi- 
leges were  very  limited,  and  his  opportunities  in 
other  diiections  were  also  quite  meagre,  except 
that  he  had  ample  time  and  opportunity  for  hard 
work. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1851,  Mr.  Bacon  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucretia  Eake, 
daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  Lake,  who  were  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania.  Five  children  were  bom 
to  them:  Almira  J.,  now  the  wife  of  Granville 
Priest,  of  Iowa;  Charles  E.,  a  farmer  of  Hender- 
son County,  who  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Eveline  Galbreath  in  1879,  and  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics;  Viola  C,  wife  of  John  Shull. 
an  agriculturist  of  the  Hawkey e  State;  and  two 
deceased.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  May  12,  1862,  and  on  the  1st  of 
September,  1863,  Mr.  Bacon  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock with  Miss  Almira  J.,  daughter  of  George 
and  Christa  Anderson,  who  were  natives  of  New 
York,  but  in  an  early  day  removed  to  Penn- 
sylvania, and  in  1839  came  to  Henderson  County. 
111.,  where  Mr.  Anderson  engaged  in  farming. 
Their  family  numbered  five  children;  Sophia,  wife 
of  George  W.  Connelly,  a  resident  of  Iowa;  La- 
vina,  wife  of  Richard  Dizney,  an  agriculturist  of 
Henderson  County;  Mrs.  Janet  Bacon,  who  was 
born  March  17,  1831;  Willis,  who  is  living  in 
Kansas;  and  George,  who  makes  his  home  in  the 
same  State.  Willis  Bacon  was  married  to  Miss 
Hannah  Westfall  in  the  year  1861,  and  enlisted  in 
the  arm)-  in  the  same  year,  where  he  remained 
three  years.  He  then  came  home,  but  returned 
the  fourth  year.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  George  was  married  to  Miss  Calista 
Parkin  1858.  He  also  enlisted  in  the  army,  in 
1862,  and  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
Like  his  brother,  he  is  a  true  Republican,  and  a 
Methodist. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bacon  were  born  three  chil- 
dren, but  Walter  and  Edna  both  died  in  infancy. 
Florence,  born  July  6,  187 1,  is  still  living  with 
her  parents.  The  parents  and  daughter  are  leading 


546 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  Mr.  Bacon  has  filled  all  the  offices  in 
both  church  and  Sunday-school.  His  life  has 
been  an  honorable  and  upright  one,  and  thereby 
he  has  gained  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all 
with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact.  In  politics,  he  is  a  sup- 
porter of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  now  has  a  comfortable  home  and  a 
valuable  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
which  has  been  acquired  entirely  through  his  own 
efforts.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 
agriculturists  of  the  community,  and  as  such  we 
present  him  to  the  readers  of  this  volume. 


(Tames  Armstrong  is  the  owner  of  one  of 

I  the  fine  farms  of  Henderson  County,  com- 
(~)  prising  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
rich  and  valuable  land  on  section  1 1 ,  town- 
ship 12  north,  range  four  west.  The  place  is 
well  improved,  and  is  divided  by  good  fences  into 
fields  of  convenient  size.  There  are  good  barns 
and  outbuildings,  and  the  home  is  a  commodious 
and  substantial  residence,  one  of  the  best  in  the 
community.  The  owner  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
progressive  and  enterprising  agriculturists  of  his 
adopted  count}*,  and  in  this  volume  he  well  de- 
serves representation. 

Mr.  Armstrong  is  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle, 
born  in  February,  1830.  His  parents,  William 
and  Ellen  (Reed)  Armstrong,  were  also  natives 
of  Ireland,  and  in  that  country  lived  until  1840, 
when  they  came  to  the  United  States.  The}'  had 
a  family  of  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four 
daughters,  namely:  John,  now  deceased;  Ann, 
wife  of  John  Rowley;  James,  who  is  the  next 
younger;  Margaret,  wife  of  J.  H.  Halsey;  Mary 
J.,  deceased,  wife  of  John  Robinson;  William, 
who  is  living  in  Henderson  County;  and  Ellen, 
wife  of  E.  N.  Kile,  of  Perry,  Iowa. 

Soon  after  the  father  came  to  America  he  was 
joined  by  his  son,  James  Armstrong,  who  in  the 
public  schools  of  Boston,  Mass.,  acquired  a  good 
education.      He  there   pursued  his  studies  until 


fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  began  to  learn  the 
carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  until  1848. 
He  then  entered  a  shop,  and  began  learning  the 
harness-maker's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for  a 
year  and  a  half.  In  1850,  he  began  traveling, 
and  his  time  was  thus  spent  until  his  emigration 
to  Illinois,  in  the  autumn  of  1855.  He  came  to 
Henderson  County,  and  located  upon  the  farm 
which  has  since  been  his  home,  first  purchasing 
eighty  acres  of  land.  As  his  financial  resources 
were  increased,  however,  he  added  to  this  tract 
from  time  to  time,  until  he  now  has  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres.  In  1875  he  built  his 
present  home,  which  stands  as  a  monument  to  his 
thrift  and  enterprise. 

On  the  20th  of  March,  1861,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  -of  Mr.  Armstrong  and  Miss  Maria 
Campbell,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Jane  Reed 
Campbell.  Nine  children  have  been  born  to  them, 
but  three  of  the  number  are  now  deceased,  name- 
ly: William  J.,  Clarinda  and  Flora.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  family  still  living  are  J.  Ross,  Walter 
C,   Lucetta  J.,   Everett  B.,   Delia  A.  and  Clara. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Armstrong  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  since  that  time  has  been 
an  adherent  of  Republican  principles.  He  has 
served  as  School  Director,  and  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  as  do  other 
worth}-  enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  prove 
of  public  benefit.  He  is  a  public-spirited  and 
progressive  citizen,  and  is  a  practical  and  enter- 
prising farmer,  whose  success  in  life  is  the  just 
reward  of  his  own  efforts. 


(1  R.  R.  MORFORD  is  engaged  in  business 
I  as  one  of  the  members  of  the  La  Harpe  Cigar 
Q/  Company.  He  is  a  native  of  Maysville,  Ma- 
son County,  Ky.,  and  was  born  on  the  9th  of 
March,  1833.  His  parents,  Isaac  and  Martha 
(  Mackey)  Morford,  were  natives  of  Trenton,  N. 
J.,  and  Pittsburgh,  Pa. ,  respectively.  Their  fam- 
ily numbered  six  children,  four  sons  and  two 
daughters:  Man-  Elizabeth  Emma  Jane,   wife  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


547 


James  C.  Thompson,  who  is  extensively  engaged 
in  farming  near  Maysville.  Ky. ;  James  R.  R.  of 
this  sketch;  Eugene  Samuel  Isaac,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Covington,  Ky.:  Adelia  Melvina  Magru- 
der,  deceased,  wife  of  John  Johnson;  William 
Thornton  Tolliver,  who  formerly  resided  in  Mays- 
ville, Ky.,  but  is  now  deceased;  and  one  son  who 
died  in  infancy. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Maysville,  and  being  an  apt 
scholar  he  soon  mastered  all  the  branches  taught 
therein.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  began 
working  at  the  cigar-maker's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  two  years.  He  then  abandoned  that 
pursuit  to  learn  the  tinner's  trade  with  the  firm  of 
Cooper,  Dawson  &  Co.,  of  Maysville,  in  whose 
employ  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  left  the  store  and 
began  traveling  over  the  country  for  several  years, 
being  variously  employed.  During  1854  he  was 
in  the  service  of  the  Maysville  &  Lexington  Rail- 
road, engaged  with  an  engine  corps,  and  in  1855- 
56  he  had  charge  of  telegraphic  repairs  and  sup- 
plies between  Natchez,  Miss.,  and  Memphis,  Tenn. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  offered  him- 
self as  a  volunteer  in  the  Sixteenth  Regiment 
Illinois  Infantry,  but  was  never  mustered  in.  In 
1865,  he  again  changed  his  vocation.  He  began 
the  study  of  law  under  C.  C.  Preston,  of  La 
Harpe,  to  which  place  he  had  come  in  1862.  In 
that  year  he  embarked  in  business  as  a  dealer  in 
stoves  and  tinware,  and  continued  operations 
along  that  line  for  about  three  years. 

From  1 867  until  1877,  Mr.  Morford  was  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law,  trying  cases  throughout  the 
county.  At  the  end  of  that  decade  he  retired 
from  active  practice,  although  after  earnest  solici- 
tation he  has  since  sometimes  accepted  a  case.  In 
1879,  Mr.  Morford  was  elected  Police  Magistrate 
of  La  Harpe,  which  position  he  held  for  twelve 
years  in  a  creditable  and  acceptable  manner,  as  is 
indicated  by  his  long  term.  He  was  also  Alder- 
man from  the  First  Ward  for  four  years,  having 
been  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  and  then  re-elected. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  for  two 
years,  was  Fire  Warden  for  several  years,  and  at 
this  writing,  in  the  spring  of  1894,  is  Chief  of  the 


Fire  Department.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Mr. 
Morford  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  public 
affairs  of  this  community  and  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  valued  and  representative  citizens  of  La 
Harpe.  By  the  fire  in  the  Gochenour  Block  in 
1891,  he  lost  a  large  and  valued  library,  the  care- 
ful accumulation  of  many  years. 

The  life  of  Mr.  Morford  has  been  a  varied  and 
interesting  one.  While  traveling  over  the  country 
as  a  young  man,  he  was  identified  with  the  stage 
as  a  comedian  and  delineator  in  minstrelsy.  He 
traveled  for  a  time  with  the  Reed  &  Davis  Min- 
strel Company  as  end  man,  was  the  comedian  of 
the  Jones  Theatrical  Company,  and  owned  an  in- 
terest in  the  Crawford  &  Brothers  Minstrel 
Troupe.  He  was  also  with  Cordello's  Troupe  in 
New  Orleans,  and  was  engaged  at  the  Atheneum 
in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  for  two  seasons.  He  has  also 
taken  leading  parts  in  many  local  performances 
given  in  La  Harpe  for  the  benefit  of  charity  and 
other  benevolent  work.  When  about  twenty-one 
years  of  age  he  made  a  flatboat  trip  with  Capt.  J. 
C.  Ballanger  from  Maysville,  Ky.,  to  Vicksburg, 
Miss.  When  only  a  boy  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Neptune  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Maysville, 
and  after  serving  for  seven  years  he  was  made  an 
honorary  member. 

In  1858,  Mr.  Morford  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Miss  Ella  E.  Spellman,  and  to  them  were 
born  four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter: 
Samuel  L.,  of  Nebraska;  James,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Edward,  who  is  living  in  New  Sharon, 
Iowa;  and  Ella  V.,  wife  of  George  Spellman,  of 
Arkansas.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  in  1865.  In  1867,  Mr.  Morford 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Mrs.  Jane  Gochenour.  To  them  has  been  born 
a  son,  James  E.,  of  La  Harpe. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Morford  has  been  a 
stalwart  Democrat  since  casting  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He  is  a 
member  of  Bristol  Lodge  No.  653,  I.  O.  O.  F. , 
and  has  been  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge. 
His  connection  with  this  fraternity  dates  from 
1857.  He  is  also  a  very  prominent  member  of  the 
Order  of  the  Iron  Hall.  He  is  of  an  inventive  turn  of 
mind,  and  has  patented  a  number  of  inventions, 


548 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


among  them  one  especially  worthy  of  notice,  an  in- 
terchangeable umbrella  and  seat,  which  promises 
to  bring  a  harvest  of  shekels.  At  one  time  Mr. 
Morford  was  very  active  in  the  Good  Templar  Or- 
der, having  passed  through  its  chairs  and  having 
been  Lecturer  and  Organizer  under  direction  of 
the  Grand  Lodge.  His  various  interests  in  life 
having  made  his  career  full  of  amusing  and  en- 
tertaining incidents,  he  excels  as  a  pleasant 
conversationalist. 

re  ,   ^<.,l   vE-^, g 

0R.  JEFFERSON  S.  CANNON,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Terre 
Haute,  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Tenn., 
January  16,  1854.  His  father,  Dr.  Andrew  J. 
Cannon,  was  born  in  the  same  State  in  18 18. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Melinda  Sawyer,  and  was  of  German  descent. 
The  former  was  reared  as  a  farmer,  and  in  early 
life  became  a  miller,  but  at  the  age  of  thirty-two 
he  began  studying  medicine,  and  was  in  the  office 
of  Dr.  Simpson  for  three  years.  He  then  began 
practice  in  Eastern  Tennessee,  where  he  remained 
until  1858,  when  he  went  to  Arkansas,  and  there 
engaged  in  practice  and  in  merchandising  until 
1880.  He  still  makes  his  home  in  that  State. 
His  wife,  however,  was  called  to  the  home  be- 
yond in  April,  1880.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children:  Eliza,  wife  of  Rev.  O.  R.  Bryant; 
Monroe,  who  died  in  1881;  Benjamin  F.,  a 
Baptist  minister  of  Texas;  Mary,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Jasper  P.  Henry,  and  died  in  1876; 
George,  who  died  in  1882;  Jefferson  S.,  of  this 
sketch ;  Dr.  John  S. ,  a  graduate  of  the  Kentucky 
School  of  Medicine,  and  now  engaged  in 
practice  in  Missouri;  Robert  E.,  who  died  in 
1863;  and  Melinda  T.,  wife  of  James  Arnold,  a 
farmer  of  Arkansas. 

Dr.  Cannon  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  ten 
years  of  his  life  upon  a  farm,  and  then  entered  an 
academy  at  Wallaceburg,  Ark.,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  literary  education.  He  then  embarked 
in  school  teaching,  which  profession  he  followed 
for  about   five   years,  when    he   began    studying 


medicine  under  his  father,  and  also  clerked  in  a 
drug  store.  In  188 1  he  began  practicing  in  Ar- 
kansas in  connection  with  his  father,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  1882,  after  which  he  spent  his 
time  in  Hot  Springs  until  1891,  when  he  went  to 
Oklahoma,  where  he  remained  for  about  eighteen 
months.  During  that  time  he  was  graduated 
from  the  Memphis  Hospital  Medical  College. 
He  is  also  a  graduate  of  the  Bomont  Hospital 
Medical  College  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  In  the  spring 
of  1893  he  came  to  Terre  Haute,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  The  Doctor  was  married 
September  25,  1871,  to  Miss  Lula  J.  Wood,  and 
by  their  union  have  been  born  four  children: 
Newton  J.,  Emma  L.,  Robert  E. ,  and  Willie  Ola, 
who  died  November  28,  1886.  The  mother 
passed  away  August  27,  1886,  and  the  Doctor 
was  again  married,  June  28,  1889,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Hattie  A.  Aldrich,  of 
Blaudiusville,  111. 

Dr.  Cannon  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Modern  Wood- 
men lodges.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  In  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession he  has  won  good  success,  and  though  he 
has  only  resided  in  Terre  Haute  for  a  year,  he  has 
secured  a  liberal  patronage,  which  is  constantly 
increasing. 


(ILLIAM  POWELL,  one  of  the  honored 
pioneers  of  Henderson  County,  who  now 
carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing on  section  29,  Stronghurst  Township,  has  for 
almost  half  a  century  lived  in  this  community. 
He  is,  therefore,  one  of  its  oldest  citizens.  He 
has  witnessed  the  greater  part  of  the  development 
and  upbuilding  of  the  community,  has  seen  the 
work  of  transformation  which  has  placed  this 
community  among  the  foremost  in  the  State,  and 
has  ever  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  public 
improvement. 

Mr.  Powell  was  born  in  Lower  Canada,  on  the 
7th  of  December,  1832,  and  is  the  fifth  in  order 
of  birth    in    a    familv    of  seven    children,    whose 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


549 


parents  were  Peter  and  Lavina  (Buzzel)  Powell. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  but  when  a 
small  child  removed  with  his  parents  to  Canada, 
and  there  remained  until  1845,  when  he  emigrated 
to  Illinois,  taking  up  his  residence  in  Henderson 
County.  Here  he  made  his  home  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  His 
wife,  who  was  a  native  of  Canada,  passed  away 
at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

Our  subject  was  a  youth  of  thirteen  when,  with 
his  parents,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm  he  remained  until  he  had  attained 
his  majority.  He  then  began  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  his  own  interest  upon  the  farm  on  which 
he  has  since  resided.  As  a  companion  and  help- 
meet on  life's  journey,  he  chose  Miss  Elizabeth 
Wallace.  They  were  married  in  January,  i860, 
but  her  death  occurred  in  1861,  and  on  the  1st  of 
January,  1864,  he  was  joined  in  wedlock  with 
Miss  Elizabeth  Smith,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
born  September  1,  1846,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
V.  and  Sarah  (Raceley)  Smith.  Her  father  was 
a  native  of  Germany,  but  when  a  young  man 
crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  America,  and  in  the 
Keystone  State  was  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1846  they 
came  to  the  West,  and  took  up  their  residence  in 
Fulton  County,  111.,  from  whence  they  came  to 
Henderson  County  in  1855.  Here  Mr.  Smith 
remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years.  His  wife  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  fifty-six. 

Fourteen  children  were  born  of  the  union  of 
our  subject  and  his  wife,  but  six  of  the  number 
died  in  infancy,  and  Sara  E.  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five  years.  Charles  H.,  the  eldest  sur- 
viving member,  is  now  engaged  in  farming  in 
Henderson  County;  Eydia  M.,  Ida  A.,  William 
Andrew,  Mary  E.,  Benjamin  F.  and  Nellie  May 
are  still  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Powell  owns  and  operates  two  hundred 
and  five  acres  of  rich  land  in  Stronghurst  Town- 
ship, constituting  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of 
this  locality.  He  now  has  a  comfortable  country 
home,  and  in  addition  to  general  fanning  he 
raises  considerable  stock,  which  branch  of  his 
business   adds  materially  to   his  income.     All  he 


has  represents  his  own  earnings,  and  therefore  his 
success  is  well  merited,  being  the  just  reward  of 
his  earnest  labors.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat, 
and  has  served  as  School  Director  a  number  of 
years.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity. 

c>      .        "^"  c=j<  '  T '*>  iHT"*1  — ® 

HON.  CLARENCE  R.  GITTINGS,  one  of 
the  enterprising  general  farmers  of  Hender- 
son County,  now  living  on  section  29,  Terre 
Haute  Township,  was  born  in  La  Harpe  Town- 
ship, Hancock  County,  on  the  28th  of  June, 
18-48.  The  Gittings  family  is  of  English  origin 
and  was  probably  founded  in  America  at  a  very 
early  day.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were 
James  and  Susie  (Thompson)  Gittings,  the  for- 
mer a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the  latter  of  North 
Carolina.  The  father  was  twice  married.  In 
1833  he  wedded  Jane  Van  Horn,  and  unto  them 
were  born  seven  children,  namely:  Quiucy,  who 
died  in  infancy;  Luther,  who  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany G,  One  Hundred  and  Eighteenth  Illinois 
Infantry,  during  the  late  war,  and  died  in  1863 
from  disease  contracted  in  the  service;  Elizabeth, 
now  of  La  Harpe;  Samuel,  who  was  killed  by  a 
horse  in  1874;  Harriet,  who  died  in  1857;  Rob- 
ert, a  farmer  of  Hancock  County ;  and  one  child 
who  died  in  infancy.  Unto  James  and  Susan 
Gittings  were  born  three  children:  James,  who 
died  in  1849;  Clarence  R. ;  and  Mary,  wife  of  I. 
W.  Cassell,  a  farmer  of  La  Harpe. 

The  father  of  this  family  was  born  February  2 1 , 
1 801,  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  and  became  a  cabi- 
net-maker by  trade.  When  he  was  five  years  of 
age  his  father  removed  to  Belmont  County,  Ohio, 
and  in  1820  went  with  his  family  to  Muskingum 
County,  where  he  was  engaged  in  raising  and 
shipping  tobacco.  In  18 19  James  Gittings  began 
shipping  flour  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers  to  New  Orleans,  and  was  thus  employed 
for  three  years.  He  also  worked  as  a  farm  hand 
for  three  years,  receiving  about  $6  per  month  for 
his  services.  In  1832  he  emigrated  from  the 
Buckeye  State  to  Illinois,  making  the  journey  on 


550 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


foot,  and  located  in  La  Harpe  Township,  Hancock 
County,  where  he  entered  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment. The  following  spring,  however,  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  and  did  not  again  come  to  Han- 
cock County  until  1836,  when  he  brought  his 
family  to  the  West.  During  his  first  trip  he  vis- 
ited Chicago,  which  then  contained  only  about 
sixty-five  inhabitants.  Here  Mr.  Gittings  en- 
tered land  and  purchased  more  until  he  became 
the  owner  of  fourteen  hundred  acres  in  Hancock 
County,  and  also  some  eight  hundred  acres  in 
Missouri,  besides  tracts  elsewhere,  which  made 
his  landed  possessions  aggregate  over  three  thou- 
sand acres.  He  was  very  successful  in  his  busi- 
ness dealings  and  by  his  well-directed  efforts  se- 
cured a  handsome  property.  In  early  life  he  was 
a  supporter  of  the  Whig  party,  but  on  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Republican  party  joined  its  ranks. 
His  death  occurred  November  22,  1882.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  She  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1891, 
and  was  laid  by  his  side  in  the  family  ceme- 
tery. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  in  his  native  county 
Clarence  R.  Gittings  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth.  He  began  his  education  in  the 
district  schools,  which  he  attended  until  about  six- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  entered  an  academy 
at  Denmark,  Iowa.  His  literary  education  was 
completed  by  a  two-years  course  in  the  College 
of  Adrian,  Mich.  He  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  on  attaining  his  majority,  and,  going  to 
Rose  Hill,  Mo.,  there  spent  one  year.  In  1873 
he  removed  to  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  in 
Terre  Haute  Township,  Henderson  County.  An- 
other important  event  in  his  life  also  occurred  in 
that  year.  On  the  3d  of  August,  he  wedded  Miss 
Mary  Witherspoon,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary 
Witherspoon.  They  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  his  first  farm,  and  there  lived  until  1879, 
when  they  removed  to  the  farm  on  which  Mr. 
Gittings  has  since  made  his  home.  He  here  owns 
eighty  acres  of  land  and  is  successfully  engaged 
in  general  farming.  Altogether  he  has  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety-four  acres  of  good  land. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gittings  were  born  two 
sons,  Frederick  and   Charles.     The  mother  died 


January  14,  1889.  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  La  Harpe 
Cemetery.  On  the  22d  of  October,  1891,  Mr. 
Gittings  married  Miss  Rebecca  Watrous. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Gittings  has  always 
been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Republican  party 
and  its  principles.  The  confidence  and  trust  re- 
posed in  him  by  his  fellow-townsmen  were  made 
manifest  in  1884  by  his  election  to  the  State 
Legislature,  and  so  ably  did  he  discharge  the  du- 
ties of  the  office  that  in  1886  he  was  re-elected. 
Gov.  Fifer  appointed  him  one  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  for  the  Institution  for  Feeble  Minded  in 
Lincoln,  and  he  has  held  some  local  offices,  serv- 
ing as  Notary  Public,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
Township  Trustee.  He  holds  membership  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  with  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  Knights  of  Pythias  lodges.  Mr.  Gittings  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Henderson 
County,  and  has  a  wide  acquaintance  throughout 
the  surrounding  counties  as  well.  He  has  always 
been  a  capable  and  efficient  officer,  ever  bears  his 
part  in  the  work  of  public  improvement,  and  his 
sterling  worth  and  fidelity  to  duty  have  won  him 
high  regard. 


0  LIVER  EDMUNDS,  deceased,  was  a  native 
of  Ohio,  born  on  the  26th  of  May,  1829. 
His  parents  were  Obediah  and  Lydia  Ed- 
munds. Their  family  numbered  ten  children,  of 
whom  Oliver  was  the  youngest.  All  are  now  de- 
ceased, and  he  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  family. 
The  first  eight  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  the 
Buckeye  State,  and  he  then  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  emigration  westward  in  1836, 
locating  in  Terre  Haute  Township,  Henderson 
County.  Here  our  subject  attended  the  sub- 
scription schools,  acquiring  a  fair  knowledge  of 
the  English  branches  of  learning.  Through  the 
summer  months  he  worked  at  home,  and  soon 
became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life. 
He  continued  to  give  his  father  the  benefit  of  his 
services  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he 
embarked  in  farming  for  himself,  purchasing  of 
his  father  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  which  he  at 
once  began  to  cultivate  and  improve. 


UNIVLRSIIY 


Mrs.  John   Evans 


>*-.■ -ft? 


John    Evans    Jr. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


555 


As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  Edmunds  chose  Miss  Eliza  Spiker,  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Rachel  i  Hukill )  Spiker.  Their 
marriage  was  celebrated  on  the  19th  of  March. 
1854,  and  was  blessed  with  a  family  of  four 
children:  Rilla,  wife  of  Marion  Ison,  a  practicing 
physician,  now  living  in  Iowa;  John  A.,  who  is 
engaged  in  fanning  in  Hancock  County ;  C.  Sher- 
man, also  an  agriculturist  of  Hancock  County; 
and  Bertie  H.,  who  lives  with  his  mother,  and 
superintends  the  old  home  farm. 

Mr.  Edmunds  was  a  man  of  good  business  and 
executive  ability,  and  by  his  industry,  enterprise 
and  sagacity  won  success  in  his  undertakings. 
He  added  to  his  farm  until,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  owned  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
valuable  land,  which  comprised  the  old  home- 
stead, where  Mrs.  Edmunds  now  lives,  and  which 
he  had  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  owned  also  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Hancock  County,  111.,  and  made 
many  excellent  improvements  upon  it,  his 
farm  being  one  of  the  best  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  part}-,  and  was  a 
public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen.  He  died 
January  27,  1S94,  and  his  loss  was  deeply 
mourned,  for  he  had  many  warm  friends. 

(TOHN  EVANS,  Jr.,  of  Henderson  County, was 
I  born  on  the  13th  of  June,  1830,  in  Crawford 
(2/  County,  Ohio.  His  father,  John  Evans,  St., 
who  was  born  in  1796,  was  a  native  of  Maryland, 
and  his  grandfather,  the  first  ancestor  of  the  fam- 
ily to  come  to  America,  was  a  native  of  Wales. 
On  his  arrival  in  this  country  he  settled  in  Mary- 
land. John  Evans,  Sr.,  married  Nancy  Palmer, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  afterward 
moved  to  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  and  later  to 
Henry  County,  Ind.  Coming  to  Illinois  in  1837, 
they  settled  on  a  farm  in  what  is  now  Strong- 
hurst  Township,  Henderson  County.  The  father 
was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  but  devoted  his  time 
to  the  cultivation  of  his  farm  after  coming  to  this 
29 


county.  He  died  September  1 1,  1884,  at  the  age 
nf  eighty-eight,  having  been  a  life-long  Democrat. 
Mrs.  Evans  died  when  forty-nine  years  of  age, 
September  18,  1847.  Of  their  twelve  children, 
ten  grew  to  mature  years,  two  dying  in  infancy. 
One  of  the  sons,  George  W.,  responded  to  his 
country's  call  in  the  dark  days  of  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  and  gave  up  his  life  in  its  defense  at 
the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  Ark.,  March  7,  [862, 
aged  twenty  years  and  eleven  months.  Three 
sons  and  two  daughters  of  the  family  are  now 
living. 

John  Evans  is  the  fifth  son  in  his  parents'  fam- 
ily, and  is  a  twin  brother  to  Sarah,  the  wife  of 
Samuel  Galbreth.  of  Gladstone  Township,  this 
county.  Mr.  Evans'  early  education  was  limited, 
and  he  was  made  more  familiar  with  agricultural 
labor  than  with  the  contents  of  school-books.  At 
seventeen  years  of  age  he  hired  out  to  Joseph 
Watson,  receiving  for  his  services  $11  a  month. 
With  the  money  he  obtained  by  his  work  he 
bought  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  raised  a  crop  of  wheat, 
and  with  the  proceeds  of  the  crop  bought  a  land 
warrant  for  Si45-  With  this  he  located  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Warren  County, 
111.,  six  miles  south  of  Monmouth.  This  land  he 
afterward  sold  to  his  father  for  $180,  and  in  1850, 
with  the  money  thus  obtained,  he,  with  his  brother 
Hamilton,  started  for  California  by  the  plains 
route  with  an  ox-team.  In  the  land  of  gold, 
where  many  others  made  fortunes,  he  failed  to 
accumulate  wealth,  and  almost  the  only  result  of 
his  three  years'  work  in  the  far  West  was  a  rich 
stock  of  experience.  On  his  return  he  had  hardly 
sufficient  money  to  buy  back  the  land  he  had  sold 
his  father  at  the  price  it  was  then  worth,  so  he  pur- 
chased his  father's  place  of  eighty  acres  in  Strong- 
hurst  Township,  where  for  three  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  general  farming.  During  this  time  he 
bought  a  farm  near  the  place  where  he  now  re- 
sides, and  in  1857  he  sold  his  first  or  eighty-acre 
purchase,  and  located  on  his  present  farm  on  sec- 
tion 33,  in  Stronghurst  Township. 

Soon  after  settling  on  this  property  he  began  his 
present  business  of  buying,  feeding  and  shipping 
cattle,  and  from  the  beginning  of  this  pursuit  his 
prosperity  dates.      His  first  lot  of  cattle  consisted 


556 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  one  car-load,  which  he  sold  to  Samuel  McEl- 
hinney.   In  i860  he  made  his  first  shipment,  which 
consisted  of  six  car-loads  of  mixed  cattle,  which 
he  sold  in  Chicago.      In  the  handling  of  stock  he 
was  successful,  and  from  year  to  year  the  number 
he  fed  and  shipped  increased,  leaving  him  a  mar- 
gin of  profit.     He  not  only  handled  beef  cattle, 
but   also   bred   cattle,    and    to-day   is  one  of  the 
largest   shippers   and   breeders   of  cattle  in   the 
United   States.     In    1892  he  shipped  to  Chicago 
the  first  full  train  of  thorough-bred  Polled  Angus 
black  cattle  ever  shipped  to  that  market.     These 
cattle,  which  were  all  of  his  own  raising  and  aver- 
aged fourteen  hundred  and  ninety-six  pounds  each, 
brought  $6  per  hundred,   gross.     This  shipment 
consisted  of  two  hundred  and  forty-three  head, 
and  the  amount  received   for  them  was  $21 ,810. 
Four  years  previous  to  this  shipment  Mr.   Evans 
told  W.   C.    Brown,   Superintendent  of  the  Chi- 
cago,  Burlington   6t  Quincy   Railroad,   in  a  con- 
versation he  then  had  with  him,  that  he  had  be- 
gun  the    breeding   of  Polled  Angus   cattle,    and 
would,  in  four  years'  time,  ship  a  train-load  of  them 
to  Chicago.      Mr.  Brown  replied  that   when    Mr. 
Evans  did  that,  he  would  accompany  his  shipment 
from  the  shipping-point  to  Chicago  in  his   private 
palace  car.     The  promise  was  remembered,  and 
when  the  cattle  were  ready  for  shipment   at   Em- 
erson, Iowa,  where  they  were  raised,  Mr.  Brown 
was  notified  of  the  fact,  and,  true  to  his  promise, 
appeared   there   with    his   car,  and,    taking    Mr. 
Evans  as  a  guest,  accompanied  the  train  over  the 
road.     This  incident  in  Mr.  Evans'  life  illustrates 
what   foresight,    energy,    perseverance  and   good 
management   may   accomplish.     On   another  oc- 
casion  he   shipped  two  train-loads  of  seventeen 
cars  each  of  cattle  and  hogs,  all  of  his  own  feed- 
ing and  raising,   for  which   he   received  $33,000, 
this  being  up  to  that  time  (1893)  the  largest  sale 
ever  made  by  one  man  for  a  single  shipment  of 
stuck  of  his  own  feeding  and  raising  in  Chicago. 
At   the  present  time,    1894,    he  is  feeding  about 
fourteen  hundred  head  of  hogs  and  fourteen  hun- 
dred head  of  cattle.      His  land  possessions  are  ex- 
tensive,   and   consist  of  eleven  hundred  acres  of 
fine  land  in  Henderson  County,    111.,   three  thou- 
sand acres  in   Pottawattamie  County,    Iowa,    and 


forty-five  hundred  acres  in  Mills  County,  Iowa, 
making  in  all  eighty-six  hundred  acres  of  land, 
which  he  and  his  son  Marion  own  and  control. 
They  are  now  breeding  Polled  Angus  black  cat- 
tle on  their  Iowa  land  in  large  numbers.  They 
have  there  over  one  hundred  thorough-breds,  and 
eight  hundred  head  of  graded  cattle,  of  which 
they  are  now  feeding  three  hundred.  They  are 
also  fattening  fourteen  hundred  head  of  Poland- 
China  hogs  of  their  own  raising.  These  gentle- 
men own  a  fourth-interest  in  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Malvern,  Iowa,  of  which  Marion  is  Vice- 
President,  and  a  half-interest  in  the  Farmers'  Ex- 
change Bank,  of  Emerson,  Iowa,  of  which  Mar- 
ion is  President. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  1857,  Mr.  Evans  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Y.  Davis, 
who  was  born  March  13,  1829,  in  Saratoga  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  a  daughter  of  Abner  and  Lucy  (Oaks) 
Davis,  who  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work, 
in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Andrew  J.  Davis. 
Mrs.  Evans  was  a  maiden  of  only  six  summers 
when  she  came  with  her  parents  to  Henderson 
County,  where  she  has  since  made  her  home, 
covering  a  period  of  about  fifty-eight  years.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  is  a 
most  estimable  lady,  beloved  by  all  who  know 
her.  The  poor  and  needy  always  find  in  her  a 
friend,  and  she  takes  an  active  interest  in  chari- 
table and  benevolent  works.  Probably  no  one  in 
the  county  has  more  friends,  and  none  are  held  in 
higher  regard  than  this  worthy  woman.  To  our 
subject  and  his  wife  was  born  a  son,  Marion  Le- 
Grand,  who  was  born  June  30,  1858.  He  is  a 
banker  and  one  of  the  leading  stock-dealers  of 
Emerson,  Iowa.  He  married  Miss  Hattie  M., 
daughter  of  Judge  Tubbs,  of  Emerson,  one  of  the 
prominent  citizens  of  the  Hawkeye  State.  Five 
children  have  been  born  to  Marion  and  Hattie 
Evans:  Edith  Leona,  John  LeGrand,  Frank  Na- 
thaniel, Marion  Louis  and  a  baby. 

Mr.  Evans  of  this  sketch  is  a  stalwart  supporter 
of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party, 
but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to 
give  his  entire  time  to  his  business  interests,  on 
which,  after  the  foregoing  history,  no  comment 
of  ours   is    necessary.     His  home  is  one  of  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


557 


finest  residences  of  the  county,  and  is  situated  in 
the  midst  of  his  valuable  farm  of  eleven  hundred 
acres.  Besides  being  one  of  the  leading  stock- 
dealers  of  the  West,  he  is  one  of  the  richest  men 
of  this  section  of  the  country.  His  wealth  has 
all  been  acquired  through  his  own  enterprise,  in- 
dustry, sagacity,  and  good  business  ability.  He 
is  liberal  with  his  means,  not  hoarding  his  prop- 
erty selfishly,  but  giving  generously  to  worthy 
interests,  and  he  has  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends, 
who  esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity.  We  feel  assured  that  this  record 
of  Mr.  Evans'  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many 
of  our  readers. 


l^HHM 


|ILLIAM  CHELLIS  HOOKER,  one  of  the 
prominent  citizens  of  Carthage,  who  is 
now  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  at  the  Hancock  County  Bar,  was  born  on 
the  13th  of  September,  1828,  in  Auburn,  N.  Y. 
He  comes  of  a  family  of  prominence,  being  a  di- 
rect descendant  of  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker,  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  Colony  of  Connecticut.  His 
father,  Dr.  Harley  Hooker,  was  born  in  Hartford, 
Conn.,  December  9,  1792,  and  having  prepared 
himself  for  the  medical  profession  engaged  in 
practice  in  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  and  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.,  before  his  marriage.  In  February, 
1827,  he  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Mary 
Beardslee,  who  was  born  in  Haddam,  Conn.,  in 
1803.  The  young  couple  located  in  Auburn,  N.  Y., 
where  they  resided  until  1833,  when  they  removed 
to  Henrietta,  N.  Y.,  where  they  made  their  home 
until  the  spring  of  1839.  In  that  year  they  lo- 
cated in  Rockton,  then  Pecatonica,  Winnebago 
County,  111.,  where  they  spent  their  remaining 
days.  The  Doctor  died  in  1867,  and  his  wife, 
who  survived  him  several  years,  passed  away  in 
1874. 

Mr.  Hooker  remained  with  his  parents  during 
the  days  of  his  childhood  and  youth.  Before 
leaving  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  he  attended  an  infant 
school.  At  Henrietta,  he  was  a  student  in 
Monroe  Academy,  spending  the  first  two  years  in 


the  female  department  of  that  institution.  After 
the  emigration  westward  his  education  was  inter- 
rupted for  a  time,  for  no  school  was  built  in  Peca- 
tonica until  the  fall  of  1840.  His  father  had  pur- 
chased a  farm  near  the  village,  and  then  turned 
his  attention  to  the  practice  of  his  profession,  so 
that  Mr.  Hooker,  being  the  eldest  son,  engaged  in 
the  operation  of  the  land.  At  first  their  nearest 
markets  were  at  Chicago  and  Galena,  and  all  trade 
was  by  wagon;  afterwards,  however,  roads  were 
opened  to  Little  Fort  (now  Waukegan),  South - 
port  (now  Kenosha),  Racine,  and  lastly  Milwau- 
kee. When  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  only  twelve 
his  father  would  send  him  with  wheat  or  flour  to 
Chicago  or  elsewhere,  and  after  disposing  of 
this  he  would  bring  back  goods  for  merchants, 
medicine,  pine  lumber,  etc.  Roads  were  then 
primitive,  no  hills  had  been  leveled  and  no  bridges 
had  been  built  across  sloughs,  creeks  or  rivers. 
It  usually  required  from  one  to  two  weeks  to 
make  a  trip. 

Until  the  fall  of  1845  Mr.  Hooker  attended  school 
very  little,  but  at  that  time  was  sent  back  to  New 
York  and  attended  Onondaga  Academy  for  one 
year.  He  then  returned  home  and  remained  in 
charge  of  the  farm  until  the  fall  of  1847,  when  he 
entered  Beloit  College,  and  was  graduated  there- 
from in  its  first  class,  in  July,  1851.  At  the  end 
of  his  junior  year  he  needed  money,  and  so  went  to 
St.  Louis  and  Louisville,  seeking  employment  as  a 
teacher.  He  finally  secured  a  school  near  Win- 
chester, Ky.,  and  while  engaged  in  teaching  also 
kept  up  his  college  studies  until  the  next  April, 
when  he  returned  to  Beloit  and  was  graduated. 

Wishing  to  enter  the  legal  profession,  Mr. 
Hooker  spent  three  years  in  reading  law,  during 
which  time  he  engaged  in  teaching  in  order  to 
meet  his  expenses.  For  four  months  he  was  in 
the  law  office  of  Sedgwick  &  Outwater,  of  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y.,  and  for  six  mouths  was  in  the  law- 
office  of  Jason  Downer,  of  Milwaukee,  Wis.  In 
the  autumn  of  1852,  he  went  to  Alabama  and 
taught  school  near  Montgomery  for  one  year. 
Returning  to  Quincy,  111.,  he  then  entered  the 
law  office  of  Warren  6c  Edmunds,  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar  on  the  1st  of  June,  1854,  and  about  the 
middle  of  that  month  opened  a  law  office  in   Nau- 


558 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


voo.  He  engaged  in  practice  in  various  courts, 
both  State  and  federal,  with  good  success.  In 
1867,  he  aided  in  organizing  the  Carthage  &  Bur- 
lington Railroad  Company,  and  from  that  time 
until  1869  was  interested  in  building  the  railroad 
from  Carthage  to  Burlington,  Iowa.  He  has 
served  as  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  com- 
pany, and  as  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  road  un- 
til 1870,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quincy  Railroad  Company.  Mr.  Hook- 
er remained  at  Nauvoo  for  about  four  years,  engag- 
ing in  the  practice  of  law  with  Milton  M.  Morrill, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Morrill  &  Hooker.  He 
also  served  as  City  Attorney  during  a  greater 
part  of  the  time.  On  the  1st  of  March,  1858,  he 
came  to  Carthage,  and  formed  a  partnership  with 
Hiram  G.  Ferris  and  George  Edmunds,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Ferris,  Hooker  &  Edmunds, 
which  connection  continued  three  years.  From 
1872  until  1878,  he  was  associated  with  Bryant 
T.  Scofield  in  Circuit  Court  practice,  under  the 
style  of  Hooker  &  Scofield,  and  from  1880  until 
1883  was  connected  with  Timothy  J.  Scofield  and 
George  Edmunds,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Scofield,  Hooker  &  Edmunds.  Later  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  son,  Chellis  E.,  and  is  now 
doing  business  under  the  firm  name  of  W.  C. 
Hooker  &Son.  From  1863  until  1874  Mr.  Hook- 
er served  as  Master  in  Chancery  of  Hancock 
County,  and  was  again  appointed  to  that  office 
in  1892. 

On  the  24th  of  June,  1856,  Mr.  Hooker  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  M.  Hume, 
the  wedding  being  celebrated  at  the  home  of  her 
father,  Matthew  M.  Hume,  between  Paris  and 
Winchester,  Ky.  The  lady  died  December  11, 
1857,  and  on  the  2d  of  December,  1862,  Mr. 
Hooker  wedded  Mary  C.  McQuary,  who  was 
born  in  Mt.  Vernon,  Ky.,  March  10,  1846,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  James  C.  McQuary,  a  native  of 
Mt.  Vernon  County.  He  was  a  son  of  Allen  Mc- 
Quary, who  died  in  Hancock  County  in  1869. 
The  mother  of  Mrs.  Hooker  was  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  John  Moore,  a  lawyer  of  considerable 
note  in  Mt.  Vernon  County,  who  died  there  about 
i860.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hooker  have  been  born 
four  children:  Mamie,  wife  of  Charles  J.   Daoust, 


of  Defiance,  Ohio;  Fannie,  wife  of  M.  Flynn,  of 
Carthage;  Harley  J.,  of  Guatamala  City,  Guata- 
mala;  and  Chellis  E.,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Hooker  was  made  a  Mason  in  Alabama  in 
February,  1853,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Chap- 
ter, Council  and  Commandery.  His  parents 
were  Congregationalists  of  the  strict  New  Eng- 
land type,  but,  although  not  a  member  of  any 
church,  Mr.  Hooker  is  strongly  Unitarian  in  be- 
lief. His  wife  and  children  hold  membership 
with  the  Episcopal  Church.  He  believes  in 
straightforward,  honorable  dealing,  and  his  belief 
has  been  carried  out  in  practice.  In  politics,  he 
has  been  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy  since  cast- 
ing his  first  Presidential  vote.  He  has  served 
for  many  years  as  Chairman  of  the  Democratic 
Central  Committee  of  Hancock  County,  and  for 
some  years  was  a  member  of  the  Democratic  State 
Central  Committee;  yet  he  is  not  strictly  partisan 
and  would  overstep  party  lines  in  order  to  remain 
true  to  what  his  best  judgment  sanctions.  At  the 
Bar  he  holds  an  enviable  position  as  an  earnest 
and  able  lawyer,  and  in  political  and  social  circles 
he  is  alike  highly  esteemed. 

(TOHN  COOPER,  who  devotes  his  time  and 
I  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  being  rec- 
(2/  ognized  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  and 
extensive  land-owners  of  Henderson  County,  now 
lives  on  section  22,  township  12  north,  range  4 
west.  An  early  settler,  his  residence  in  the 
county  dates  from  1849.  He  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington County,  Pa.,  on  the  8th  of  July,  1817,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  Cooper,  who  was  also  born  in 
the  Keystone  State,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion. During  the  War  of  181 2  he  served  in  the 
American  army.  Moses  Cooper,  the  father  of 
William  Cooper,  served  through  the  Revolution- 
ary War.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Jennings.  They  were 
married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  became  the  parents 
of  nine  children,  of  whom  John  is  the  third  in  or- 
der of  birth;  Perry  and  Moses  are  now  deceased; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


559 


Sarah  is  the  wife  of  M.  Baldwin,  a  resident  of 
Wayne  County,  Ind. ;  Ephraim  is  living  in  Hen- 
derson Count)-  (see  biography  in  this  volume ) ; 
Annie  and  Matilda  are  now  deceased;  Eunice 
makes  her  home  in  Oquawka;  and  Mary  is  the 
wife  of  S.  Pickering,  of  Little  York,  111. 

The  educational  privileges  which  our  subject 
enjoyed  were  limited  to  those  afforded  by  the 
subscription  schools  of  Wayne  County,  Ind.  When 
he  was  only  three  months  old,  his  parents  left 
Pennsylvania  and  went  with  their  family  to  that 
county.  He  grew  to  manhood  upon  the  old 
homestead,  and  early  in  life  great  care  and  re- 
sponsibility devolved  upon  him.  His  father  died, 
and,  although  John  was  then  quite  young,  he  as- 
sumed the  management  of  the  home  farm  and  the 
care  of  the  family.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
he  began  learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he 
followed  continuously  for  about  twelve  years.  In 
1849  he  came  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  locating 
near  his  present  home.  Two  years  later  he  bought 
a  part  of  his  present  farm,  and  has  resided  there- 
on since  1861.  He  now  owns  and  operates  eight 
hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  of  valuable  land, 
constituting  one  of  the  largest  and  best  farms  in 
the  county.  He  keeps  it  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  and  a  neat  appearance  characterizes 
every  department  of  it. 

Mr.  Cooper  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
6th  of  March,  1845,  he  was  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Miss  Martha  Smith,  daughter  of  Benjamin 
and  Tamar  Smith.  Her  death  occurred  June  20, 
1848.  By  that  union  were  born  two  children: 
Rauseldon,  who  is  now  County  Judge  of  Hender- 
son County,  and  a  leading  lawyer;  and  Martha 
E.,  deceased.  On  the  27th  of  October,  1864,  Mr. 
Cooper  was  again  married,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Miss  Mary  A.  Crawford,  daughter  of 
Jacob  Crawford.  They  became  the  parents  of 
twelve  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
Those  still  living  are:  Frank,  William,  Emma, 
John,  Eva,  Ada,  Sophia,  Howard,  Jennie,  Ethel 
and  Arthur. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  Republican,  and 
has  advocated  the  principles  of  that  party  since 
its  organization.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Whig, 
and  cast  his  first   Presidential   vote  for  William 


Henry  Harrison.  He  has  been  honored  with  a 
number  of  local  offices,  having  served  as  School 
Trustee,  School  Director  and  Township  Super- 
visor. Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Odd 
Fellows'  society,  but  has  ever  devoted  the  greater 
part  of  his  time  to  his  business  interests,  in  which 
he  has  met  with  most  excellent  and  well-deserved 
success.  Steadily  he  has  worked  his  way  upward, 
overcoming  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his 
path,  until  he  is  now  one  of  the  wealthiest  farm- 
ers of  Henderson  Countv. 


HH^E 


ULLIAM  H.  MYERS,  proprietor  of  a  black- 
smith, wagon  and  carriage  making  shop  at 
Terre  Haute,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
enterprising  citizens  of  this  place,  and  is  doing  a 
good  business.  He  was  born  near  Greensburg 
in  Jennings  County,  Ind.,  February  28,  1849,  and 
is  a  sou  of  Harrison  and  Rebecca  (Smiley)  Myers, 
the  former  born  in  Pennsylvania  of  German 
parentage,  while  the  latter  was  of  Irish  descent. 
In  the  family  were  five  children:  Samuel,  who 
served  in  the  Confederate  army  and  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  when  about  twenty-four 
years  of  age;  Richard,  a  mechanic  now  living  in 
La  Harpe;  Eliza,  wife  of  Schuyler  Hurd,  a  farm- 
er of  Nebraska;  Hattie,  wife  of  Samuel  R. 
Spikes,  of  Nebraska;  and  William  H.,  who  com- 
pletes the  family. 

During  his  early  boyhood  the  father  became  a 
resident  of  Indiana.  When  a  young  man  he 
served  as  a  pilot  on  the  Ohio  River,  and  in  the  fall 
of  1848  he  suffered  an  attack  of  cholera,  which 
terminated  his  life.  His  wife  survived  him  for 
many  years,  and  passed  away  in  1884. 

William  H.  Myers  was  born  and  reared  upon 
a  farm,  and  during  the  winter  season  he  would 
walk  three  miles  to  a  log  schoolhouse,  where  school 
was  conducted  on  the  subscription  plan.  He  there 
pursued  his  studies  at  intervals  until  fifteen  years  of 
age.  In  1853  he  accompanied  his  mother  on  her 
removal  to  Lewis  County,  Mo.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1S64,  when  he  came  to  Henderson 
County,    111.,  locating   in  Terre  Haute.      At  the 


560 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


age  of  fifteen  he  began  learning  the  blacksmith's 
trade  with  his  brother,  working  three  years  as  an 
apprentice.  After  serving  as  an  employe  for  a 
year,  he  purchased  his  brother's  shop,  and  has 
since  been  engaged  in  blacksmithing  and  wagon 
and  carriage  making.  He  is  doing  a  most  excel- 
lent business,  which  yields  to  him  a  handsome 
income. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1869,  Mr.  Myers  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Susan  Evans, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Ellen  (Arnold)  Evans. 
Seven  children  have  been  born  to  them:  Artie, 
wife  of  H.  B.  Miller,  of  Galesburg,  111.;  Addie, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  two  and  a-half  years; 
Charles  W. ;  Edward  R.,  who  was  accidentally 
shot  while  out  hunting  Dtcember  29,  1893,  and 
died  the  following  day ;  Juniata,  Frank  and  Leroy. 

Mr.  Myers  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  the 
Democracy,  and  in  1890  was  elected  to  represent 
his  district  in  the  State  Legislature.  So  ably  did 
he  fill  the  office  that  in  1892  he  was  re-elected, 
serving  as  an  honored  and  prominent  member  of 
the  House.  Socially,  he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  frater- 
nity. His  wife  belongs  to  the  Baptist  Church. 
Mr.  Myers  is  a  public-spirited  and  progressive 
citizen,  and  the  best  interests  of  the  community 
ever  find  in  him  a  friend.  He  is  prominent  in 
business  and  political  circles,  and  his  merit  and 
worth  have  gained  him  the  position  which  he  now 
occupies. 


-^+£1= 


(JOSEPH  ALLEN,  a  farmer  residing  on  sec- 
I  tion  21,  Terre  Haute  Township,  Henderson 
O  County,  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  State.  He 
was  born  near  Bath,  Steuben  County,  N.  Y., 
Julv  4,  1 82 1,  and  is  a  son  of  Amasa  Allen,  who 
was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  throughout  his  life.  The  family  was  of 
English  lineage.  On  leaving  his  native  State  the 
father  removed  to  New  York,  and  in  1855  came  to 
Henderson  County,  111.,  locating  in  Terre  Haute 
Township,  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land, 
upon  which  he  made  his  home  until  his  death. 


Had  he  lived  two  months  longer  he  would  have 
reached  the  age  of  one  hundred  years.  He  held 
membership  with  the  Baptist  Church,  and  was  a 
most  highly  respected  citizen.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Susanna  Farrington,  passed 
away  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years,  and 
in  Terre  Haute  Cemetery  both  were  laid  to  rest. 
They  became  the  parents  of  twelve  children, 
namely:  Jacob,  Elizabeth,  Martha,  Hannah, 
Theodama,  Mary,  Joseph,  Catherine,  Amasa  F. , 
Alfred  T. ,  David  and  Charles. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  Mr.  Allen 
of  this  sketch  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  He  attended  the  district  schools  of  his 
native  State  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
acquired  a  fair  business  education.  On  attaining 
his  majority  he  began  working  as  a  farm  hand, 
receiving  about  $10  per  month,  and  in  this  way 
was  employed  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period,  he  purchased  a  farm  in  New  York, 
and  made  his  home  there  until  October  1,  1854, 
when  he  came  to  the  West.  Believing  that  he 
could  better  his  financial  condition  thereby,  he 
emigrated  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  and  pur- 
chased one  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section  2 1 , 
Terre  Haute  Township.  This  was  a  wild  tract, 
still  in  its  primitive  condition,  but  the  care  and 
labor  he  has  bestowed  upon  it  has  transformed 
it  into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  The  farm  has  be- 
come one  of  the  best  in  the  county.  The  fields 
are  well  tilled,  good  improvements  have  been 
made,  and  the  owner  is  now  successfully  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock-raising. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1848,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Allen  and  Miss  Amy  C. 
Westcott,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  N. 
Y.,  October  25,  1822,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Amy  (Cushing)  Westcott.  Her  father  was 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  of  English 
descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  have  no  children 
of  their  own,  but  have  reared  two:  William  J., 
who  is  now  an  attorney-at-law  of  West  Superior, 
Wis.;  and  Belle  J.,  wife  of  Joseph  H.  Donaldson, 
a  farmer  of  Waverly,  Ohio. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Allen  has  always 
been  a  Republican,  having  voted  with  that  party 
since  supporting  Gen.  Fremont,  its  first  candidate, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


561 


in  1856.  He  has  been  honored  with  several  local 
offices,  having  served  as  County  Commissioner  for 
five  years,  and  as  Township  Treasurer  for  the  long 
period  of  thirty-five  years.  He  and  his  wife  are 
consistent  members  and  earnest  workers  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Allen  has 
served  as  Class-Leader  for  forty  years,  and  as 
Trustee  and  Steward,  and  was  Sunday-school  Su- 
perintendent for  fourteen  years.  His  wife  has 
been  teacher  of  the  primary  class  in  Sunday- 
school  for  fourteen  years.  The  poor  and  needy 
find  in  them  friends,  and  they  are  prominent  in 
benevolent  and  charitable  work,  though  all  is 
quietly  and  unostentatiously  performed.  Mr.  Al- 
len began  life  a  poor  boy,  with  little  capital  save 
a  bright  hope  of  the  future,  but  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward,  and  enterprise  and  a 
resolute  purpose  have  overcome  the  difficulties  in 
his  path.  He  has  thus  achieved  success,  and  be- 
come one  of  the  leading  and  substantial  farmers  of 
the  communitv. 


^H-^ 


(JOSEPH  HORTEN  MAGIE  is  one  of  the 
I  honored  pioneers,  self-made  men,  and  retired 
(~)  farmers  of  Henderson  County.  He  is  now 
living  in  Terre  Haute,  where  in  his  pleasant 
home  he  is  resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits 
of  his  former  toil.  He  was  born  on  the  26th  of 
August,  1831,  in  Morris  County,  N.  J.,  and  is 
the  sixth  of  a  family  of  ten  children  born  unto 
Abraham  and  Phcebe  C.  (Tunis)  Magie.  The 
father  was  also  a  native  of  Morris  County,  N.  J., 
and  in  the  East  made  his  home  until  the  autumn 
of  1856,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  cast  in  his 
lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  Henderson  County,  his 
home  being  upon  the  farm  where  our  subject  now 
resides.  Here  he  made  his  home  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  October  30,  1868,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one  years,  for  he  was  born  September  12, 
1797.  Mr.  Magie  was  buried  in  Terre  Haute  Cem- 
etery. He  traced  his  ancestry  back  to  the  first 
settlers  of  New  Jersey,  coming  of  a  family  of 
Scotch  origin,  which  was  founded  in   America  at 


a  very  early  daw  His  father  was  only  a  boy 
during  the  Revolution,  but  he  joined  the  Colonial 
army  and  aided  in  the  struggle  for  independence. 
In  political  affairs,  Abraham  Magie  took  a  very 
active  part,  and  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  His  wife,  who  was  born 
April  19,  1799,  in  Whippany,  N.  J.,  died  in  Hen- 
derson County,  December  4,  1S74,  and  was  laid 
to  rest  by  the  side  of  her  husband.  She  was  of 
Irish  lineage. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  J.  H.  Magie.  He 
remained  in  his  native  State  until  the  fall  of  1855, 
when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  purchased  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides.  He  operated  it  in  con- 
nection with  his  father  until  the  latter's  death, 
and  since  that  time  has  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
alone.  It  comprises  eighty  acres  of  valuable 
land,  and  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
This,  together  with  the  many  excellent  improve- 
ments upon  it,  makes  it  one  of  the  finest  farms 
of  the  county.  On  one  corner  of  the  place  the 
town  of  Terre  Haute  has  been  built. 

On  the  nth  of  February,  1858,  Mr.  Magie  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  A.  Averett, 
who  was  bom  in  North  Carolina,  July  6,  1831, 
and  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents  in  1833,  the 
family  locating  in  McDonough  .County.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Magie  have  three  children:  Albert  H.,  who 
operates  the  home  farm;  Lillie  J.,  wife  of  C.  C. 
Drake,  of  Terre  Haute;  and  Florence,  wife  of  S. 
E.  Mace,  a  school  teacher  of  Terre  Haute. 

Mr.  Magie  is  a  member  of  Terre  Haute  Lodge 
No.  616,  I.  O.  O.  F.  His  wife  holds  member- 
ship with  the  Baptist  Church,  and  he  contributes 
liberally  to  the  support  of  the  same.  He  cast  his 
first  Presidential  vote  for  Winfield  Scott,  and 
since  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
has  been  one  of  its  stanch  supporters.  He  has 
served  as  School  Director  and  Road  Supervisor, 
but  has  always  refused  other  offices,  preferring  to 
give  his  entire  attention  to  business  interests. 
Through  his  well-directed  efforts  he  acquired  a 
comfortable  competency,  and  is  now  living  retired, 
enjoying  the  rest  which  he  has  so  truly  earned 
and  richlv  deserves. 


562 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


["BENEZER  E.  HARRIS,  one  of  the  repre- 
K3  sentative  farmers  of  Hancock  County,  now 
I  living  on  section  27,  Fountain  Green  Town- 
ship, has  long  been  numbered  among  the  leading 
citizens  of  this  community,  and  it  is  with  pleasure 
that  we  present  to  our  readers  this  record  of  his 
life  work,  for  we  feel  assured  that  it  will  be  re- 
ceived with  interest  by  many.  A  native  of  Clin- 
ton County,  Iud.,  he  was  born  on  the  20th  of 
November,  1829,  of  the  union  of  James  and  Eliza- 
beth (Elliott)  Harris.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  was  of  English  descent;  while  the 
mother,  who  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  was  of 
Irish  lineage.  Their  family  numbered  four  sons: 
Robert,  who  died  in  1864;  Ebenezer  E. :  James  R., 
who  is  engaged  in  farming  and  painting  in  Car- 
thage Township,  Hancock  Count}-;  and  Daniel,  a 
minister,  now  living  in  Caledonia  County,  Vt. 
The  father  of  this  family  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  throughout  his  business  career.  In  1849 
he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Warren, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  his  removal  to 
Hancock  County  in  1867.  Here  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days,  his  death  occurring  in  Fountain 
Green  Township  on  the  1st  of  March,  1889,  in 
his  eighty-ninth  year.  He  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
cemetery  near  his  home,  and  his  loss  was  mourned 
by  many  friends.  His  wife  died  in  Warren  County 
in  1857. 

Mr.  Harris  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
reared  on  the  frontier,  and  acquired  his  education 
in  the  old-time  subscription  schools,  which  were 
held  in  a  log  schoolhouse.  He  there  continued 
his  studies  until  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  and 
thus  acquired  a  good  practical  education.  His 
training  at  farm  work  began  as  soon  as  he  was 
old  enough  to  follow  the  plow.  When  nineteen 
years  of  age  he  started  out  to  make  his  own  way 
in  the  world,  and  began  school  teaching,  to  which 
pursuit  he  devoted  his  time  and  attention  through 
the  winter  season  for  three  terms.  In  the  summer 
he  found  the  out-door  work  of  the  farm  more  con- 
genial. When  his  parents  came  to  Illinois  he 
accompanied  them,  and  continued  a  resident  of 
Warren  County  until  1869,  which  year  witnessed 
his  arrival  in  Hancock  County,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.      He  located  upon  a  farm, 


where  he  resided  a  year;  then  bought  another  farm 
a  mile  east,  where  he  lived  three  or  four  years; 
then  in  the  village  about  twelve  years,  and  upon 
the  occasion  of  his  father's  death  took  possession 
of  the  old  homestead.  He  now  owns  one  hundred 
acres  of  rich  prairie,  comprising  one  of  the  valua- 
ble farms  of  the  locality,  and  in  addition  he  has 
some  property  in  the  town  of  Fountain  Green. 

On  the  30th  of  September,  1851,  Mr.  Harris 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  E.  Har- 
ris, and  by  their  union  were  born  seven  children: 
James  R.  H.,  who  now  operates  the  old  home- 
stead; Wallace  W.,  who  is  engaged  in  carpenter- 
ing; Marion,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years; 
and  four  children  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Harris  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  in 
1852,  and  since  the  organization  of  the  Republi- 
can party  has  been  one  of  its  stanch  supporters, 
although  he  has  never  sought  public  office  for 
himself.  He  has,  however,  served  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  for  nine  years  filled  the  position  of 
Notary  Public.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  he  also 
belongs  to  the  Methodist  Church.  His  honorable, 
upright  life  has  won  for  him  high  regard,  and  his 
sterling  worth  has  made  him  one  of  the  best  citi- 
zens of  the  community. 

&         '       &-S)"^~T  ">  fa  J  B 

EYRUS  S.  RICE,  M.  D.,  is  connected  with 
various  business  interests.  He  is  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  is  a  druggist 
and  the  Postmaster  of  Disco.  He  also  owns  a  good 
farm,  comprising  three  hundred  and  seventy-five 
acres  on  section  14,  Durham  Township,  and  in 
connection  with  its  cultivation  he  is  extensively 
engaged  in  breeding  fine  Angus  cattle.  His  varied 
business  interests  make  his  life  a  busy  one,  and 
he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  enterprising  and 
progressive  citizens  of  the  community. 

Dr.  Rice  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Pa., 
January  14,  1S47,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Rice, 
who  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  Fayette 
County,  and  after  attaining  his  majority  married 
Fannie  Strickler.     They  became  the  parents  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


563 


eleven  children,  of  whom  nine  are  living.  Nancy, 
deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Francis  Andrews,  a 
farmer  of  Wayne  County,  111.;  Christina  is  the 
wife  of  Samuel  Keagy,  a  minister  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  living  in  Wayne  County;  Hen- 
ry is  a  farmer  of  Disco;  John  is  engaged  in  fann- 
ing near  Golden,  Adams  County;  Fannie  is  the 
wife  of  Henry  Davidson,  of  Abilene,  Kan.,  a  min- 
ister and  editor  of  the  Evangelical  /  Hsitor;  Sam- 
uel is  engaged  in  farming  in  Durham  Township; 
George  is  an  agriculturist  of  Henderson  County; 
Lydia  is  the  wife  of  John  Hershey,  a  farmer  of 
Akron,  Ohio;  Rebecca  married  William  M.  Coup, 
who  is  employed  as  book-keeper  in  a  flouring- 
mill  in  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio;  and  Man-,  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  Jacob  Stauffer,  a  farmer  of  White 
Pigeon,  Mich. 

The  Doctor  acquired  a  fair  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Fayette  County,  Pa. ,  and  after- 
ward attended  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Seminary,  in 
Westmoreland  Counts-,  Pa.  Later  he  engaged  in 
teaching  in  his  native  county  and  home  district 
for  two  years.  In  1866  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
and  attended  the  High  School  at  Smithville  several 
terms.  He  then  engaged  in  teaching  for  two 
years  in  Wayne  County,  and  in  the  autumn  of 
1 868  he  came  to  Durham  Township,  Hancock 
County,  where  he  continued  teaching  until  [873. 
During  the  winter  of  1873-74  he  attended  the  first 
medical  lectures  in  the  University  of  Michigan  at 
Ann  Arbor,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institu- 
tion in  the  spring  of  1876.  Immediately  after- 
wards he  pursued  a  partial  course  in  Rush  Med- 
ical College,  of  Chicago,  and  then,  returning  to 
Durham  Township,  spent  the  winter  of  1876-77 
in  teaching. 

On  the  13th  of  September,  1876,  Dr.  Rice  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Ida  L.  Manifold, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  J.  and  Cornelia  (Hutton) 
Manifold.  Five  children  graced  their  union,  four 
sons  and  one  daughter,  but  Benjamin  Edison  and 
Victor  M.  are  both  deceased.  Vilas,  Virgil  and 
Jewie  Constance  are  still  at  home. 

In  1877,  Dr.  Rice  entered  the  store  of  A.  J. 
James,  of  Disco,  where  he  remained  for  a  year, 
and  in  1878  began  the  practice  of  his  profession, 


which  he  has  followed  continuously  since.  He 
also  purchased  the  drug  store  which  he  yet  car- 
ries on.  His  skill  and  ability  as  a  practitioner 
have  brought  him  a  liberal  patronage,  and  in  his 
store  he  also  enjoys  a  good  trade.  His  farm,  too, 
yields  him  a  good  income,  and  as  a  stock-raiser 
he  has  been  successful.  He  has  placed  his  land 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  has  made 
mail}-  excellent  improvements  upon  his  place,  all 
of  which  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and 
enterprise.  Among  them  is  a  private  telephone 
line,  now  six  miles  in  length,  connecting  his  office 
and  farm  home.  He  was  the  first  in  this  section 
of  country  to  erect  such  a  line.  He  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Horatio  Seymour,  and  has 
since  been  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy.  He 
holds  membership  with  the  Methodist  Protestant 
Church,  and  is  a  most  highly  respected  man. 

§  *~S)  <"  T>i-3  "      9 

HERBERT  LAWRENCE,  M.  D.,  of  War- 
saw, is  one  of  the  younger  members  of  the 
medical  profession  of  Hancock  County,  but 
in  the  two  years  of  his  practice  here  he  has  won  a 
reputation  which  might  well  be  envied  by  those 
older  in  the  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Winuard  &  Lawrence. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  born  in  Manchester,  Delaware  County, 
Iowa,  on  the  18th  of  October,  1866,  and  is  a  sou 
ofH.  W.  and  Almeda  (Wilder)  Lawrence.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  came  of  a  family 
of  English  origin.  The  paternal  grandparents  of 
our  subject  were  natives  of  England,  and  on 
crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America  became  residents 
of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  The  Doctor's  mother  was  a 
native  of  Massachusetts  and  belonged  to  an  old 
New  England  family,  which  was  noted  for  lon- 
gevity. The  grandfather  Wilder  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-nine,  and  his  wife  still  survives  and  re- 
sides in  Lowell,  Mass.,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-four.  The  paternal  grandfather,  W.  E. 
Lawrence,  died  at  Manchester,  Iowa,  in  1887. 
Unto  H.  W.  Lawrence  and  his  wife  were  born 
four    children,    three    of  whom    are    yet    living, 


564 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


namely:  Herbert  H.,  who  is  the  eldest  of  the 
family;  Franklin  H.;  and  Blanche  C.  Charles 
died  in  early  childhood. 

Dr.  Lawrence  was  reared  to  manhood  under 
the  parental  roof  and  acquired  his  literary  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  and  in 
Winnebago.  Becoming  imbued  with  the  desire 
to  enter  the  medical  profession,  he  became  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Homeopathic  Medical  College  of  Chi- 
cago, and  after  completing  a  thorough  course  was 
graduated  from  that  institution  on  the  21st  of 
March,  1893,  in  a  class  of  sixty.  Immediately 
after  his  graduation  he  came  to  Warsaw  and  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  Dr.  W.  L.  Win- 
nard. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1893,  Dr.  Lawrence  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Miss  Etta  M.  Steadmau,  a 
daughter  of  S.  A.  Steadmau,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  saddlery  in  Manchester,  Iowa. 
Mrs.  Lawrence  is  a  most  estimable  lady  and  has 
won  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  with 
whom  she  has  become  acquainted  in  this  com- 
munity. The  Doctor  and  his  wife  move  in  the 
best  circles  of  society ,  and  their  home  is  noted  for 
its  hospitality.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  and  the  Masonic  order,  and  in  politics 
is  an  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party.  A  close  student  of  his  profession,  he 
keeps  abreast  with  all  the  discoveries  connected 
therewith,  and  his  career  will  undoubtedly  be  a 
successful  one,  for  he  has  the  ambition  and  energy 
to  accomplish  whatever  he  undertakes. 

e  -  *=i<  J.  ><^    .  9 


DWARD  C.  SHAIN,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
V)  lumber  business  in  Warsaw,  was  born  in 
_  Macon  County,  Mo.,  on  the  23d  of  Decem- 
ber, 1835,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Catherine 
(Smoot)  Shain,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Hardin  County,  Ky.  The  father  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  followed  that  pursuit  through- 
out his  entire  business  career.  In  the  year  182 1, 
he  emigrated  to  Missouri,  where  later  he  married 
Miss  Smoot,  who  went  to  that  State  in  1822. 
They  located  in  Randolph  County,  when  its  lim- 


its extended  to  the  Iowa  line.  Mr.  Shain  served 
as  Deputy  Sheriff  in  this  county  in  a  very  early 
day  and  was  numbered  among  the  honored  pio- 
neer settlers.  His  death  occurred  in  1882,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  in  1878.  They  were  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  are  yet 
living.  One  sou,  Warren  C,  went  to  California 
in  1852.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  brother 
James,  who  died  of  cholera  near  Ft.  Laramie, 
while  en  route  for  the  far  West.  The  others  are 
all  yet  living  in  Macon  County,  Mo.,  save  Charles 
W.,  who  is  now  in  Kansas,  and  Edward  C.  of 
this  sketch.  The  Shain  family  is  of  German  ori- 
gin and  was  founded  in  America  by  the  grand- 
parents of  our  subject.  The  name  was  originally 
spelled  Schain.  Having  emigrated  to  America, 
the  grandfather,  John  Shain,  moved  in  1828  to 
Sangamon  County,  111.,  where  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days,  his  death  occurring  in  1843. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject 
was  reared  to  manhood,  spending  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  in  attendance  at  the  common 
schools  through  the  winter  season,  while  in  the 
summer  months  he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the 
field.  He  continued  at  home  until  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  and  during  the  early  part  of  the  war 
served  as  one  of  the  home  guards,  but  later  he 
enlisted  in  the  regular  service  and  became  First 
Lieutenant  of  Company  K,  Forty-second  Missouri 
Infantry.  His  duties  called  him  mostly  to  Ten- 
nessee. He  participated  in  a  number  of  skir- 
mishes on  the  Cumberland  River  and  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Nashville,  also  in  the  engagement  at 
Huntsville,  Ala.  His  regiment  formed  a  part  of 
the  Sixteenth  Army  Corps,  which  was  tinder  the 
command  of  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith.  On  the  2d  of 
April,  1865,  Lieut.  Shain  was  honorably  dis- 
charged, but  on  the  assassination  of  President 
Lincoln,  another  company  was  organized,  of 
which  he  was  made  Captain.  It  was  never  mus- 
tered in,  however,  for  about  that  time  Gen.  Lee 
surrendered  to  Gen.  Grant  at  Appomattox,  and  the 
war  was  declared  ended. 

On  his  return  home,  Mr.  Shain  embarked  in 
merchandising  in  Missouri.  He  was  extensively 
engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  tobacco,  hand- 
ling about  four  hundred  thousand  pounds  a  year. 


POkTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


565 


In  this  enterprise  he  was  quite  successful.  In 
1870,  he  was  elected  Sheriff  and  Collector  of  his 
county,  and  so  creditably  and  acceptably  did  he- 
fill  the  office  that  on  the  expiration  of  his  first 
term  he  was  re-elected.  On  his  retirement  from 
office,  he  engaged  in  farming  for  a  time,  and  later 
dealt  in  lumber  and  farm  implements  in  Greentop, 
Mo.,  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  came  to  Warsaw,  in  March,  1893,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade. 

Mr.  Shain  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
20th  of  August,  1859,  he  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Emily  Bristow,  who  died  October  31, 
1862,  leaving  one  child,  a  son,  H.  B.,  who  is 
still  at  home.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Shain  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Minnie  Bristow.  The  family  are 
all  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  are  peo- 
ple of  prominence  in  the  community,  where  they 
have  many  warm  friends  and  acquaintances.  Mr. 
Shain  holds  membership  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

(T  AMES  ALLEN,  a  highly -respected  and  rep- 
I  resentative  farmer  of  McDonough  County, 
(2/  residing  on  section  28,  Mound  Township,  is 
a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  was  born  in  Pulaski 
County  on  the  18th  of  February,  1843,  a,,cl  's  a 
son  of  Thompson  and  Rhoda  (Adams)  Allen. 
His  father  was  born  in  Kentucky,  August  29, 
1 819,  and  was  one  often  children,  whose  parents 
were  David  and  Martha  (Harris)  Allen.  The 
former  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  September  17, 
1797,  and  died  October  18,  1881,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four  years.  With  his  parents  he  removed 
to  Kentucky,  locating  on  a  farm  near  Somerset, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  The  occupation  to 
which  he  was  reared  he  made  his  life  work.  He 
was  married  December  22,  1816,  to  Miss  Harris, 
and,  locating  upon  a  farm,  began  accumulating 
land.  He  became  the  owner  of  seven  hundred 
acres,  constituting  a  very  valuable  property. 
About  1874  he  divided  his  land  among  his  chil- 
dren, and,  coming  to  McDonough  County,  made 
his  home  with  his  son  Thompson  until  his  death. 


He  came  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  South 
Carolina.  His  children  were  Ryal,  who  died  in 
early  life;  Gilmore,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifty 
years,  leaving  a  wife  and  four  children;  William 
B.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifty  years  in  Mis- 
souri; Polly,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Mc- 
Clure,  by  whom  she  had  two  sons  and  three 
daughters,  and  who  now  makes  her  home  with 
her  children  in  Mound  Township;  Richmond, 
who  married  Polly  Adams,  and  after  her  death 
wedded  Patsy  Wood,  and  is  now  living  in  Mis- 
souri; Harris,  who  married  Rebecca  Jasper,  and 
with  his  family  is  now  living  in  Missouri;  Nancy, 
the  wife  of  Galen  Cooper,  a  resident  of  Kansas; 
Samuel,  who  married  Louisa  Cooper,  and  is  liv- 
ing in  Kansas;  and  John,  who  married  Catherine- 
Jasper,  and  makes  his  home  in  Kentucky. 

Thompson  Allen,  the  father  of  our  subject,  re- 
mained in  his  native  State  during  his  boyhood, 
and  acquired  such  educational  advantages  as  were 
afforded  by  the  common  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. His  privileges  in  that  direction,  however, 
were  somewhat  meagre,  for  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  year  he  worked  upon  the  farm,  aiding 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  same  from  the  time  when 
the  ground  was  first  broken  in  the  early  spring 
until  the  crops  were  harvested  in  the  late  autumn. 
He  was  married  November  19,  1840,  to  Miss 
Rhoda  Adams,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
three  children,  who  are  yet  living.  The  eldest, 
John,  a  farmer  of  Mound  Township,  wedded  Man- 
Derby,  and  they  have  three  children:  Rose,  Daisy 
and  Bessie.  James,  also  of  Mound  Township, 
married  F.  A.  Mauley.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Free-Will  Baptist  Church,  and  Mr. 
Allen  is  now  serving  as  one  of  the  Deacons.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  filled  the  office 
of  Road  Commissioner.  He  removed  from  Ken- 
tucky to  Missouri,  and,  purchasing  land,  there  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1863,  when  he 
came  to  McDonough  County  and  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  To  this  he 
added  from  time  to  time,  until  he  owned  four 
hundred  acres,  but  he  has  since  disposed  of  a  por- 
tion of  this.  He  is  still  living  on  the  old  farm, 
and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  representative  and 
highly-respected  citizens  of  the  community. 


566 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


James  Allen  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
a  lad  of  eleven  years  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Missouri.  He  came 
with  them  to  McDonough  County  in  1863,  when 
a  young  man  of  twenty  years.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  State 
and  Missouri.  On  coming  to  Illinois,  he  settled 
in  Good  Hope,  where  for  a  year  he  attended  the 
public  schools,  since  which  time  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock-raising.  In  his  un- 
dertakings he  has  met  with  excellent  success,  and 
is  now  doing  a  prosperous  business. 

On  the  19th  of  February,  1869,  Mr.  Allen  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Fhrousin  Mauley, 
of  Bushnell,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
three  children :  Ross,  Louis  H.  and  Bernice.  The 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken,  for  the  chil- 
dren are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  began  their  domestic  life 
in  the  old  home  of  their  parents,  and  our  subject 
engaged  in  cultivating  that  farm  for  two  years. 
His  father  then  gave  him  eighty  acres  of  land, 
and  he  located  thereon,  since  which  time  it  has 
been  his  home.  The  boundaries  of  the  farm ,  how- 
ever, have  been  extended,  until  now  it  comprises 
a  quarter-section  of  good  land,  the  greater  part  of 
which  is  now  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  has  made  good  improvements  upon  the  place, 
and  the  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  are  members  of 
the  Free-Will  Baptist  Church,  and  for  their  many 
excellencies  of  character  they  are  held  in  high  re- 
gard. In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  for 
twenty  consecutive  years  he  has  served  as  School 
Director. 


h  <"  r  ">  ti 


("lOHN  MANIFOLD  is  numbered  among  Han- 
I  cock  County's  best  citizens.  He  resides  on 
Qj  section  19,  La  Harpe  Township,  where  he  is 
successfully  engaged  in  farming.  As  he  is  both 
widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  community, 
we  feel  assured  that  the  record  of  his  life  will 
prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  A  native 
of  Tennessee,  he  was  born  April  8,  1829,  and  is  a 


son  of  George  Manifold,  who  was  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  State,  and  by  occupation  was  a  builder 
of  bridges  and  flatboats.  The  family  emigrated 
from  Tennessee  to  Illinois  in  1836,  when  our  sub- 
ject was  a  lad  of  seven  summers.  He  therefore 
became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Hancock 
County,  and  was  reared  to  manhood  amid  the 
wild  scenes  of  the  frontier,  sharing  with  the  fam- 
ily the  hardships  and  privations  which  come  to 
those  who  make  their  home  in  an  undeveloped 
region.  The  educational  privileges  which  he  re- 
ceived were  those  afforded  by  the  district  schools 
of  La  Harpe  Township,  but  his  advantages  in  that 
direction  were  meagre.  He  has,  however,  largely 
overcome  the  obstacles  in  the  path  of  learning, 
and  through  business  experience,  reading  and  ob- 
servation he  has  become  a  well-informed  man, 
and  has  prospered  to  a  great  degree. 

December  14,  1854,  Mr.  Manifold  married 
Miss  Eliza  A.  Miller,  and  their  union  was  blessed 
with  one  son,  W.  E. ,  now  a  banker  of  La  Harpe, 
whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
In  1 88 1 ,  Mr.  Manifold  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  passed  away  on  the  3d 
of  February  of  that  year.  On  the  12th  of  March, 
1882,  he  was  again  married,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Loretta  Foley,  an  accom- 
plished and  cultured  lady.  She  was  born  in  Gal- 
lia County,  Ohio,  on  the  25th  of  November,  1843, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Robert  P.  and  Elizabeth 
(Farmer)  Chapin.  She  went  to  McDonough 
County,  111.,  in  1S55,  and  in  1882  came  to  Han- 
cock County.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Manifold  has 
been  born  a  son,  Arthur  Ray,  a  bright  boy  of 
some  ten  years. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Manifold  affiliates  with  the 
Democracy,  which  he  has  supported  since  casting 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  President  Pierce,  in 
1852.  The  honors  and  emoluments  of  public 
office,  however,  have  had  no  attractions  for  him, 
although  he  keeps  himself  well  informed  on  the 
issues  of  the  day.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
La  Harpe  Lodge  No.  195,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
for  nineteen  years  was  its  Treasurer,  a  fact  which 
indicates  the  confidence  and  trust  reposed  in  him, 
and  also  tells  of  his  high  standing  in  the  lodge. 

Mr.  Manifold  is  now  enjoying  home  life  on  his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


567 


farm  011  .section  19,  La  Harpe  Township,  where 
he  has  one  of  the  most  commodious  and  elegant 
residences  in  the  county,  surrounded  by  good 
outbuildings  and  well-tilled  fields,  all  of  which 
indicate  the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner. 
He  has  ever  been  an  enterprising  and  public-spir- 
ited gentleman,  and  has  watched  with  interest 
during  all  his  residence  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  community.  Honest,  truthful  and 
temperate,  his  is  a  life  worthy  the  emulation  of 
all  young  men  who  desire  to  tread  the  pathway 
of  prosperity,  and  who  wish  to  leave  behind  them 
a  name  which  will  be  an  inspiration  to  coming 
generations. 

(Tames  cyrus   Humphrey,  a  leading 

I  agriculturist  of  Henderson  County,  now  liv- 
C2/  i"g  on  section  22.  Walnut  Grove  Township, 
was  born  on  the  1st  of  February,  1848,  near 
Biggsville,  and  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  this 
community.  His  father,  Henry  Humphrey,  was 
bora  in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio.  June  14,  1822, 
and  in  an  early  day  emigrated  to  Warren  County, 
111.,  where,  on  the  15th  of  June.  1843,  he  married 
Ferba  Hagood,  who  was  born  in  South  Carolina, 
December  22.  181 3.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  followed  that  pursuit  throughout  his 
entire  life.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  identi- 
fied himself  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  con- 
tinued one  of  its  supporters  for  a  number  of  years. 
When  the  war  broke  out  he  entered  the  Union 
army,  and  was  one  of  the  valiant  defenders  of 
the  Old  Flag  and  the  cause  it  represented.  After 
that  he  became  a  Republican,  and  has  since  affili- 
ated with  the  party.  He  now  makes  his  home 
in  Iowa,  where  he  has  lived  for  some  years.  His 
wife  was  called  to  her  final  rest  May  25,  1867,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  She  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Seceder  Church,  was  a  devoted 
Christian,  and  a  loving  and  tender  mother. 

In  the  Humphrey  family  were  six  children,  of 
whom  four  are  yet  living,  namely:  J.  Cyras  of 
this  sketch;  Mrs.  Ellen  Rankin,  who  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Missouri;  John  E.,  who  follows  farming  in 


Iowa;  and  Robert  S.,  a  resident  farmer  of  Hen- 
derson County.  Laura  G.  died  when  quite  small, 
and  Rachel  twin  sister  of  our  subject)  died  Oc- 
tober 19,  1870,  at  the  age  of  twenty -two  years. 

J.  C.  Humphrey  spent  his  childhood  days  in 
his  parents'  home,  but  on  his  mother's  death, 
which  occurred  when  he  was  about  eighteen  years 
of  age,  he  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood, 
working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month.  This  he 
continued  until  his  marriage,  when  he  rented 
land.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1873,  he  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Sarah  Rebecca 
Small,  a  daughter  of  Albert  and  Mary  J.  (Haynes) 
Small,  who  came  to  Henderson  County.  111., 
from  Greene  County,  Ohio,  in  1851.  Her  father 
was  born  October  12,  1825.  and  throughout  his 
life  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  His  wife 
was  born  January  13,  1830.  They  became  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  the  dates  of  whose 
births  are  as  follows:  G.  C,  September  14, 
1852;  Mrs.  Sarah  R.  Humphrey,  February  14, 
1854;  Mrs.  Cora  L.  Glenn.  May  4,  1855;  James 
S.,  April  5,  1857;  Mrs.  Ellen  J.  Exley,  January 
10,  1859:  Albert  E. ,  March  31,  i860;  William 
G.,  November  23,  1862;  Mrs.  Anna  M.  Betts, 
February  8,  1865;  Mrs.  Carrie  B.  Southwell, 
December  23,  1866:  JohnC,  September  10,  1868; 
David  M.,  May  2,  1870;  and  Frank  H.,  Septem- 
ber 7,  1873.  With  the  exception  of  three  all  the 
members  of  this  family  reside  in  Lincoln,  Neb., 
and  the  sons  are  there  engaged  in  merchandising. 
Two  of  the  family  yet  live  in  Henderson  County, 
and  one  on  Vancouver  Island. 

Mr.  and  Mrs  Humphrey  are  the  parents  of 
three  children:  Edith  Emeliue,  who  was  born 
November  3,  1S74.  and  is  now  attending  the 
academy  in  Media;  Ferba  Jane,  who  was  bora 
July  19,  1879.  and  is  now  in  school  in  Media; 
and  Ella  Blanche,  who  was  born  December  29, 
1884,  and  died  in  childhood. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Humphrey  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  rented  farm.  He  had  saved  $600, 
and,  buying  a  team  with  part  of  this  sum,  he  be- 
gan work  for  himself.  His  industry  and  good 
management,  combined  with  perseverance,  soon 
brought  him  some  capital,  and  in  1883  he  bought 
a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  on  which  he  is  now  living. 


568 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


This  is  a  good  place,  and  its  neat  appearance 
indicates  the  enterprise  of  the  owner.  Since 
casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen. 
Grant,  Mr.  Humphrey  has  supported  the  Re- 
publican party.  His  wife  and  daughters  are 
members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  com- 
munity, and  the  parents  and  children  rank  high 
in  the  social  circles  in  which  they  move. 


$+^ 


HON.  BENJAMIN  F.  MARSH,  of  Warsaw, 
was  born  in  Wythe  Township,  Hancock 
County,  November  19,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of 
Benjamin  F.  and  Ruth  ( Wetman  )  Marsh.  On 
both  sides  the  family  was  of  English  lineage.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  the  mother 
was  born  in  New  Brunswick.  The  Marsh  family 
was  founded  in  America  in  [637,  by  English  ances- 
tors, who  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  located  in  Mass- 
achusetts. The  father  was  a  merchant  and  farm- 
er. In  1833  he  emigrated  westward  to  Illinois, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  the  autumn  of  1864. 
His  wife  passed  away  in  1837.  They  had  a  large 
family  of  children,  but  only  four  are  now  living: 
B.  F.,  J.  W.,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Richmond  and  Mrs. 
Caroline  Richmond.  The  two  last-named  reside 
in  Iowa. 

The  early  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were 
spent  upon  his  father's  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen he  left  home  to  enter  Bishop  Chase's  school 
at  Jubilee,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  four 
years.  After  completing  the  junior  year  he  left 
that  school  and  began  studying  law  with  his 
brother  in  Warsaw.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar 
in  i860,  and  in  that  year  became  a  candidate  for 
the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attorney,  but  was 
defeated. 

Mr.  Marsh  was  found  among  the  defenders  of 
the  Union  during  the  late  war.  He  was  not 
slow  to  go  to  the  front,  but  enlisting  at  the  first 
call,  in  April,  1861,  he  became  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  I11  July  of 
that  year  he  aided  in  organizing  the  Second  Illi- 
nois Cavalry,  and  on  the  4th  of  July,  at  Monroe 


Station,  Mo.,  received  a  telegram  that  his  com- 
pany was  accepted  for  service.  It  was  made 
Company  G,  of  the  Second  Regiment,  and  he  was 
commissioned  its  Captain.  In  January,  1863,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major,  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  same  year  became  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
and  in  1865  was  commissioned  Colonel.  He  took 
part  in  numerous  battles  and  skirmishes,  and  saw 
service  in  all  the  Southern  States  except  the  Car- 
olinas  and  Virginia.  He  was  in  the  Vicksburg 
campaign,  and  that  of  the  Department  of  the 
Gulf,  in  the  spring  of  1864.  He  also  took  part 
in  the  Mobile  campaign  in  the  spring  of  1865, 
and  after  the  fall  of  that  city  went  to  Eufaula, 
where  they  heard  of  the  surrender  of  Jo  John- 
ston. He  was  mustered  out  in  Springfield  in 
January,  1866,  after  five  years  of  faithful  and 
arduous  service.  Few  regiments  were  more  under 
fire  or  traveled  a  greater  distance  than  the  Sec- 
ond, of  which  Col.  Marsh  was  a  member.  It 
was  formed  of  a  splendid  body  of  soldiers,  who 
were  mounted  on  their  own  horses  and  who  were 
obedient  to  every  command.  The  war  history  of 
Col.  Marsh  is  certainly  worthy  of  perpetuation, 
and  his  army  record  is  one  of  which  he  may  well 
be  proud. 

The  Colonel  was  married  on  the  6th  of  August, 
1861,  to  Miss  Josephine  E.  Miller,  of  Warsaw, 
daughter  of  Robert  Miller,  a  merchant  of  this 
place.  She  died  in  1872,  leaving  three  children: 
Arthur  Wetmore,  Charles  Carroll  and  Josephine 
Bertha.  Mr.  Marsh  was  again  married,  January 
1,  1881,  the  second  union  being  with  Jane  Eliza 
Coolbaugh,  daughter  of  William  C.  Coolbaugh, 
of  Chicago,  a  banker  of  note  in  that  city.  They 
have  three  children:  William  Coolbaugh,  Rich- 
ard Oglesby  and  Benjamin  F. 

Upon  his  return  from  the  war,  Col.  Marsh 
resumed  law  practice  in  Warsaw,  and  continued 
the  prosecution  of  that  profession  until  1876, 
when  he  was  elected  to  Congress.  He  was  re- 
elected in  1878  and  in  1880,  and  was  re-nominated 
in  1882,  but  was  defeated.  In  1883  he  embarked 
in  farming,  in  which  he  has  been  actively  engaged 
continuously  since,  but  his  business  pursuits  were 
again  interrupted  in  1892  by  his  fourth  election 
to  Congress.    The  fact  that  he  has  been  four  times 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


5»9 


sent  to  the  law-making  assembly  of  the  nation 
shows  very  clearly  the  confidence  and  trust  re- 
posed in  him,  and  that  he  is  true  to  the  trust  is 
indicated  by  his  long  service.  In  1888  he  served 
as  a  delegate  to  the  National  Republican  Conven- 
tion, and  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  Harrison. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Marsh  Post  No.  343, 
G.  A.  R.  His  entire  life  has  been  spent  in  Han- 
cock County,  and-  he  is  one  of  its  most  popular 
and  highly  respected  citizens,  who  manifests  the 
same  loyalty  and  allegiance  to  his  country  in  days 
of  peace  as  he  did  in  times  of  war. 

(Joseph  Thompson,  who  is  now  living  on 

I  section  18,  Walnut  Grove  Township,  is  num- 
(2/  bered  among  the  leading  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  of  Henderson  County.  He  claims  Ohio  as 
the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Crawford  County,  on  the  31st  of  August, 
1843.  His  father,  Adam  Thompson,  was  a  Penn- 
sylvania fanner,  born  in  1795.  About  1820  he 
married  Jane  Raitt,  and  for  many  years  was  a 
farmer  of  the  Buckeye  State.  In  1851  he  came 
to  Henderson  County,  111.,  where  he  purchased 
eight  hundred  acres  of  land,  paying  from  $3  to  $5 
per  acre  for  the  same.  In  the  Thompson  family  were 
ten  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and  wo- 
manhood. William,  a  farmer  of  Henderson  Coun- 
ty, was  killed  May  30,  1858,  in  the  Ellison  tor- 
nado; David  is  now  a  farmer  of  Harper  County, 
Kan. ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Rankin  died  in  Henderson 
County;  Samuel  F.,  a  minister  of  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church,  is  living  in  Missouri:  Lillis 
is  the  wife  of  Joseph  White,  a  well-known  citizen 
of  Henderson  County;  John  died  in  1859;  James 
follows  farming,  and  makes  his  home  in  Strong- 
hurst;  Jane  became  the  wife  of  James  F.  Rankin, 
but  is  now  deceased;  and  Barbara  is  the  widow  of 
T.  V.  Nichols,  of  Stronghurst. 

Joseph  Thompson  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first 
eight  years  of  his  life  in  the  Buckeye  State,  and 
then  came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  where  he 
was  reared  to  manhood.  He  became  familiar 
with  all  the  duties  of  farm  life,  and  in  the  common 


schools  he  was  educated.  He  remained  at  home 
until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  when, 
prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  he  responded  to 
the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  on  the  13th 
of  August,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Company  F, 
Eighty-third  Illinois  Infantry.  He  served  under 
Capt.  J.  T.  Morgan,  took  part  in  the  second  bat- 
tle of  Ft.  Donelson,  and  after  that  date  was  with 
his  regiment  doing  garrison  duty  and  scouting  at 
Donelson  and  Clarksville.  When  the  South  had 
laid  down  its  arms  he  was  honorably  discharged, 
July  5,  1865,  and  returned  to  his  home  in  the 
North. 

On  the  1 6th  of  September,  1880,  Mr.  Thomp- 
son married  Miss  Mary  J.  Nelson,  a  native  of 
Jackson,  Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  daughter 
of  John  and  Mary  Nelson,  who  were  natives  of 
New  York.  Her  father  was  born  about  18 14, 
and  is  now  deceased.  Her  mother  is  still  living 
in  Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  at  about  the  age 
of  eighty  years.  They  had  eight  children,  all  of 
whom  reached  adult  years,  while  seven  are  yet 
living.  Robert  is  engaged  in  carpentering  in  Cali- 
fornia; Mrs.  Margaret  Andrews  is  now  deceased; 
William  is  a  farmer  of  Kansas;  Sarah  and  Mary 
are  twins,  and  the  former  resides  with  her 
mother;  Wishart  is  a  druggist  of  New  York; 
James  is  a  resident  farmer  of  Texas;  and  Eliza- 
beth is  the  wife  of  Harvey  Rich,  a  farmer  of  New 
York. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  have  been  born 
five  children,  and  the  family  circle  yet  remains 
unbroken.  They  are:  Sarah  J.,  born  September 
23,  1882;  Margaret  E.,  March  8,  1885;  Ray- 
mond H.,  August  15,  1888;  Lillian  B.,  Septem- 
ber  7,    1890;   and    Marjory  R.,  April  10,  1892. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Thompson  is  a  Re- 
publican, having  supported  that  party  since  at- 
taining his  majority.  He  has  served  both  as 
Road  Commissioner  and  School  Director.  He 
and  his  wife  hold  membership  with  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Thompson  now  devotes 
his  time  and  attention  to  farming  and  stock-raising. 
He  is  one  of  the  extensive  land-owners  of  the  coun 
ty,  having  seven  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valu- 
able land,  pleasantly  located  two  miles  north  of 
Stronghurst.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  business  and 


57° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


executive  ability,  and  his  enterprise,  perseverance, 
and  well-directed  efforts  have  made  him  one  of 
the  wealthy  farmers  of  the  county.  All  who 
know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  his  sterling 
worth,  and  with  pleasure  we  present  this  record 
of  his  life  to  our  readers. 

S~    ■      ,g=Ea<"'?">s— ^ —         (3 

(TAMES  F.  PEASLEV,  one  of  the  honored 
I  pioneers  and  representative  farmers  of  Hen- 
(2?  derson  County,  now  living  in  Terre  Haute 
Township,  section  10,  was  born  in  the  Province 
of  Quebec,  Canada,  on  the  15th  of  January,  1822, 
and  is  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of 
eight  children,  whose  parents  were  Moses  and 
Mary  (Ayers)  Peasley.  All,  however,  are  now 
deceased,  with  the  exception  of  our  subject  and 
two  sisters.  The  father  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Ware,  N.  H.,  and  after  attaining  to  man's  estate 
removed  to  Canada,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  devoting  his  time  and  attention  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  His  death  occurred  at  the  ripe  old 
age  of  about  seventj'-eight  years.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  his  ancestors 
were  all  connected  with  the  same  religious  sect. 
The  family  is  of  English  extraction.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire, 
and  her  death  occurred  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-eight  years.  She  was  also  of  Eng- 
lish lineage,  but  at  a  very  early  clay  in  the  history 
of  this  country  the  family  was  founded  in  New 
England. 

Mr..  Peasley  of  this  sketch  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  with  his  parents,  and  after  he 
had  reached  man's  estate  purchased  the  old  home- 
stead, which  he  further  cultivated  and  improved 
until  1855,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Illinois. 
He  took  up  his  residence  in  Henderson  County, 
locating  in  Terre  Haute  Township,  section  10, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  Purchasing  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  which  was  still 
in  its  primitive  condition,  he  began  its  develop- 
ment, and  soon  transformed  the  wild  tract  into 
rich  and  fertile  fields,  which  were  made  to  yield  to 
him  a  good  income.     At  the  time  of  his   arrival 


the  county  was  new,  the  few  settlers  within  its 
borders  were  widely  scattered,  and  the  nearest 
trading- post  to  his  home  was  at  Burlington,  a  dis- 
tance of  sixteen  miles. 

Ere  coming  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Peasley  was  mar- 
ried, January  30,  1853,  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Tarle- 
ton,  of  Piermont,  N.  H.  Six  children  were 
born  to  them:  Ellen  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty-four  years;  Ernest,  a  prosperous  fanner  of 
Henderson  County;  Hattie,  deceased;  James  O., 
who  is  engaged  in  the  banking  business  in  Ma- 
comb, 111.;  Bertha,  wife  of  W.  E.  Hurdle,  who  is 
engaged  in  banking  in  La  Harpe,  111.;  and  Sewell 
H.,  who  aids  in  carrying  on  the  home  farm. 

Mr.  Peasley  has  met  with  most  excellent  suc- 
cess in  his  business  dealings,  and  has  become  the 
owner  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  valu- 
able land  in  Terre  Haute  Township,  comprising 
one  of  the  finest  farms  in  all  Illinois.  He  has 
been  one  of  the  leading  stock-breeders  of  this  lo- 
cality, making  a  specialty  of  Shorthorn  and  Here- 
ford cattle.  His  prosperity  has  been  won  through 
close  attention  to  the  details  of  his  business  and 
by  enterprise  and  good  management,  and  is  there- 
fore well  deserved.  Mr.  Peasley  has  always  taken 
quite  an  active  part  in  politics  and  is  an  ardent 
advocate  of  Republican  principles.  He  has  served 
as  Township  Supervisor  and  School  Director,  is  a 
liberal  contributor  to  the  church,  although  he  is  a 
member  of  no  religious  organization,  and  is  always 
found  on  the  side  of  right  and  order.  His  life  has 
been  an  honorable  and  upright  one  and  has  gained 
him  the  confidence  and  warm  regard  of  many 
friends. 

RICHMOND  MERRITT,  who  makes  his  home 
in  section  36,  Rock  Creek  Township,  Hancock 
County,  111.,  where  he  is  successfully  engaged 
in  farming  and  stock-raising,  was  born  on  the  5th 
of  November,  1825,  in  Bradford  Count}-,  Pa.,  and 
is  one  of  a  family  of  seven  children,  three  sous  and 
four  daughters,  whose  parents  were  Calvin  and 
Mehitable  (Pratt)  Merritt.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  Vermont,   and  his  mother  was  born  in  Massa- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


57' 


chusetts.  The  children  were  Calvin,  Harrison, 
Richmond,  Annie,  Lurena,  Emily  and  Louisa. 
In  1837  the  family  removed  to  Athens  County, 
Ohio,  where  the  father  purchased  fifty-six  acres 
of  improved  land,  and  carried  011  general  farming" 
and  stock-raising  for  eleven  years.  In  [848  he 
came  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  and  rented  a  farm, 
which  he  operated  until  1853,  when  he  went  to 
Bond  County  to  live  with  his  daughter.  There 
his  last  days  were  spent,  his  death  occurring  in 
1863.  His  wife  passed  away  at  her  son's  home 
in  Wisconsin,  in  1857.  Both  were  faithful  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and  he 
was  a  life-long  Democrat  in  politics.  His  sup- 
port was  ever  given  to  public  enterprises  of 
merit,  and  the  community  in  which  he  lived  al- 
ways numbered  him  among  its  most  valued  as 
well  as  among  its  most  highly  respected  citizens. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Rich- 
mond Merritt,  who  spent  the  first  twelve  years  of 
his  life  in  his  native  State,  and  then  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Ohio.  His  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  the  public  schools,  which 
he  attended  in  the  winter  seasons  until  about 
nineteen  years  of  age.  During  the  winter  of 
(844—45,  he  worked  in  the  lumber  business,  but 
his  time  was  largely  devoted  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  the  Buckeye  State  until  1848,  when  he 
came  to  Hancock  County,  111.  For  six  years  he 
rented  a  farm  in  Prairie  Township,  and  then,  in 
1854,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in 
Pilot  Grove  Township.  Not  a  furrow  had  been 
turned  or  an  improvement  made  upon  it,  but 
with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  develop- 
ment. The  following  year,  however,  he  sold 
that  tract,  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  raw  land  on  section  36,  Rock  Creek 
Township.  Upon  this  farm  he  has  since  made 
his  home,  and  in  connection  with  the  cultivation 
of  the  land  he  has  also  successfully  carried  on 
stock-raising. 

In  [848  Mr.  Merritt  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Harriet  Tennyhill.a  native  of  Athens  County, 
Ohio.  Seven  children  graced  this  union:  Marion 
A.,  the  eldest  son,  married  Miss  Martha  Jane 
Laws  in  1871,  and  died  in  1880.  Calista,  the 
eldest  daughter,  was  married    in    1870  to   L.    P. 

3° 


Kunkel.  John  E.  married  Miss  Harriet  Isabel 
White  in  1879.  Mary  Louisa  married  John 
White  in  1877:  and  Flora  Ellen  married  Elmer 
Ingraham  on  the  25th  of  December,  1884.  San- 
ford  O.  and  William  H.  died  when  between  the 
ages  of  one  and  two  years.  Mrs.  Harriet  Merritt 
died  April  9,  1884,  and  on  the  7th  of  July,  1886. 
Mr.  Merritt  married  his  present  wife,  Miss  Sarah 
E.  Miller,  of  Page  County,  \'a. 

Mr.  Merritt  has  always  supported  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  political  preferment  or  office  of 
any  kind  for  himself.  He  has  held  the  office  of 
School  Director  for  a  number  of  years,  and  the 
cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend. 
He  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for 
he  started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  and  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward  by  industry, 
perseverance  and  good  management,  until  he 
is  now  numbered  among  the  substantial  citi- 
zens of  the  community.  He  now  owns  a  valu- 
able and  well-improved  farm,  and  his  home  is 
pleasantly  located  within  a  half  mile  of  Ferris. 
He  also  owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  Nodaway  County,  Mo. 


(SlNDREW  J.  DAVIS,  one  of  the  represeuta- 
l_l  tive  farmers  and  stock-dealers  of  Henderson 
/  I  County,  now  living  on  section  32,  Strong- 
hurst  Township,  claims  New  York  as  the  State  of 
his  nativity.  He  was  born  October  28,  1826,  and 
is  the  second  in  a  family  of  four  children,  but  all 
are  now  deceased  with  the  exception  of  himself 
and  sister  Sarah,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  John 
Evans,  a  prominent  farmer,  who  is  represented 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  father,  Abrier  Davis, 
was  born  in  Windham  County,  Vt.,  September 
21,  1794,  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  served  in  the 
War  of  1 81 2.  In  1835  he  came  to  Illinois,  landing 
at  Monmouth,  and  thence  went  to  Centre  Grove, 
where  the  family  wintered.  In  the  spring  they 
moved  to  Stronghurst  Township.  Mr.  Davis  had  a 
patent  for  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  36, 
township  9  north,  range  5  west,  Henderson  Coun- 


57^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tv,  111.,  the  same  being  granted  him  for  service  in 
the  War  of  1812.  .He  was  the  first  to  locate  upon 
the  prairie,  where  he  built  a  cabin  and  reared  his 
family,  living  in  true  pioneer  style.  His  nearest 
neighbor  to  the  south  was  eight  miles  away,  and 
to  the  northwest  six  miles.  In  his  political  views, 
he  was  a  Democrat.  He  came  of  a  family  of 
English  origin,  but  for  many  generations  its  rep- 
resentatives had  lived  in  America.  Mr.  Davis 
married  Miss  Lucy  Oaks,  a  native  of  Windham 
County ,  Vt .  They  were  buried  side  by  side  in  the 
family  burying-ground. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  ten 
years  of  his  life  in  the  Empire  State,  and  then  be- 
came a  resident  of  Henderson  County.  He  turned 
the  first  furrow  on  many  an  acre  of  wild  land,  and 
shared  in  all  the  hardships  and  experiences  of 
frontier  life.  Until  1850  he  remained  at  home, 
and  then  went  to  California,  making  the  trip 
across  the  plains  with  a  party  of  twenty-five,  who 
had  three  wagons  and  pack-mules.  After  six 
mouths  they  reached  Placerville,  Cal.,  where  Mr. 
Davis  engaged  in  mining  for  a  short  time.  He 
then  engaged  in  freighting  and  in  keeping  a  trad- 
ing store  near  Burn  River.  His  trip  to  the  West 
proved  a  profitable  one,  and  after  two  years  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in 
Henderson  County,  his  present  farm,  the  old 
Hiram  Brooks  farm. 

On  the  10th  of  December,  1853,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Davis  and  Miss  Clarissa 
Miller,  of  Henderson  County,  who  died  in  1870. 
Five  children  were  born  to  them:  Charles  H.,  a 
prosperous  farmer  of  this  community ;  Ella,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  Frank  M.,  also  a  suc- 
cessful agriculturist;  Elmer  A.,  who  carries  on 
agricultural  pursuits  in  Pottawattamie  County, 
Iowa;  and  Bertha  C,  wife  of  Charles  Powell,  of 
Stronghurst  Township. 

Mr.  Davis  married  the  second  time,  February  28, 
1872,  Sophronia  M.  Taylor,  of  Burlington,  Iowa, 
the  widow  of  Allen  Hendricks,  and  a  daughter  of 
Allen  and  Margaret  (Budlong)  Taylor.  Mrs. 
Davis  was  born  June  27,  1841,  in  Huntington, 
Lorain  County,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Davis  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democracy,  and  has  served  as  School 


Director  for  a  number  of  years.  In  his  business 
career  he  has  prospered.  He  has  carried  on  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  quite  extensively,  and  is  now 
the  owner  of  nine  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  as 
fine  farming  land  as  can  be  found  in  this  com- 
munity .  His  home  is  a  beautiful  and  commodious 
one,  and  there,  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts 
of  life,  he  will  probably  spend  his  remain- 
ing days.  He  can  all  the  more  thoroughly 
enjoy  his  prosperity  as  it  has  come  to  him  through 
his  own  labors.  Through  life  he  has  endeavored 
to  follow  the  Golden  Rule,  and  his  honorable,  up- 
right career  is  one  well  worthy  of  emulation.  It 
has  also  gained  for  him  the  high  regard  of  those 
with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact,  and 
given  him  a  place  among  the  best  citizens  of  his 
adopted  county. 


*V  T.  POGUE  follows  farming  on  section  22. 
I  Walnut  Grove  Township.  He  was  born  in 
X  this  township,  August  27,  1845,  and  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer 
families  of  Henderson  County.  His  father,  John 
Pogue,  was  born  in  Ohio  about  18 19,  and  in  1837 
emigrated  westward  to  Illinois.  Here  he  worked 
as  a  farm  hand  until  the  following  year,  when,  at 
the  age  of  nineteen,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Brooks,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
born  in  18 16.  He  then  entered  land  from  the 
Government,  and  began  farming  in  his  own  inter- 
est. His  first  tract  comprised  eighty  acres,  and  to 
this  he  soon  added  an  eighty -acre  tract  adjoining. 
Subsequently,  he  purchased  more  land  from  time 
to  time,  until  he  became  one  of  the  largest  land- 
owners in  the  county,  having  at  the  time  of  his 
death  sixteen  hundred  acres.  He  was  truly  a 
self-made  man,  for  he  started  out  empty-handed, 
and  by  his  own  unaided  efforts  worked  his  way 
steadily  upward.  In  the  family  were  seven  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  yet  living,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  son,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years.  They  are:  Samuel  H.;  Maria  L.,  wife  of 
Dr.  Stewart,  of  Henderson  County;  I.  T.,  of  this 
sketch;  William  G.,  one  of  Henderson   County's 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


573 


successful  farmers;  Margaret  J.,  wife  of  Jacob 
Ford,  a  retired  farmer,  and  one  of  the  enterpris- 
ing citizens  of  Media:  and  James  and  John,  twin 
brothers,  who  make  their  home  in  Media. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He 
acquired  a  fair  education  in  the  country  schools, 
and  early  became  familiar  with  all  the  duties  of 
farm  work,  for  as  soon  as  old  enough  to  handle 
the  plow,  he  entered  upon  the  labors  of  the  field. 
On  attaining  his  majority  he  left  the  old  home- 
stead, but  did  not  go  far  away,  removing  to  a 
farm  adjoining  that  of  his  father's.  There  he 
lived  one  year,  when  he  removed  to  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides.  His  father  died  in  1887, 
leaving  deeds  to  his  large  estate,  which  was  dis- 
tributed to  the  satisfaction  of  all  the  heirs. 

In  October,  1866,  Mr.  Pogue  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Emeline  E.  Spears,  daughter 
of  Alexander  and  Mary  (  MeElroy  )  .Spears,  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to  Henderson 
County,  111.,  in  the  '50s.  Her  father  was  a 
blacksmith,  and  followed  that  trade  for  some  time 
exclusively,  but  afterward  purchased  land.  He 
then  devoted  his  time  both  to  farming  and  black- 
smithing,  but  at  length  abandoned  the  latter  on 
account  of  ill-health.  His  death  occurred  in 
1873.  In  the  family  were  eleven  children,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  one  who  died  in  infancy, 
all  grew  to  mature  years,  and  are  as  follow\s:  Mat- 
thew, Mrs.  Margaret  Campbell,  Mrs.  Jane  Stewart, 
James,  Emeline  (wife  of  our  subject) ,  Samuel, 
Clara,  William  A.,  Mrs.  Man'  E.  Whiteman  and 
Jessie  M.  Richie. 

Nine  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pogue,  of  whom  seven  are  yet  living:  Mary  Eliz- 
abeth, wife  of  Jacob  Rankin,  a  stock-buyer  of 
Media;  Mrs.  Anna  Margaret  Mathers,  of  Hen- 
derson County;  and  Blanche  L-,  Lewis  J.,  Mabel 
M.,  Ralph  S.  and  Clare. 

Mr.  Pogue  is  now  successfully  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  being  numbered  among  the  en- 
terprising and  successful  farmers  of  thecommunity. 
He  is  also  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  the  county, 
and  is  now  serving  as  County  Commissioner.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  Republican.  The  best  interests 
of  the  community  ever  find  in  him  a  friend,  and 


he  is  a  wide-awake  and  progressive  citizen.  He 
and  his  family  hold  membership  with  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church,  in  which  he  has  served  as 
Elder  for  more  than  twenty  years,  and  they  take 
an  active  interest  in  church  and  benevolent  work. 

(JOHN  BYLER  devotes  his  time  and  attention 

I  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  makes  his  home 
Q)  on  section  28,  Durham  Township.  The  By- 
ler  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, its  members  being  among  the  leading  farmers 
of  this  community.  The  father,  David  Byler, 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  county,  and  has 
become  one  of  its  wealthy  and  influential  citizens. 

Our  subject  was  born  on  the  old  homestead 
farm  on  Christmas  Day  of  1846,  and  was  reared 
to  manhood  under  the  parental  roof.  His  educa- 
tion was  acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  which  he  attended  through  the 
winter  season,  while  in  the  summer  months  he 
aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field  and  in  other  work 
of  the  farm.  To  his  father  he  continued  to  give 
the  benefit  of  his  services  until  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  when  he  was  mar- 
ried, and  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  February 
10,  1868  he  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Melissa 
Riley,  daughter  of  William  Riley,  of  Adams 
County,  and  by  their  union  were  born  three  chil- 
dren, a  son  and  two  daughters.  The  son  died 
December  19,  1891.  The  daughters,  Ettie  and 
Alvesta  J.,  are  both  living  with  their  father. 

Upon  his  marriage,  Mr.  Byler  rented  land  of 
his  father,  but  after  a  year  he  purchased  a  tract  of 
eighty  acres  and  began  the  development  of  what 
is  his  present  farm,  and  what  constitutes  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  this  locality.  His  wife  died 
October  5,  1879.  He  was  again  married,  on  the 
10th  of  April,  1881,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Mary  Hyatt,  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Mar- 
garet Hyatt,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
One  child  graces  this  union,  a  son,  Ernest  by 
name. 

Mr.  Byler  is  a  Master  Mason  of  nine  years' 
standing,  and   holds  membership  with    Burnside 


574 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Lodge  No.  683,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  belongs  to  the 
Old-School  Baptist  Church,  and,  in  his  political 
views,  is  a  Democrat.  His  life  has  been  well  and 
worthily  passed,  and  those  who  know  him  esteem 
him  highly  for  his  many  excellencies  of  character 
and  his  sterling  worth.  Durham  Township  num- 
bers him  among  its  best  citizens,  a  position  which 
he  well  merits. 


l^HM 


(1  AMES  A.  MARSHALL,  one  of  the  early  set- 
I  tiers  of  Henderson  County,  who  for  fifty- 
Qj)  seven  years  has  witnessed  the  growth  and 
development  of  this  region,  now  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  on  section  22,  Stronghurst  Town- 
ship. As  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
this  community,  we  feel  assured  that  the  record 
of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our 
readers,  and  therefore  gladly  give  it  a  place  in 
this  volume. 

Mr.  Marshall  claims  South  Carolina  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Fairfield 
County,  June  8,  1826,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander 
and  Mary  (McMillan)  Marshall.  The  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  was  of 
Scotch  extraction.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  Fairfield  County,  and  there  remained 
upon  a  farm  until  1837,  when,  with  his  family, 
he  came  by  team  to  Illinois,  reaching  his  destina- 
tion after  a  journey  of  two  months.  He  then  lo- 
cated in  Stronghurst  Township,  Henderson  Coun 
ty,  and,  entering  land  from  the  Government,  be- 
gan the  development  of  a  farm,  on  which  he  made 
his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  the 
age  of  seventy -three  years.  He  served  as  a  pri- 
vate in  the  War  of  181 2,  filled  the  office  of  Town- 
ship Treasurer  for  a  number  of  years,  and  was 
County  Assessor  for  several  years  in  an  early  day. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  community, 
and  in  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the 
county  he  bore  a  prominent  part.  His  wife, 
who  was  born  in  Chester,  S.  C,  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four,  and  was  laid  to  rest  by  the  side  of 
her  husband  in  Olena  Cemetery.  Her  parents 
were  both  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  and,  having 


crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  the  father  served 
in  the  Colonial  army  during  the  Revolutionary 
War. 

James  A.  Marshall  was  the  fifth  in  a  family  of 
seven  children,  numbering  six  sons  and  one 
daughter.  He  aided  his  father  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  home  farm  until  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
and  then  rented  the  old  homestead,  operating  it 
in  his  own  interest  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was 
early  inured  to  the  arduous  task  of  developing 
wild  land,  and  has  turned  the  first  furrow  on  many 
an  acre  of  prairie.  He  lived  here  when  Indians 
still  visited  the  neighborhood,  and  when  wild 
game  of  all  kinds  could  be  had  in  abundance. 

On  the  13th  of  March,  1851,  Mr.  Marshall  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Janet  H.  Richey, 
who  was  born  July  24,  1829,  in  Washington  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Richard  W.  and 
Helen  (Green)  Richey,  who  came  to  Illinois  in 
1840  and  located  upon  a  farm  in  Henderson 
County.  The  father  was  elected  County  Judge 
in  1852,  and  creditably  filled  that  responsible  po- 
sition for  sixteen  years.  He  also  served  as  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  a  number  of  years.  His  death 
occurred  in  Oquawka,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 
His  parents  were  natives  of  England,  and  his 
wife's  parents  were  born  in  Scotland.  Mrs.  Rich- 
ey was  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty-three  years. 

In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  were 
five  sons  and  six  daughters:  Maria,  wife  of  J.  W. 
McClinton,  a  farmer  of  Coloma,  111.;  James  W. , 
who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen;  Mary  H.,  wife  of 
W.  A.  Spear,  an  agriculturist  of  Henderson 
County;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Cecil  McArthur,  of 
Walton,  Kan.;  Cornelia  Ann,  wife  of  C.  H.  White, 
of  Somonauk,  111.;  Jennie  L-,  who  died  in  infan- 
cy; Charles  R.,  who  now  owns  and  operates  a 
part  of  the  old  homestead  farm;  John  D.,  an  agri- 
culturist of  Walton,  Kan.;  Florence  V.  and 
Thomas  R.,  at  home;  and  Hugh  L-,  who  carries 
on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Stronghurst  Township. 

Mr.  Marshall  gave  his  children  good  educa- 
tional privileges,  thus  fitting  them  for  the  duties 
of  life,  and  has  given  them  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
acres  of  land,  but  still  retains  possession  of  a  valua- 
ble tract  of  two  hundred  and  fortv  acres.      He  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


575 


his  wife  are  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Stronghurst,  and  the  worthy  couple 
have  the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances.  On  questions  of  national  im- 
portance, Mr.  Marshall  supports  the  Democracy, 
but  at  local  elections,  when  no  issues  are  involved, 
he  votes  independently  of  party  ties.  The  cause 
of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  he 
supports  all  worthy  enterprises  which  are  calcu- 
lated to  prove  of  public  benefit.  The  community 
recognizes  in  him  a  valued  citizen,  and  he  is  also 
numbered  among  the  honored  pioneers  of  the 
county. 

"5  *    enl  <*  T    7*  tin     '  ® 

(lOHNSON  TRIMMER,  who  carries  on  gen- 
I  eral  farming  on  section  5,  Stronghurst  Town- 
Q)  ship,  Henderson  County,  where  he  owns  and 
operates  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good  land, 
is  one  of  the  self-made  men  of  this  county,  who 
started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  but  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward.  He  was  born  in  War- 
ren County,  N.  J.,  on  February  5,  1833.  His  fa- 
ther, Daniel  Trimmer,  was  born  in  Warren  Coun- 
ty, X.  J.,  October  14,  1800,  and  became  a  black- 
smith by  trade.  In  1828  he  left  the  Kast,  emi- 
grating to  Ohio,  where  he  purchased  about  one 
hundred  acres  of  land,  and  in  connection  with 
farming  he  carried  on  blacksmithing,  thus  pro- 
viding for  the  wants  of  his  family.  He  was  mar- 
ried about  1823  to  Miss  Charity  Gulick,  who  was 
born  in  New  Jersey,  March  18,  1809.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  nine  children,  eight  of  whom 
grew  to  mature  years,  namely:  Mrs  Mary-  Ann 
Masters,  Joseph,  Abraham,  Johnson,  Conrad, 
Henry,  George  and  Mrs.  Catherine  Hoskin. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  called  to  his  final 
rest  on  the  3d  of  July,  1874,  and  the  mothei 
passed  away  about  one  year  afterward. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Johnson  Trimmer 
spent  his  childhood  days.  He  had  to  walk  three 
miles  to  school,  and  probably  did  not  attend 
school  for  more  than  two  years  altogether  in  his 
life,  yet  he  made  the  most  of  his  opportuni- 
ties, and  by  observation  and   business  experience 


he  became  quite  well  informed.  On  attaining  his 
majority  he  left  his  Ohio  home  and  went  to 
Iowa.  Later,  he  resided  in  Wisconsin,  and 
thence  came  to  Henderson  County,  111.,  where, 
on  the  15th  of  March,  1854,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Marietta  Westfall,  a  daughter 
of  Alva  and  Anna  (  Mapes;  Westfall.  They  were 
natives  of  New  Jersey,  but  in  an  early  day  re- 
moved to  New  York,  and  about  1836  became 
residents  of  Iowa,  where  they  spent  eight  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  they  came  to 
Illinois,  settling  in  Henderson  County,  where 
Mr.  Westfall  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits. 
They  had  eight  children:  Benona,  Mrs.  Caroline 
Brown,  Mrs.  Catherine  Dowell.  Mrs.  Trimmer, 
Mrs.  Nancy  Cargill,  Franklin  and  Lewis. 

Upon  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trimmer 
located  on  a  rented  farm,  for  they  had  no  capital 
with  which  to  purchase  property.  For  five  years 
they  rented  land,  and  then  purchased  eight) 
acres  on  section  5,  Stronghurst  Township,  a  part 
of  their  present  farm.  Mr.  Trimmer  at  once  began 
its  cultivation,  and  in  course  of  time  the  once 
wild  tract  was  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile 
fields.  As  his  financial  resources  were  increased, 
he  added  to  his  property  from  time  to  time,  thus 
extending  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  until  it  now 
comprises  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good 
land. 

Three  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Trimmer:  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Hurd,  who  was  born 
December  31,  1856,  and  who  died  November  7. 
1883;  Wesley  G.,  born  February  26,  1858;  and 
Mrs.  Charity  A.  Smith,  who  was  born  December 
5,  i860,  and  died  September  6,  1884.  They 
also  have  twelve  grandchildren.  Mr.  Trimmer 
aided  his  children  in  starting  out  in  life,  and  still 
has  plenty  for  himself,  owing  to  his  perseverance 
and  well-directed  efforts. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  both  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  are  earnest 
workers  in  the  Master's  vineyard,  doing  all  in 
their  power  for  the  advancement  of  the  cause. 
All  who  know  them  esteem  them  highly  for  their 
sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity,  and  their 
friends  in  the  community  are  many.  In  his  po- 
litical   views,    Mr.    Trimmer  is  a    Democrat.      He 


576 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


has  served  as  School  Director  for  about  twelve 
years,  and  as  Supervisor  for  about  three  terms, 
discharging  his  duties  with  a  promptness  and  fi- 
delity that  have  won  him  high  commendation. 

(JASPER  LOGAN,  who  owns  and  operates 
I  ninety  acres  of  good  land  on  section  34,  Lo- 
O  max  Township,  Henderson  County,  was 
born  in  Fayette  County,  Ind.,  on  the  8th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1846,  and  is  one  of  eleven  children  whose 
parents  were  George  W.  and  Melinda  (Martin) 
Logan.  Franklin  died  June  4,  1861.  Jasper  is 
the  next  younger.  William  H.  is  a  traveling 
man.  James  M.  is  a  resident  of  Ft.  Scott,  Kan. 
Amos  W.  died  August  31,  1878.  Lively  G.  W. 
is  living  in  Dallas  City,  111.  Samuel  lives  in 
Browning,  Mo.;  and  four  died  in  infancy. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  a  farm, 
and  was  a  lad  of  only  seven  summers  when,  in 
1853,  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Henderson 
County,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  During 
the  winter  season  he  attended  the  district  schools 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  then  entered 
Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College  of  Burling- 
ton, Iowa,  from  which  institution  he  was  gradu- 
ated after  completing  the  prescribed  course.  He 
was  still  at  home  in  1865,  but  on  the  gth  of  April 
of  that  year,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  troops.  He  was  mus- 
tered in  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Eighty- 
third  Illinois  Infantry,  at  Springfield,  but  was 
transferred  to  Company  G,  Sixty-first  Illinois  In- 
fantry. He  continued  in  the  service  until  after 
the  close  of  the  war,  when,  on  the  19th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1865,  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Nash- 
ville. 

Returning  to  his  home,  Mr.  Logan  then  com- 
pleted his  education,  and  on  attaining  his  major- 
ity he  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  For  one 
term  he  taught  school,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  he  rented  a  farm,  which  he  operated  for 
four  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  laud  on  section  34, 
Lomax   Township,    a    partially    improved    tract, 


which  he  at  once  began  to  further  cultivate  and 
develop.  He  now  owns  ninety  acres,  and  carries 
on  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  Thor- 
oughly understanding  his  business  in  all  its  de- 
tails, he  is  a  practical  and  progressive  agricultur- 
ist, and  in  his  undertakings  is  meeting  with  fair 
success. 

On  the  14th  of  April,  1870,  Mr.  Logan  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Scott,  and  their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  ten  children:  Lemuel  E.,  Clem- 
ent E.,  Royal  C.  (who  died  November  8,  1892, 
his  death  resulting  from  the  kick  of  a  horse ) , 
Clayton  H.,  Nellie  A.,  Ada  M.,  Horace  V., 
Lawrence  G.,  Nora,  and  one  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Logan  has  always 
been  a  Republican.  For  nine  years  he  served  as 
School  Director,  and  the  cause  of  education  found 
in  him  a  faithful  friend.  Socially  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Having  re- 
sided in  Henderson  County  for  forty  years,  he  is 
widely  and  favorably  known  within  its  borders, 
and  as  one  of  its  valued  citizens  he  well  deserves 
representation  in  its  history. 


I<"^">ri 


ROBERT  S.  HUMPHREY,  one  of  the  highly 
respected  farmers  of  Henderson  County, 
now  living  on  section  20,  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  was  born  on  the  9th  of  December, 
1856,  in  Kirkwood,  Warren  County,  111.,  and  is 
the  son  of  Henry  and  Ferba  ( Hagood )  Humphrey. 
The  mother  was  born  in  1812,  in  South  Carolina. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  in  an  early 
day  removed  to  Warren  County,  111.,  where  he 
engaged  in  operating  his  father's  land,  and  then 
followed  farming  upon  laud  which  he  purchased 
for  himself.  Later,  he  embarked  in  merchandis- 
ing, but  finding  this  venture  unprofitable,  he  re- 
sumed farming,  which  he  continued  until  his  en- 
listment in  the  Union  army  during  the  late  war. 
He  served  for  about  a  year,  when,  in  1865,  he  re- 
turned to  the  farm.  Not  long  after  this  his  wife 
died,  being  called  to  the  home  beyond  in  May  of 
that    year.     They  were    married   June   15,    1843, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


577 


and  became  the  parents  of  six  children,  four  of 
whom  are  yet  living:  J.  C,  who  makes  his  home 
in  Henderson  Count}-;  Mrs.  Eleanor  A.  Rankin, 
of  the  same  county;  John,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
livery  business  in  Griswold,  Iowa;  and  Roberts, 
of  this  sketch.  The  father  was  again  married,  in 
1869,  and  then  removed  to  Columbus  Junction, 
Iowa. 

On  the  death  of  his  mother  Robert  S.  Humph- 
rey went  to  live  with  C.  M.  Lant,  with  whom  he 
remained  three  years.  At  that  time  his  service 
seemed  quite  hard,  but  thereby  he  developed  a 
self-reliance  and  force  of  character  which  have 
proven  of  incalculable  benefit  to  him  in  later 
years.  Subsequently,  he  entered  the  employ  of 
S.  C.  Gibson,  with  whom  he  continued  for  two 
years,  receiving  a  small  salary  through  the  sum- 
mer season,  while  in  the  winter  months  he  worked 
for  his  board  and  the  privilege  of  attending  school. 
On  leaving  Mr.  Gibson  he  entered  a  mill,  where 
he  was  employed  for  a  year.  The  next  summer 
was  again  devoted  to  farm  work,  and  in  the  winter 
he  further  pursued  his  studies  in  the  district  school 
of  the  neighborhood.  He  worked  all  one  winter 
for  a  watch,  the  possession  of  which  he  wanted 
more  than  anything  else.  After  two  years  spent 
in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Rankin,  he  went  to  Mills 
County,  Iowa,  where  he  remained  for  a  year,  and 
then  returned  to  Henderson  County,  to  work  for 
his  brother,  Cyrus  Humphrey,  with  whom  he 
remained  two  years.  He  next  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Jo  Mathers,  working  as  a  farm  hand  by 
the  mouth. 

On  the  14th  of  March,  1883,  Mr.  Humphrey 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Louisa  L. 
Davis,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a  daughter  of 
Isaac  and  Ann  Davis.  She  died  on  the  22d  of 
August,  1890,  leaving  two  children:  Olive  A., 
born  June  20,  1884;  and  Earl  D.,  born  May  7, 
1890.  On  the  5th  of  November,  1891,  Mr.  Hum- 
phrey was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Brachie  Nevius,  daughter  of  John  S. 
and  Maria  A.  Nevius,  and  a  native  of  Henderson 
County.  Mr.  Nevius  is  now  deceased,  but  his 
widow  is  yet  living  in  Stronghurst.  In  their 
family  were  eight  children:  Simon,  who  is  now 
living  in  Stronghurst;   Mrs.    Catherine  Johnson; 


Mrs.  SarahJ.  Gilmore;  Peter  B.;  Mrs.  Humphrey; 
Mrs.  Mary  B.  Powlson,  who  died  in  Adams 
County,  Iowa,  leaving  two  children;  and  two  who 
died  in  childhood. 

Upon  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Humphrey  rented 
the  farm  on  which  he  is  now  living,  and  which  has 
been  his  home  continuously  since.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  hold  membership  with  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  are  highly  respected  citizens, 
who  have  many  warm  friends  throughout  the 
community.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican  and  is 
now  serving  as  School  Director  and  District  Clerk. 


3> 

HON.  JAMES  OSCAR  ANDERSON,  one  of 
the  representative  farmers  and  stock-dealers 
of  township  9  north,  range  5  west,  Hender- 
son County,  was  born  on  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides  August  r,  1845.  He  is  of 
Scotch  descent,  his  grandparents,  Thomas  and 
Elizabeth  Anderson,  having  emigrated  from  Scot- 
land, their  native  land,  to  America  in  an  early 
day.  They  located  in  Pennsylvania,  where  Mr. 
Anderson  was  extensively  engaged  in  stock- 
dealing.  He  was  murdered  for  his  money  in  a 
tavern  near  Lancaster,  Pa.  His  son  Alexander, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  York 
County,  Pa.,  June  5,  18 17,  and  was  reared  to 
manhood  upon  a  farm.  He  continued  to  make  his 
home  in  the  Keystone  State  until  i84i,whenhe 
came  to  Illinois  and  purchased  land  on  section  32, 
township  9  north,  range  5  west,  Henderson 
County,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  February  12,  1854,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-six  years.  He  took  quite  an  active  part  in 
local  politics  and  was  a  supporter  of  the  Dem- 
ocracy . 

Alexander  Anderson  was  united  in  marriage 
February  22,  1844,  with  Miss  Harriet  C.  Davis. 
who  was  born  on  the  13th  of  November,  1S21 ,  in 
Windham  County,  Vt.,  and  at  an  early  day  came 
to  the  West  with  her  parents,  Abner  and  Lucy 
(Oaks)  Davis.  Her  death  occurred  on  the  old 
homestead,  August  3,  1877.  In  the  family  were 
four    children,    two   of    whom    died    in    infancy. 


578 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


The  surviving  brother  of  our  subject  is  Charles 
A. ,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Stronghurst  Township. 

James  Oscar  Anderson  was  reared  upon  the 
old  home  farm  where  he  now  resides,  and  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  common  schools  and 
in  Monmouth  College.  When  he  was  about 
eighteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  service  of  his 
country,  enlisting  May  6,  1864,  as  a  member  of 
Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth 
Illinois  Infantry.  Nearly  this  entire  company 
was  formed  from  students  who  left  the  school- 
room to  aid  in  the  defense  of  the  Union.  Mr. 
Anderson  enlisted  for  one  hundred  days,  but  on 
the  expiration  of  that  period  re-enlisted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  H,  Twenty-eighth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. He  served  for  a  time  as  a  Sergeant,  was 
afterwards  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant,  and 
when  the  war  closed  was  sent  to  Texas  and  Mex- 
ico, being  retained  in  the  service  until  March  13, 
1866.  He  took  part  in  the  sieges  of  Mobile  and 
Ft.  Blakeley,  and  was  in  the  last  fight  of  the  war, 
April  13,  1865. 

On  receiving  his  discharge  Mr.  Anderson  re 
turned  to  his  home,  but  his  health  was  so  greatly 
impaired  that  it  was  a  year  before  he  was  able  to 
engage  in  work.  He  then  began  operating  the 
farm,  having  inherited  the  same  from  his  father's 
estate.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1867,  he  married 
Miss  Rhoda  B.  Paul,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
three  children:  Francis  M.,  a  farmer  of  Strong- 
hurst Township;  Edwin  A.,  at  home:  and  Eva  M., 
who  is  now  a  student  in  the  Stronghurst  High 
School. 

Mr.  Anderson  continued  to  engage  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  1876,  when  he  was  elected 
Sheriff  of  the  county  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
filling  that  office  for  ten  years,  the  limit  that  the 
constitution  allows.  On  his  first  election  he  re- 
moved to  Oquawka,  and  there  made  his  home 
until  1888,  when  he  returned  to  the  farm,  and  has 
since  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  the  breeding  of  Jersey  cattle. 
He  now  owns  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land,  which 
was  secured  on  a  land  warrant  given  his  grand- 
father Davis  for  service  in  the  War  of  1812. 
On  his  retirement  from  the  office  of  County  Sheriff 
he  was  elected  to  the   Legislature,  was  re-elected 


in  1890,  and  again  in  1892,  and  is  now  serving 
as  Representative  from  his  district.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging 
to  the  Blue  Lodge  of  Oquawka,  the  Chapter  of 
La  Harpe,  the  Commander},'  at  Galesburg,  and 
the  Consistory  at  Peoria.  He  also  holds  mem- 
bership with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows of  Oquawka,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  of 
Stronghurst.  Mr.  Anderson  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of 
Henderson  County.  His  long  continuance  in 
office  well  indicates  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  the 
confidence  and  trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow- 
townsmen.  He  is  a  most  able  member  of  the 
House,  faithful  to  the  best  interests  of  those  he 
represents,  and  among  the  Legislators  of  the 
State,  he  is  held  in  high  regard. 


flOHN  H.  HUGENSCHUTZ,  a  prominent 
I  and  well-known  farmer  of  Stronghurst  Towu- 
(2/  ship,  Henderson  County,  now  living  on  sec- 
tion 30,  is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of 
this  community,  and  is  one  of  its  self-made  men. 
He  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  on  the  29th 
of  January,  1821,  and  is  the  second  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  four  children  whose  parents, 
Harmon  H.  and  Mary  ( Stickford )  Hugenschutz, 
were  also  natives  of  Hanover,  Germany.  Two 
of  the  children  are  now  deceased,  George  D.  and 
Mary,  but  Caroline  and  John  H.  are  yet  living. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  a  tailor  by  trade, 
and  was  also  a  musician  of  considerable  merit. 

In  his  parents'  home  our  subject  spent  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  acquired  his  educa- 
tion. At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  began 
learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  worked  for 
two  years  for  $19-  He  has  been  dependent  upon 
his  own  resources  since  a  youth  of  fifteen:  at 
this  time  he  began  working  as  a  farm  hand,  being 
thus  employed  for  three  years,  during  which 
time  he  received  only  $21.  He  continued  to 
make  his  home  in  the  Fatherland  until  thirty  years 
of  age,  when  he  decided  to  emigrate  to  America, 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


William  Prentiss 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


581 


believing  that  he  might  thereby  benefit  his 
financial  condition.  Boarding  a  westward-bound 
sailing-vessel,  the  "Matilda,"  he  spent  seven 
weeks  upon  the  ocean,  and  on  the  2d  of  June, 
1 85 1,  landed  at  New  York.  For  three  years  he 
remained  in  the  Empire  State,  working  at  what- 
ever he  could  find  to  do  to  earn  an  honest  liveli- 
hood. 

In  December,  185 1 ,  while  in  New  York,  Mr. 
Hugenschutz  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Margaret  Annegers,  who  died  in  1854.  In  Octo- 
ber of  that  year  he  returned  to  his  native  land  on 
a  visit,  and  there  spent  the  succeeding  winter, 
coming  again  to  America  in  the  spring  of  1 855. 
It  was  then  that  he  located  in  Henderson  County, 
where  for  two  years  he  followed  the  carpenter's 
trade.  In  1856,  he  began  farming  and  has  since 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  with  good  suc- 
cess, until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres,  which  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved. 

In  1858,  Mr.  Hugenschutz  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock with  Miss  Margaret  Jurgens,  who  was  born 
in  Hanover,  Germany,  on  the  1st  of  August, 
1830,  and  came  to  America  in  1855.  Her  death 
occurred  on  the  1st  of  September,  1864.  Three 
children  were  born  of  that  union:  two  sous,  who 
died  in  infancy,  and  Mary,  wife  of  Dr.  I.  F. 
Harter,   of  Stronghurst. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Hugenschutz  is  a 
Democrat,  having  affiliated  with  that  party  since 
casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Stephen  A. 
Douglas.  He  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues 
of  the  day,  but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker, 
preferring  to  devote  his  entire  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  interests.  He  takes  quite  a  prom- 
inent part  in  social  interests,  is  a  member  of 
Carman  Lodge  No.  732,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Dallas 
City  Chapter  No.  11,  R.  A.  M.;  Burlington  Com 
mandery  No.  15,  K.  T.;  and  the  Order  of  the 
Eastern  .Star.  His  life  has  been  well  and  worthily 
spent,  and  though  he  has  taken  no  prominent 
part  in  public  affairs,  he  has  lived  an  honorable, 
upright  life,  that  has  won  him  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact.      With  no  capital,  he  began  life  for  him- 


self, but  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward, 
overcoming  the  obstacles  and  difficulties  in  his 
path  by  a  resolute  purpose  and  a  determined  will. 
As  the  result  of  his  enterprise  and  industry,  he 
has  achieved  a  success  which  has  made  him  one 
of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  community. 

@ .,  i=71j^-J|^lCS^.  si 


(ILLIAM  PRENTISS  is  a  member  of  the 
law  firm  of  Prentiss,  Montgomery  &  Hall, 
of  Chicago,  and  makes  his  home  in  Evan- 
ston.  He  has  been  engaged  in  practice  in  the 
city  since  1891  only,  but  in  this  short  period  of 
time  has  become  widely  known  and  has  gained 
an  enviable  reputation  at  the  Cook  Count)-  Bar. 
He  was  born  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  on  the  19th  of 
September,  1848,  and  is  the  elder  of  two  children 
whose  parents  were  Dr.  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Gapen)  Prentiss.  The  ancestors  on  his  father's 
side  were  of  Scotch  and  English  extraction,  and 
the  family  was  founded  in  America  in  1650  by 
Capt.  Thomas  Prentiss,  who  was  in  command  of 
a  company  of  horse,  and  was  known  as  "Thomas 
the  Trooper. ' '  He  also  had  quite  a  reputation 
as  an  Indian  fighter.  His  paternal  great-grand- 
father fought  in  the  Revolution  in  1776,  under 
La  Fayette,  and  had  charge  of  his  wagon-train. 
On  the  return  of  the  French  general  to  this  coun- 
try in  1824,  Mr.  Prentiss  was  visited  by  his  old 
commander.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject 
served  as  a  soldier  under  William  Henry  Harri- 
son in  the  War  of  18 12.  The  maternal  ancestors 
were  of  German  and  Irish  lineage,  and  that  fam- 
ily also  had  its  representatives  in  the  War  for  In- 
dependence, and  in  the  struggle  which  saved  the 
Union. 

William  Prentiss  acquired  his  primary  educa- 
tion in  the  common  and  High  Schools  of  Fulton 
and  McDonough  Counties,  111.,  and  later  attended 
Cherry  Grove  Seminary,  the  Normal  College  of 
Bloomington,  III.,  and  Knox  College  of  Gales- 
burg,  111.  He  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  this 
.State  during  his  infancy,  and  continued  here  to 
reside  until  1869,  when  he  went  to  Minnesota  on 
account  of  his  health.     There  he  engaged  in  farm- 


5«2 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ing  and  in  school  teaching,  and  for  three  years 
served  as  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  of 
Cottonwood  County,  making  his  home  during 
that  period  in  Windom.  On  leaving  the  North, 
he  returned  to  McDonough  County,  111.,  in  1876, 
and  located  at  Macomb. 

Mr.  Prentiss  began  fitting  himself  for  the  legal 
profession  while  on  the  farm,  and  after  going  to 
Macomb  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  J.  S. 
Bailey,  of  that  city.  In  1878  he  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar,  and  at  once  began  practice.  The  same 
year  he  was  elected  State's  Attorney  to  fill  an  un- 
expired term,  and  in  1880  was  elected  for  a  full 
term,  filling  that  office  until  December,  1884.  In 
1 88 1  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  Macomb,  the  only 
Democrat  chosen  to  that  position  in  the  city  for 
twenty-one  years.  In  1884  he  was  a  candidate 
for  the  position  of  Presidential  Elector.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  received  the  support  of  the  entire 
Bar  of  McDonough  County  for  Circuit  Judge,  but 
was  defeated  by  two  votes  at  the  Quincy  Conven- 
tion. In  anticipation  of  the  passage  of  a  bill 
then  pending  in  the  Legislature  which  would 
cause  a  fourth  j  udge  to  be  called  to  the  Bench  of 
the  Circuit  Court,  he  was  nominated  for  the  place, 
but  as  the  bill  did  not  become  a  law,  he  in  conse- 
quence was  not  elected.  In  1888  he  became  a 
candidate  for  Congress  from  the  Eleventh  Dis- 
trict, but  the  Republican  majority  was  too  great 
to  be  overcome  by  one  of  his  political  views. 
During  all  of  this  time,  Mr.  Prentiss  was  actively 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  as  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Prentiss,  Bailey  &  Holly.  They 
enjoyed  a  large  practice,  for  Mr.  Prentiss  was  ac- 
knowledged to  be  one  of  the  best  lawyers  in  that 
part  of  the  State.  He  was  also  one  of  the  most 
popular  citizens  of  that  community,  a  fact  well 
indicated  by  his  election  as  Macomb's  Mayor. 
The  high  regard  in  which  he  was  held  by  the 
members  of  the  fraternity  was  also  well  attested 
by  the  unanimous  support  given  him  as  candidate 
for  Circuit  Judge. 

In  1872,  Mr.  Prentiss  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  E.  Helen  McCaughey,  of  Fulton  Coun- 
ty, 111.,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with  three 
sous,  but  only  two  are  now  living.  James  M., 
born   in  1873,  was  drowned  in  Lake    Michigan, 


June  11,  1893.  He  was  out  boating  with  a  young 
lady,  and  in  exchanging  seats  the  boat  was  cap- 
sized. Through  his  heroic  efforts  to  save  the 
lady  he  lost  his  life.  Jackson  M.  was  born  in 
1875,  and  William  was  born  in  1879.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Prentiss  attend  the  Universalist  Church. 
In  1 89 1,  Mr.  Prentiss  removed  with  his  family 
to  Cook  County,  and  located  in  Evanston,  on  ac- 
count of  the  superior  educational  advantages  there 
afforded.  He  organized  the  law  firm  of  Prentiss, 
Montgomery  &  Hall,  and  has  since  been  actively 
and  successfully  engaged  in  practice  in  the  city. 
His  popularity  here,  and  the  high  opinion  of  others 
concerning  his  legal  ability,  were  manifested  in 
1893,  when,  after  a  residence  of  only  two  years  in 
the  county,  he  was  nominated  for  Circuit  Judge. 
The  Republican  landslide,  however,  caused  his 
defeat.  He  is  a  warm  advocate  of  Democratic 
principles,  takes  an  active  interest  in  political 
affairs,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Cook  County  Dem- 
ocratic Club,  the  Iroquois  Club,  and  the  Wau- 
bansee  Club.  He  is  also  a  Knight  Templar 
Mason,  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fra- 
ternity, and  belongs  to  the  National  Union  and 
the  Evanston  Club. 

6=  ^  d<'  f  >ta  s  d 

OUIS  P.  MAYNARD,  one  of  the  honored 
It  veterans  of  the  late  war,  who  followed  the 
l_2J  Old  Flag  through  much  of  the  hardest  serv- 
ice, is  now  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  on  section  19,  Terre  Haute  Township, 
Henderson  County.  The  greater  part  of  his  life 
has  been  passed  in  this  locality.  He  was  born  in 
La  Harpe,  Hancock  County,  July  2,  1839,  and  is 
a  sou  of  Louis  C.  and  Adeline  (Ward)  Maynard, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Massachusetts.  The 
family  is  of  Scotch  lineage.  The  father  was  a 
fanner,  and  resided  in  the  Old  Bay  State  until 
1835,  when  he  decided  to  seek  a  home  in  the  West, 
and  emigrated  to  this  State.  He  located  in  La  Harpe 
when  there  were  only  a  few  houses  in  the  town,  and 
there  established  a  general  store,  which  he  car- 
ried on  for  several  years.  Later  he  purchased  a 
tract  of  unimproved  land,  and,  devoting  his  time 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


5S3 


and  energies  to  its  development,  made  his  home 
thereon  until  1856.  He  then  removed  to  another 
farm  close  by,  upon  which  he  resided  until  his 
death.  He  died  November  8,  1893,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-seven  years,  and  was  buried 
in  La  Harpe  Cemetery.  His  wife  passed  away 
April  6,  1886,  and  her  remains  were  interred  in 
the  same  place. 

Louis  P.  Maynard  is  the  eldest  son  in  a  family 
of  five  children.  Lucy,  the  only  daughter,  is 
now  living  in  La  Harpe.  Harrison  died  in  Iro- 
quois County,  111.,  in  1878.  James  W.  follows 
farming  near  La  Harpe,  and  Pliny  is  also  a  farmer 
of  that  community.  Our  subject  was  reared  on 
the  old  homestead  farm,  and  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools.  He  was  still  at 
home  with  his  parents  at  the  time  of  the  breaking 
out  of  the  late  war,  but  soon  entered  his  country's 
service. 

Mr.  Maynard  enlisted  July  25,  1861,  in  Burling- 
ton, Iowa,  as  a  private  of  Company  D,  Seventh 
Iowa  Infantry,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  at  Bel- 
mont, Mo.  He  was  in  the  engagements  at  Ft. 
Donelson,  Shiloh  and  Corinth,  was  all  through 
the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  went  with  Sherman  on 
the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea.  He  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Belmont,  and  was  taken  prisoner, 
but  was  given  up  by  the  rebels  and  sent  to  Mound 
City  Hospital,  where  he  remained  for  about  six 
weeks.  He  was  also  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Corinth,  October  4,  1862.  He  was  discharged  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  with  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant, 
for  meritorous  conduct  had  won  him  promotion. 

When  the  war  was  over,  Mr.  Maynard  returned 
to  La  Harpe,  and  for  about  four  years  engaged  in 
farming  on  rented  land.  He  then  purchased  an 
eighty-acre  farm,  on  which  he  lived  for  ten  years, 
after  which  he  removed  to  his  present  home  on 
section  19,  Terre  Haute  Township,  where  he  first 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Now  a 
tract  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich 
land  pays  tribute  to  his  care  and  cultivation.  In 
connection  with  general  farming  he  carries  on 
stock-raising,  and  in  both  branches  of  his  busi- 
ness is  quite  successful. 

The  lady  who  bears  the  name  of  Mrs.  Maynard 
was,    in    her   maidenhood,    Jennie    Kirkpatrick. 


Their  wedding  was  celebrated  March  14,  1866. 
Unto  them  were  born  seven  children:  Clara, 
who  died  December  17,  1879;  Ruth,  at  home; 
George  and  Sudie,  and  three  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  family  is  widely  known  in  this  community, 
and  the  members  rank  high  in  social  circles.  Mr. 
Maynard  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  and  is 
now  serving  as  County  Commissioner.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 
takes  an  active  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  his  count)'. 

2=— ##+«—* 


(TOHN  IRONS,  who  now  carries  on  general 
I  farming  and  stock-raising  on  section  32, 
Q)  Walnut  Grove  Township,  Henderson  County, 
claims  Missouri  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Randolph  County  on 
the  1st  of  April,  1856.  His  parents,  Charles  and 
Mary  Irons,  were  both  natives  of  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  and  in  an  early  day  emigrated  to  Missouri. 
At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  the  father 
entered  the  Confederate  service,  and  was  in  the 
Southern  army  until  nearly  the  close  of  the  war, 
when  he  was  taken  ill,  dying  in  the  South.  His 
wife  had  passed  away  about  i860,  and  our  sub- 
ject was  thus  left  an  orphan. 

John  Irons  was  only  about  four  years  old  at  the 
time  of  his  mother's  death,  and  was  then  bound 
out  to  N.  H.  Rutherford,  a  fanner  of  Randolph 
County,  Mo.,  with  whom  he  remained  until  eigh- 
teen years  of  age.  His  privileges  and  advantages 
in  youth  were  very  limited.  He  attended  school 
but  very  little,  and  hence  is  almost  entirely  self- 
educated.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  left  his  na- 
tive State  and  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Mc- 
Donough  County,  where  he  spent  about  a  vear, 
working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey 
Mr.  Irons  chose  Miss  Dora  Mathers,  their  mar- 
riage being  celebrated  on  the  16th  of  January, 
1NS4.  The  lady  is  a  native  of  Henderson  County, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Robert  Mathers.  I  n  that  fam- 
ily were  six  children,  and  she  has  three  brothers 
and  a  sister  now  living.     Mr.  Irons  also  has  two 


5»4 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sisters  living:  Mrs.  Ella  Sharp,  who  makes  her 
home  in  Macon  County,  Mo.;  and  Mrs.  Maggie 
Poison,  who  is  living  on  a  farm  in  Henderson 
County.  Four  children  were  born  unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Irons,  namely:  Robert,  now  deceased;  Lo- 
gan and  Effie,  both  at  home;  and  one  who  died 
in  infancy. 

The  home  of  the  family  is  pleasantly  located  in 
Walnut  Grove  Township,  where  Mr.  Irons  now 
owns  eighty  acres  of  good  land.  He  carries 
on  general  fanning  and  stock-raising  and  is  meet- 
ing with  success  in  his  undertakings.  Industry 
and  enterprise  are  numbered  among  his  chief 
characteristics,  and  have  been  the  means  of  secur- 
ing for  him  the  comfortable  property  which  he 
now  possesses.  His  place  is  neat  and  thrifty  in 
appearance  and  indicates  to  the  passer-by  the 
careful  supervision  of  the  owner.  Mr.  Irons  is  a 
loyal  and  faithful  citizen,  yet  devotes  little  time  to 
public  or  political  interests.  Socially,  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
Although  his  father  was  a  Southern  soldier  and 
he  was  reared  as  a  strong  Democrat,  he  votes  the 
Republican  ticket,  and  is  a  warm  advocate  of  party 
principles. 


-«+^ 


|ILLIAM  HARRISON  BOWEN  is  success- 
fully engaged  in  general  fanning  and 
stock-raising  in  Raritan  Township,  Hen- 
derson County.  He  lives  on  section  18,  where 
he  owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
of  good  land.  His  farm  is  well  tilled,  and  its  neat 
and  thrifty  appearance  indicates  the  enterprise 
and  careful  supervision  of  the  owner,  who  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the 
community.  In  stock-raising  he  is  quite  success- 
ful, and'upon  his  farm  is  a  good  grade  of  horses 
and  cattle. 

Mr.  Bowen  was  born  in  Ohio,  January  22, 
1832,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Burton) 
Bowen.  The  father  was  born  in  Virginia,  was  of 
German  descent,  and  by  occupation  was  a  farmer. 
In  an  early  day  he  went  to  the  Buckeye  State, 
but  in  the  Old  Dominion   was  married.      He  con- 


tinued his  residence  in  Ohio  until  1836,  when 
with  teams  he  started  westward.  Several  fami- 
lies located  in  Michigan,  and  Mr.  Bowen  took  up 
land  from  the  Government.  Indians  still  lived 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  family  went  through 
all  the  experiences  of  life  on  the  frontier.  With 
ox-teams,  Mr.  Bowen  removed  his  family  to  Iowa 
in  1840.  but  after  a  short  time  purchased  a  tract 
of  unimproved  land  near  Blandiusville,  McDon- 
ough  County,  111.,  upon  which  he  built  a  log 
cabin,  16x18  feet.  There  he  made  his  home  for 
eight  years,  and  after  one  other  purchase  and  re- 
moval, went  to  Hancock  County,  where  he  bought 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  and  con- 
tinued its  cultivation  until  1854.  His  next  pur- 
chase made  him  the  owner  of  eight  hundred  acres 
in  Raritan  Township,  Henderson  County,  and 
upon  that  farm  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his 
death  occurring  March  29,  1890,  at  the  age  of 
ninety  years.  He  was  laid  to  rest  in  Terre  Haute 
Cemetery.  He  took  part  in  the  Mormon  War, 
was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  started  out  in  life  a  poor 
boy,  but  won  success  and  became  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  community.  His  wife 
passed  away  July  1,  1877. 

Upon  the  farm  our  subject  was  reared  to  man- 
hood. He  began  his  education  in  a  log  school- 
house,  and  has  often  walked  two  and  a-half  miles 
to  school.  His  advantages  in  that  direction  were 
not  of  the  best,  but  by  business  experience,  read- 
ing and  observation  he  has  made  himself  a  well- 
informed  man  and  keeps  abreast  with  the  times. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  left  the  parental  roof  to 
earn  his  own  livelihood,  and  began  working  on  a 
farm  by  the  month,  breaking  prairie  with  ox- 
teams.  Since  1853,  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
Henderson  County,  and  in  1855  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  7, 
Raritan  Township,  a  wild  and  unimproved  tract 
of  prairie.  It  was  soon  placed  under  the  plow, 
however,  and  as  the  result  of  his  care  and  cultiva- 
tion was  made  to  yield  to  him  good  harvests. 
There  he  lived  until  1865,  when  he  purchased  an 
eighty-acre  farm,  on  which  he  spent  three  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  bought  a 
quarter-section  of  land  in  Terre  Haute  Township, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


585 


and  upon  that  farm  resided  until  1878,  when  he 
became  the  owner  of  his  present  farm.  He  has 
altogether  three  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  rich 
land. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1851,  Mr.  Bowen 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Coon,  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Sarah  (Moody)  Coon,  a  na- 
tive of  Greene  County,  111.,  born  March  22,  1S35. 
Six  children  blessed  this  union:  Amanda  E.,  who 
died  November  14,  1886;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  J.  W. 
Shawgo;  Germanicus,  who  is  living  in  Terre 
Haute;  Clarinda,  wife  of  Albert  Brewer;  Lewis  C, 
who  died  December  14,  1892:  and  John  H.,  who 
died  February  27,  1891. 

Mr.  Bowen  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in  pol- 
itical affairs,  and  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
Both  are  highly  respected  people,  and  in  the  com- 
munity where  the}'  live  have  a  large  circle  of 
warm  friends. 

NERMANN  G.  ANNEGERS,  who  is  success- 
fully engaged  in  farming  on  section  28, 
Stronghurst  Township,  is  one  of  the  worthy 
citizens  that  Germany  has  furnished  to  Henderson 
County.  He  was  born  on  the  1st  of  June,  1834, 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  at  Badbergen,  and  is 
a  son  of  Hermann  G.  and  Catherine  M.  (Kuhl- 
mann)  Anuegers,  who  were  also  natives  of  that 
country.  The  father  was  a  civil  officer,  and  his 
family  numbered  five  children,  of  whom  our  sub- 
ject was  the  second  in  order  of  birth. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  early  boyhood  of  Mr.  Anuegers,  who  remained 
at  home  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  in  the 
common  schools  acquired  a  good  education.  At 
length  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  Amer- 
ica .  He  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  native  land  and 
took  passage  on  the  sailing-vessel  "Matilda," 
which  after  a  voyage  of  forty -three  days  dropped 
anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  York.  Lauding  on  the 
2d  of  June,  1851,  Mr.  Anuegers  spent  four  years  in 
New  York  City,  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery 
and  provision  store.      On  the   expiration    of  that 


period  he  was  joined  by  his  parents,  and  together 
they  made  their  way  westward  to  Henderson 
County,  III.,  where  the  father  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  29,  Strong- 
hurst Township,  having  brought  some  capital 
with  him  from  Germany.  Upon  that  farm  he  re- 
mained until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the 
14th  of  June,  1891,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years, 
his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  8th  of  March, 
1805.  His  wife  was  born  March  12,  1806,  and 
died  October  31,  1S57.  They  were  buried  on  the 
old  homestead,  and  a  substantial  monument  now 
marks  their  last  resting-place.  Both  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  were  highly 
respected  people. 

During  the  first  winter  after  his  removal  to  the 
west,  Mr.  Anuegers  of  this  sketch  engaged  in 
clerking  in  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  then  returned 
to  the  farm,  aiding  his  father  in  its  cultivation 
and  management  until  1870,  when  he  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  He  has  three 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land, 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  His  home  is  a 
comfortable  residence,  in  the  rear  of  which  stand 
good  barns  and  other  outbuildings,  while  these  in 
turn  are  surrounded  by  well-tilled  fields,  whose 
neat  and  thrift}-  appearance  indicates  the  careful 
supervision  of  the  owner. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1875,  Mr.  Anuegers 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  H.  Tay- 
lor, of  Burlington,  Iowa.  .She  was  born  at  Hunt- 
ington, Lorain  County,  Ohio,  August  30,  1845. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  four  children: 
Mary  Jennette,  born  October  24,  1876;  Clara 
Elmina,  born  December  2,  1881;  John  Hermann, 
born  April  18,  1886;  and  Francis  Allen,  born  De- 
cember 19,  1887.  The  family  circle  yet  remains 
unbroken,  for  the  children  are  still  with  their  par- 
ents. The  Anuegers  household  is  the  abode  of 
hospitality,  and  its  doors  are  ever  open  for  the  re- 
ception of  their  many  friends. 

On  questions  of  national  importance,  Mr.  An- 
uegers is  independent  and  he  supports  the  man 
whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  the  office.  He 
has  served  as  Supervisor,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  The  cause  of 
education  finds  in   him   a    warm   friend,   and    his 


586 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


eldest  daughter  is  now  attending  the  High  School 
of  Stronghurst.  Mr.  Annegers  is  a  self-made  man . 
who  started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  but  by  a 
resolute  will  and  determined  effort  has  overcome 
the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path  and  stead- 
ily worked  his  way  upward  to  success. 


^+^ 


tfjjjAMUEL  W.  BLACK  is  now  engaged  in  gen- 
7\  eral  merchandising  in  Olena.  He  has  a 
yfj  good  store,  supplied  with  a  complete  stock  of 
dry  goods,  boots  and  shoes,  groceries  and  hard- 
ware, and  is  now  enjoying  a  liberal  patronage, 
which  is  well  deserved.  Mr.  Black  has  a  wide 
acquaintance  in  this  community,  and  we  feel  as- 
sured that  the  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  in- 
terest to  many  of  our  readers.  A  native  of  Ohio, 
he  was  born  in  Greene  County,  November  8, 
1835,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth 
(George)  Black. 

The  father  was  born  in  Lexington,  Va.,  and 
upon  a  farm  was  reared  to  manhood.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-one,  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Greene 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until  1839,  when 
he  came  to  the  West,  locating  upon  a  farm  in 
Warren  County,  111.  A  part  of  the  city  of  Mon- 
mouth now  stands  upon  that  place.  There  Mr. 
Black  resided  until  1841,  when  he  came  to  Hen- 
derson County,  and  purchased  a  tract  of  raw 
land  in  Stronghurst  Township.  This  he  at  once 
began  to  improve  and  cultivate,  and  soon  his  la- 
bors made  it  a  valuable  tract.  Selling  that  farm 
in  1848,  he  purchased  land  a  mile  south  of  Olena, 
and  thereon  made  his  home  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  the  winter  of  1856.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Germany,  and  his  father  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  her  parents 
were  born  in  County  Cork,  Ireland.  In  Strong- 
hurst Township  she  spent  her  last  days,  passing 
away  April  17,  1885.  In  the  Black  family  were 
nine  children,  of  whom  Samuel  was  the  seventh 
in  order  of  birth. 

Since  the  age  of  six  years  our  subject  has  re- 
sided in  Illinois.      He  was  reared  under   the  par- 


ental roof,  and  when  he  had  attained  his  majority 
he  purchased  the  old  homestead  and  began  farm- 
ing in  his  own  interests.  He  is  a  successful  and 
energetic  farmer,  and  still  owns  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  rich  land,  which  in  its  improved  and 
cultivated  condition  attests  the  careful  supervision 
of  the  owner.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1864,  Mr. 
Black  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  C.  Z. 
Henman.  Unto  them  have  been  born  ten  chil- 
dren, but  two  of  the  number  died  in  infancy.  Et- 
tie  is  now  the  wife  of  Samuel  Lant,  a  farmer  of 
Henderson  County;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Burt 
Watson,  a  farmer  of  this  community ;  Nellie  is  the 
wife  of  Edward  Lant,  an  agriculturist;  and  Ida, 
Florence,  Samuel,  Andy  and  Wilbur  are  all  at 
home. 

For  twelve  years  Mr.  Black  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  of  Carman.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  has  faithfully  served 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  twelve  years,  and  was 
the  efficient  Constable  for  six  years.  In  1883,  he 
purchased  a  store  in  Olena,  and  is  now  giving  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  his  mer- 
cantile interests.  He  is  an  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive citizen ,  and  his  support  and  co-operation 
are  never  withheld  from  any  worthy  object.  He 
came  to  Henderson  Count}-  in  an  early  day,  and 
is  numbered  among  its  honored  pioneer  settlers. 
Those  who  have  known  him  from  boyhood  are 
numbered  among  his  stanchest  friends,  a  fact 
which  indicates  an  honorable  and  well-spent 
life. 


RNEST  W.  SALTER,  M.  D.,  a  leading 
^  young  physician  of  Stronghurst,  is  numbered 
among  Henderson  County's  native  sons,  for 
he  was  born  on  a  farm  within  the  borders  of  the 
county,  October  13,  1869.  The  family  is  of  Eng- 
lish origin.  The  father,  Paul  D.  Salter,  who  was 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  emigrated  westward  in 
1856,  and  settled  upon  land  in  Henderson  County, 
111.  On  the  30th  of  June,  1857,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  E.  Edwards,  daughter 
of  David  and  Eliza  (Bell)  Edwards.  Eight  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them,  namely:  William  E. ,  now 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


587 


a  grocer  of  Stronghurst;  David  P.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Henderson  Count}-;  Abbie 
B.,  wife  of  Sidney  Gridley,  an  agriculturist  of  the 
same  county;  John  N.,  who  carries  on  farming  in 
Warren  County;  Harriet  C. ,  wife  of  F.  Ackerman, 
a  lawyer  of  South  Chicago;  Ernest  W.,  of  this 
sketch;  Chalmer  N.,  a  pharmacist  of  Kirkwood, 
111.;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

During  his  boyhood,  Dr.  Salter  worked  upon 
his  father's  farm.  His  early  education,  which 
was  acquired  in  the  district  schools,  was  supple- 
mented by  study  in  the  schools  of  Kirkwood, 
which  he  entered  in  1884.  In  1886  he  went  to 
Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  and  became  a  student  in 
Howe's  Academy,  of  that  city,  where  he  remained 
for  eighteen  months.  From  early  youth  he  dis- 
played special  aptitude  for  study,  and  it  became 
his  earnest  desire  to  acquire  an  excellent  educa- 
tion. In  1888  he  went  to  Champaign,  111.,  and 
spent  fifteen  months  as  a  student  in  the  State  Uni- 
versity. This  completed  his  literary  education, 
but  he  at  once  began  fitting  himself  for  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine,  wishing  to  make  it  his  life  work. 

It  was  in  March,  1889,  that  Dr.  Salter  began 
studying  in  the  office  of  Dr.  McClanahan,  of 
Kirkwood,  where  he  remained  for  six  months.  In 
September,  1889,  he  entered  Bellevue  Hospital 
Medical  College,  of  New  York  City,  where  he 
continued  to  pursue   his  studies  until  March   28, 

1892,  when  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  On  the  23d  of  Ma}-  following,  he  opened 
an  office  in  Stronghurst,  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged  in  practice  in  this   place.     In   February, 

1893,  he  also  established  a  drug  store,  which  he 
conducts  in  connection  with  his  other  business 
interests. 

The  Doctor  was  married  June  22,  1892,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Flora  Hobart,  by 
whom  he  has  one  child.  Mrs.  Salter's  parents 
were  Frederick  and  Louisa  (Ford)  Hobart.  Her 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  the  daughter  of  Brig.- 
Gen.  Kean,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  War  of  18 1 2. 

Socially,  Dr.  Salter  is  connected  with  Lily 
Lodge  No.  553,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Magie  City  Lodge 
No.  397,  K.  P.;  and  Stronghurst  Camp,  M.  W.  A. 
He  proudly  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Benjamin  Harrison,  for  he  is  a  warm  advocate  of 


Republican  principles.  He  holds  membership 
with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  his  wife  be- 
longs to  the  Episcopal  Church.  The  Doctor  is 
one  of  the  leading  and  highly-respected  citizens 
of  this  community,  and  now  enjoys  an  extensive 
and  lucrative  practice. 


EH ARLES  E.  PEASLEY  owns  and  operates  a 
fine  farm  on  section  33,  Stronghurst  Town- 
ship, Henderson  County, having  four  hundred 
acres  of  rich  and  arable  land,  the  greater  part  of 
which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  It  is 
divided  into  fields  of  convenient  size,  and  in  re- 
turn for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  them 
they  yield  to  him  a  good  income.  A  comfortable 
home  and  good  barns  are  upon  the  place,  together 
with  all  accessories  and  conveniences  found  upon 
a  model  farm. 

The  owner  of  this  desirable  place  was  here  born 
December  22,  i860,  and  is  the  youngest  in  a 
family  of  four  children  whose  parents  were  John 
S.  and  Lucretia  (Crownover)  Peasley.  Addie, 
the  eldest,  is  now  the  wife  of  Nathaniel  Bruen. 
George  K.  is  engaged  in  stock-dealing  in  Greeley, 
Colo.  James  F.  is  a  prosperous  agriculturist  of 
this  community.  On  coming  to  this  county  the  fa- 
ther entered  land  from  the  Government, and  to  this 
added  from  time  to  time  until  he  was  the  owner 
of  an  extensive  tract.  In  connection  with  his  land 
speculations  he  also  engaged  in  stock-dealing,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  shippers  in  this  section  of  the 
country,  engaging  in  that  enterprise  at  a  very 
early  day.  He  was  numbered  among  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  the  community  and  was  a  valued 
and  highly-respected  citizen.  His  death  occurred 
January  25,  1866,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in 
Terre  Haute  Cemetery.  Mrs.  Peasley,  mother 
of  our  subject,  came  with  her  parents  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  Illinois  during  her  early  girlhood. 
She  still  survives  her  husband  and  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Burlington,  Iowa,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  Charles  E. 
Peasley  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  fields  during  the  sum- 
mer months,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  at- 
tended the  public  schools.  His  education  was 
completed  by  a  course  of  stud}-  in  Denmark  Acad- 
emy, in  Denmark,  Iowa.  On  attaining  his  ma- 
jority he  began  farming  for  himself  and  purchased 
the  old  homestead  from  the  other  heirs,  since 
which  time  he  has  devoted  his  energies  to  its  cul- 
tivation, except  for  a  period  of  three  years,  which 
he  spent  in  Colorado  engaged  in  the  stock  busi- 
ness. He  now  carries  on  stock-raising  and  ship- 
ping quite  extensively,  and  finds  this  a  profitable 
enterprise. 

On. the  3d  of  October,  1888,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Charles  E.  Peasley  and  Miss  Lou  E. 
Hunt,  of  Burlington,  Des  Moines  County,  Iowa, 
whose  parents  were  early  settlers  of  that  locality. 
Three  children  grace  the  union  of  our  subject  and 
his  wife,  John,  Eugene  and  Joseph.  Socially, 
Mr.  Peasley  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  lodge 
of  Carman  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  of 
Stronghurst.  He  has  followed  in  the  political 
footsteps  of  his  father,  and  is  a  stanch  advocate 
of  Republican  principles.  A  wide-awake  and  en- 
terprising young  man,  he  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  leading  farmers  and  citizens  of  this  commun- 
ity, and  in  the  county  where  he  has  so  long  made 
his  home  he  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 

&  "~~SI<?'T  <>&_;i  & 

(TjlDNEY  S.  SIMMONS,  one  of  the  highly  re- 
/\  spected  citizens  of  La  Harpe,  who  since  1892 
VjJ/  has  here  engaged  in  the  livery  business,  has 
the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Hancock  Count}-,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Fountain,  Green  Town- 
ship on  the  8th  of  May,  1848.  His  father,  Cal- 
vin D.  Simmons,  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1808, 
and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  In  1834,  he  left 
the  South  and,  emigrating  to  Illinois,  took  up 
his  residence  in  Sangamon  County,  where  he  spent 
a  year  and  a-half.  He  then  removed  to  Boone 
County,  Mo.,  but  after  a  few  months  he  returned 
to  this  State,  and  in  1836  cast  his  lot  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Fountain  Green  Township,  Han- 
cock County.      He  was  numbered  among  the  pio- 


neers of  this  locality,  and  was  one  who  took  an 
active  interest  in  all  that  pertained  to  the  welfare 
of  the  community  and  to  its  upbuilding.  His 
death  occurred  in  1881.  The  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject bore  the  maiden  name  of  Miranda  Hart.  In 
the  family  were  seven  children,  six  sons  and  a 
daughter.  Pinckney  D.,  deceased,  was  a  physician 
of  Boone  County,  Mo.,  at  the  time  of  his  death; 
Matilda  J.  died  in  Hancock  County  in  1864;  Mar- 
vin died  in  infancy;  Ninian  E.  is  a  farmer  of  Han- 
cock Township,  Hancock  County;  Andrew  R,  is 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Fountain 
Green  Township;  and  James  A.  is  also  an  agri- 
culturist of  the  same  township. 

Mr.  Simmons  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  the  youngest  child  of  the  family,  and  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  were  passed.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  the  community, 
and  he  became  thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the 
common  branches.  In  1864,  he  became  a  student 
in  Eureka  College,  and  pursued  a  literary  course 
for  two  years.  He  then,  in  1S65,  started  out  in  life 
for  himself  as  agent  for  a  lightning-rod 'company, 
and  continued  business  along  that  line  with  fair 
success  until  1871,  when  he  embarked  in  farming 
in  Fountain  Green  Township.  With  the  capital 
he  had  acquired  through  his  untiring  industry 
and  perseverance,  he  purchased  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  land  on  sections  35  and  36,  Fountain 
Green  Township,  and  at  once  began  its  develop- 
ment. He  placed  it  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation and  made  many  excellent  improvements, 
so  that  the  farm  was  considered  one  of  the  best  in 
the  neighborhood.  Its  rich  and  fertile  fields 
yielded  to  the  owner  a  good  tribute,  and  its  neat 
appearance  indicated  his  careful  supervision.  In 
the  fall  of  1890,  he  came  to  La  Harpe,  and,  pur- 
chasing the  livery  stable  of  Grove  Brothers,  he 
has  since  carried  on  operations  along  that  line. 

Mr.  Simmons  was  married  February  28,  1873, 
to  Nancy  E.  Bond,  and  five  children  have  been 
born  to  them,  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  but 
Maude  is  now  deceased.  Florence,  Clyde,  Claude 
and  Pearl  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr  Simmons  is  a  progressive  and  public-spirited 
citizen,  who  manifests  a  commendable  interest  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


589 


everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. For  four  years  he  has  served  as  Con- 
stable of  Fountain  Green  Township,  and  for 
twenty  years  he  served  as  School  Director.  The 
cause  of  education  has  ever  found  in  him  a  warm 
friend  and  he  has  done  effective  service  in  its  in- 
terest. Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  Gen.  Grant  in  1872,  he  has  been  a  stalwart 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and  its  princi- 
ples. He  is  an  honored  member  of  La  Harpe 
Lodge  No.  653,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  filled  all  of 
its  offices. 


gEORGE  W.  PICKENS,  of  Augusta,  111.,  is 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Han- 
cock County.  He  came  with  his  father's 
family  to  this  place  in  1849,  and  has  since  been 
numbered  among  its  residents.  Its  growth  and 
development  he  has  witnessed,  and  in  the  work 
of  progress  and  advancement  he  has  ever  borne 
his  part,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  aid  in  the  pro- 
motion of  worthy  public  enterprises.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity, and  is  most  highly  respected  by  all  who 
know  him. 

Mr.  Pickens  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of 
Illinois,  for  his  birth  occurred  near  Jacksonville, 
in  Morgan  County,  July  5,  1843.  His  parents, 
Samuel  and  Nancy  (Steel)  Pickens,  were  both 
natives  of  Mifflin  County,  Pa.  The  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  Pennsylvania  farmer,  and  died 
in  his  native  State  at  an  advanced  age.  He 
served  as  a  Deacon  in  the  Presbyterian  Church 
twenty  years,  and  had  a  family  of  one  son  and 
two  daughters.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Alex- 
ander Steel,  was  born  in  the  Keystone  State,  and 
in  1833  emigrated  to  Schuyler  County,  111.  This 
locality  was  then  on  the  extreme  western  frontier, 
and  great  herds  of  buffalo  and  deer  roamed  over 
the  country.  He  died  in  Schuyler  County  at  an 
advanced  age.  Samuel  Pickens  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits  throughout  his  life,  and  after  his 
emigration  to  Illinois,  in  1839,  purchased  a  small 
farm  in  Morgan  County,  which  he  operated  until 

31 


1849.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Hancock  County, 
and  purchased  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  in  Augusta  Township.  To  this  he  added 
from  time  to  time,  as  his  financial  resources  in- 
creased, until  his  landed  possessions  aggregated 
eight  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres,  nearly  all  of 
which  was  highly  improved.  He  died  June  19, 
1882,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years  and  seven 
months,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1865.  They 
were  both  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith.  This 
worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  six  sons  and 
three  daughters,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Mary  E.,  widow  of  William  H.  Burke,  of  Osborne 
County,  Kan.;  William  A.,  who  is  living  near 
Kirksville,  Mo.;  George  W.,  of  Augusta;  Jehu  P., 
who  makes  his  home  near  Kirksville,  Mo. ;  Allen 
S.,  who  resides  near  Kingfisher,  Okla;  Edward 
J.,  of  Adams  County,  111.;  and  Eliza  A.,  wife  of 
Edward  Gorden,  of  Augusta. 

When  a  child  of  six,  George  W.  Pickens  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Hancock  County,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  public  schools,  save  when  he  spent 
one  year  in  Hedding  College,  Knox  County,  in 
1866.  He  was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority,  when  his  father  gave  him 
some  land  and  he  began  farming  in  his  own 
interest.  In  1864,  he  entered  the  service  of  his 
country,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  A, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry. 
When  the  war  was  over  he  received  an  honorable 
discharge,  and  at  once  returned  to  his  home. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1866,  Mr.  Pickens 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  B.  Burke, 
daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  ( Balfour) 
Burke,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the 
latter  of  North  Carolina.  Nine  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pickens,  but  Helen  S.,  the 
eldest,  is  now  deceased;  Amanda  is  the  wife  of 
George  W.  Dunlavy,  a  teacher  in  the  Western 
Normal  College,  of  Bushnell,  111.;  Henry  G., 
Cyrus  E.,  Mary  J.  and  William  R.  are  still  at 
home;  Pearl  V.  is  deceased;  and  Abbie  G.  and 
Bessie  L.  complete  the  family. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pickens  and  five  of  their  children 
are  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and   take 


59° 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


an  active  interest  in  its  work  and  all  that  pertains 
to  the  advancement  of  the  cause.  They  have  a 
pleasant  home,  which  is  the  abode  of  hospitality, 
and  in  social  circles  they  hold  an  enviable 
position.  Besides  his  residence,  Mr.  Pickens 
owns  other  property  in  Augusta.  In  politics,  he 
is  a  Democrat. 

IILLIAM  ALEXANDER  SPEARS,  one  of 
the  successful  and  highly  respected  farmers 
of  Henderson  County,  who  in  this  locality 
has  spent  his  entire  life,  was  born  on  the  22d  of 
July,  1856,  on  section  8,  township  9  north,  range 
4  west.  On  the  father's  side  he  comes  of  Scotch 
ancestry.  His  grandfather,  Alexander  Spears, 
was  born  in  Paisley,  Scotland.  When  a  young 
man  he  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  native  laud  and 
crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  America,  where  he 
spent  his  remaining  days.  The  grandmother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  McHenry. 

Alexander  Spears,  father  of  our  subject,  claimed 
Pennsylvania  as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  for  he 
was  born  in  Beaver  County,  on  the  nth  of  Sep- 
tember, 1812.  Having  attained  to  years  of  ma- 
turity, he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
McElroy,  who  was  born  in  Beaver  County,  Pa., 
February  16,  1819,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent. Mr.  Spears,  when  a  young  man,  learned 
the  blacksmith's  trade  and  followed  that  occupa- 
tion during  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  on  the  1  ith  of  December, 
1872,  and  Henderson  County  thus  lost  one  of  its 
early  settlers.  In  his  family  were  ten  children, 
four  sons  and  six  daughters. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity,  W.  A.  Spears  of 
this  sketch  spent  the  days  of  lus  boyhood  and 
youth,  his  time  being  passed  in  the  usual  manner  of 
fanner  lads.  He  early  became  familiar  with  all  the 
duties  of  farm  work.  His  education  was  all  ac- 
quired in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
with  the  exception  of  three  months'  study  in  a  com- 
mercial college  of  Burlington,  Iowa.  On  attaining 
his  majority  he  embarked  in  farming  for  himself 
and  has  since  followed  that  pursuit.      He  keeps  his 


land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  his  farm 
is  a  well-improved  place,  neat  and  thrifty  in  ap- 
pearance. 

On  the  nth  of  March,  1880,  Mr.  Spears  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Mary  Helen  Marshall, 
who  was  born  February  14,  1858,  at  the  family 
homestead  on  section  22,  township  9  north,  range 
5  west,  of  Henderson  County.  Her  father,  James 
Alexander  Marshall,  was  born  in  the  Fairfield 
District  of  South  Carolina,  and  came  to  Illinois 
on  the  3d  of  June,  1837.  Her  mother,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Jeanette  Hoy  Richey,  was 
born  in  Lakeville,  Washington  County,  N.  Y., 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Judge  R.  W.  Richey.  She 
came  to  Illinois  on  the  2d  of  November,  1840. 
Four  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spears, 
of  whom  three  are  yet  living,  namely:  Jean  Eliza- 
beth, born  October  2,  1886;  Jessie  McElroy,  born 
January  i,  1890;  and  Lois  Helen,  born  October 
3,  1891.  Jeanetta  Mary,  born  August  5,  1882, 
died  February  29,  1888. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Spears  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  is  a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  Hen- 
derson County,  and  an  honorable,  straightforward 
career  has  won  for  him  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact, 
and  gained  for  him  many  friends. 


ELARENCE  G.  RICHEY,  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  dairy  farming  and  stock-raising 
on  section  7,  Walnut  Grove  Township,  was 
born  in  Henderson  County,  on  the  10th  of  Au- 
gust, 1859,  and  his  entire  life  has  been  spent  upon 
the  home  farm.  His  parents  were  Thomas  G. 
and  Lavina  (Randall)  Riehey.  His  grandfather, 
Judge  Richard  W.  Richey,  was  born  in  Charlton, 
Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  November  22,  1802, 
and  was  the  eldest  child  of  Andrew  and  Polly 
( West )  Richey,  the  former  a  native  of  Cam- 
bridge, N.  Y.,  and  the  latter  of  Connecticut. 
The  father  died  when  Richard  was  quite  young, 
and  the  lad  received  but  little  schooling.  In  early 
life  he  worked  at  tanning  and  carpentering,  and  at 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


59i 


the  age  of  eighteen  went  to  Cambridge  and  en- 
gaged in  the  tanning  and  currying  business.  In 
1823,  he  married  Miss  Nellie  Green,  of  Cam- 
bridge, and  unto  them  were  born  five  children. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  was  married, 
in  1840,  to  Miss  Agnes  Green,  of  Ohio,  and  emi- 
grated to  Henderson  County,  111.,  which  then 
formed  a  part  of  Warren  County.  He  settled  at 
Walnut  Grove  and  bought  eighty  acres  of  land, 
on  which  he  built  a  double  log  cabin,  18x50  feet, 
and  a  story  and  a-half  in  height,  containing  three- 
apartments.  This  building  is  still  standing. 
During  the  Mormon  disturbances  at  Nauvoo,  at 
the  request  of  Gov.  Ford,  of  Illinois,  he  raised  a 
company  to  assist  in  preserving  the  peace.  He 
did  not  take  his  troops  to  Nauvoo,  but  visited  the 
seat  of  hostilities  and  was  requested  by  the  Gov- 
ernor to  take  command  of  the  militia  there  at  the 
time.  In  1S54,  he  was  elected  County  Judge,  and 
filled  that  office  until  1875,  with  the  exception  of 
four  years.  During  that  time  he  made  his  home 
in  the  county  seat.  His  second  wife  died  in 
1856,  and  the  following  year  he  married  Mrs. 
Cornelia  ( Day  I  Moir,  widow  of  Alexis  Phelps. 
The  Judge  was  a  life-long  Democrat  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Thomas  G.  Richey, 
was  a  native  of  Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  born 
April  25,  1825.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer. 
In  1840,  he  started  for  Illinois,  making  the  jour- 
ney with  an  ox-team  and  wagon.  He  purchased 
one  hundred  acres  of  land,  paying  for  it  $2  per 
acre,  with  money  he  earned  in  California.  To 
this  he  kept  adding  from  time  to  time  until  he 
owned  a  most  excellent  farm,  upon  which  he 
made  his  home  until  1884,  when  he  removed  to 
Kirkwood  on  account  of  his  wife's  health.  Shortly 
afterwards,  however,  he  went  to  Olena,  where  he 
was  taken  sick,  and  died  December  15,  1885. 

During  the  excitement  attendant  upon  the  dis- 
covery of  gold  in  California,  Thomas  G.  Richey 
crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox -team  and  remained 
in  the  West  about  two  years.  He  was  by  com- 
mon consent  placed  at  the  head  of  the  vigilance 
committee  which  was  formed  after  the  Brook 
tragedy,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  his  skill  and 
energy  that  every  horse-thief  in  the  county  from 


the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  committee  was 
brought  to  justice.  Mr.  Richey  was  a  devoted 
member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  and 
an  earnest  worker  in  its  interests. 

Mrs.  Richey,  our  subject's  mother,  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Roswell  and  Charlotte  Randall,  natives  of 
New  York,  and  with  her  parents  she  came  to  War- 
ren County,  111.,  in  1845.  In  the  family  were  six 
children,  all  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely: 
'Mrs.  Helen  S.  Ferris,  now  of  South  Dakota; 
Charles  E. ,  who  makes  his  home  in  Chicago: 
Lillian  M.,  wife  of  Dr.  Cowden,  who  is  living  in 
Winfield,  Iowa;  Frank,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
creamery  business  in  Somonauk,  111.;  Dora  A., 
wife  of  A.  G.  McCowen,  of  Henderson  County: 
and  Clarence  G. 

Our  subject  acquired  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  which  he  attended  until  sixteen 
years  of  age.  To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit 
of  his  services  until  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
and  then  started  out  for  himself,  working  as  a 
farm  hand  by  the  month.  Thus  he  was  employ- 
ed until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  on  the  4th 
of  October,  1881,  Miss  Jessie  M.  Spears  becoming 
his  wife.  The  lady  is  a  daughter  of  Alexander 
and  Mary  (  McElrov  1  Spears,  the  former  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  They 
came  to  Illinois  in  1840,  and  the  father  engaged 
in  blacksmithiug  and  farming  in  Henderson 
County.  In  their  family  were  eleven  children: 
Matthew,  Mrs.  Margaret  Campbell,  Mrs.  Jane 
Stewart.  James,  Mrs.  Emeline  Pogue,  Samuel, 
William  A.,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Whiteman,  Clara  and 
Mrs.  Jessie  M.  Richey.  Seven  of  these  children 
are  yet  living. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  has 
been  blessed  with  four  children,  namely.  RossS., 
who  was  born  September  24,  1882;  Grace,  born 
March  11,  18S5;  Mary  B.,  born  July  8,  [887; 
and  William  H.,  born  May  5,  [893.  The  parents 
are  both  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  are  highly-respected  citizens  of  this 
community. 

Upon  his  father's  death,  Mr.  Richey  bought 
the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  the  home  farm, 
and  is  now  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
acres  of  valuable  land,  which    is    under    a    high 


592 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved.  It  con- 
stitutes one  of  the  finest  farms  in  this  locality. 
The  owner  is  now  engaged  in  stock-raising  and 
in  the  dairy  business,  and  along  these  lines  is 
meeting  with  good  success.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  is  now  serving  as  School  Direc- 
tor. Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  always  lived  in 
Henderson  County, where  he  is  widely  and  favor- 
ably known.  His  stanchest  friends  are  among' 
those  who  have  known  him  from  boyhood,  a  fact 
which  plainly  indicates  a  well-spent  and  honora- 
ble life. 


&+& 


REV.  JOHN  M.  McARTHUR,  of  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church  at  Stronghurst,  was 
the  first  resident  pastor  of  any  denomination 
in  that  place.  He  was  born  at  Mclndoe's  Falls, 
Vt. ,  January  9,  1850.  His  father,  the  Rev.  James 
McArthur,  was  born  in  Cambridge,  N..Y.,  Janu- 
arys, 1815,  and  was  first  engaged  in  farming,  then 
in  teaching,  and  after  the  usual  courses  of  study- 
was  graduated  successively  from  Cambridge  Acad- 
emy, Franklin  College  and  Canonsburgh  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  He  was  ordained  September 
1 1 ,  1846,  and  settled  as  pastor  of  Barnet  and  Rye- 
gate  congregations  in  Vermont  for  twelve  years. 
In  1859  he  came  to  Henderson  County,  Ilk,  and 
for  thirteen  years  was  pastor  of  Ellison  congrega- 
tion, worshipping  at  Walnut  Grove.  Impaired 
health  led  him  then  to  resign,  and  his  friends,  feel- 
ing that  he  was  too  valuable  a  man  to  leave  un- 
employed, without  effort  on  his  part  secured  his 
election  by  a  large  majority  as  County  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools.  Refusing  re-election,  he  lived 
on  the  home  farm  until  he  removed  to  be  with 
his  sons  in  Walton,  Kan.,  where  he  made 
his  home  until  the  Sabbath  of  October  9, 
1SS7,  when  he  fell  asleep.  Father  McAr- 
thur, as  a  preacher,  was  clear,  earnest  and 
fearless;  as  a  scholar,  he  would  read  for  recre- 
ation, as  he  grew  old,  the  Greek  theolog- 
ians,   with    Latin    foot    notes;    as    a    pastor,    he 


was  a  wise  winner  of  souls,  and  his  presence 
was  accounted  a  benediction  in  every  home; 
as  a  reformer,  he  successfully  opposed  evil,  and 
was  that  rare  man  who  gained  the  respect  and  af- 
fection of  even  the  classes  he  opposed.  He  lived 
a  life  that  was  a  model  and  an  inspiration,  and 
leaves  a  fragrant  memory  of  his  words  and  deeds. 

The  mother  of  Rev.  John  McArthur  was  born 
in  Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  in  1826.  She  was  an  ac- 
complished woman,  who  placed  her  talents  and  at- 
tainments on  the  Lord's  altar  beside  her  hus- 
band's. She  was  called  away  by  death  in  1870, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Walnut  Grove  Cemetery, 
where  her  husband  has  since  also  received  inter- 
ment. 

In  the  McArthur  family  were  the  following 
children:  Nettie,  now  of  Walton,  Kan. ;  JohnM., 
of  this  sketch;  J.  Wellington,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  thirty-four;  Cecil,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
at  Walton,  Kan.;  Samuel  R.,  a  successful  cloth- 
ing merchant,  also  of  Walton;  Anna  M.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six;  and  Nellie  E. ,  wife 
of  Henry  Brush,  of  Kansas. 

When  nine  years  of  age,  John  M.  McArthur 
came  with  his  parents  to  Henderson  County,  111., 
and  lived  but  three  and  a-half  miles  from  his 
present  church.  He  was  graduated  from  Mon- 
mouth College  in  1872,  spent  one  year  at  the  New- 
burgh  Theological  Seminary  in  New  York,  and 
was  graduated  from  the  Theological  Seminary  of 
Xenia,  Ohio,  in  1874.  He  was  licensed  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Monmouth  in  1873,  and  ordained 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Xenia  in  1874.  In  the  fall 
of  that  year  he  was  installed  pastor  at  Reynolds- 
burgh,  Ohio,  remaining  until  1S77;  was  pastor  at 
McDonald,  Pa.,  from  1877  to  1880;  at  Yorkville, 
Wis.,  from  1881  to  1886;  and  in  Iowa,  from 
1886  to  1890.  During  1891  and  1892,  Rev. 
McArthur  was  engaged  as  a  lecturer  in  Ohio, 
Illinois  and  Iowa  on  temperance  and  kindred 
themes.  Visiting  his  former  home  here  in  1892, 
he  was  secured  as  pastor  of  Stronghurst  congre- 
gation, and  duly  installed  pastor  September  7, 
1892. 

On  the  1  st  of  December,  1881,  Rev.  McArthur 
married  Miss  Jennie  Burns,  of  Waupaca,  Wis., 
an  accomplished  lad}-,    and  peculiarly   successful 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


593 


in  Sabbath-schools  and  Junior  Bands.  James  Le- 
roy,  their  first  child,  died  in  his  sixth  year; 
Robert  Cecil,  Ethel  W.  and  Anna  Margaret  are 
the  names  of  the  rest. 

The  standing  of  Rev.  John  M.  McArthur  in 
pulpit,  on  platform  and  in  literary  criticism, 
is  recognized  and  established.  Well-organized 
churches,  religious,  educational  and  secular  en- 
terprises fostered  by  his  tongue  and  pen,  the  poor 
and  troubled  ones  who  have  found  his  helping 
hand,  and  the  cultured  class  of  hearers  who  every- 
where attend  his  ministry,  are  the  witnesses  to 
his  consecration  to  the  service  of  God  and  man. 


V/lRS.  ELIZA  J.  FINCH,  who  is  living  in 
Y  Oquawka,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native 
0  of  Illinois,  for  she  was  born  in  Champaign, 
on  the  24th  of  December,  1851.  Her  father, 
Philip  Adkins,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  about 
[S44  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza 
Crabb.  When  he  was  a  child  he  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  Illinois,  the  family  locating  in 
Champaign  County,  where  he  grew  to  manhood, 
and  was  married.  Six  children  were  born  of 
their  union:  Mrs.  Matilda  E.  Gibson,  Mrs.  Eliza 
J.  Finch,  John  S.,  and  three  who  died  in  child- 
hood. Mr.  Adkins,  during  the  late  war,  entered 
the  service  as  a  member  of  the  Thirty-ninth  Iowa 
Infantry.  He  now  receives  a  pension  of  $10  per 
month  from  the  Government  in  recognition  of  his 
services.  On  leaving  Illinois,  he  moved  to  Iowa, 
about  1857,  and  after  a  few  years  spent  in  Des 
Moines,  purchased  a  farm  in  Greene  County, 
upon  which  he  still  makes  his  home. 

Mrs.  Finch  spent  the  days  of  her  girlhood  in 
her  parents'  home,  and  in  the  public  schools 
acquired  a  good  English  education.  On  the  12th 
of  September,  1870,  she  became  the  wife  of 
Stephen  N.  Van  Horn,  of  Greene  County,  Iowa, 
the  ceremony  being  performed  by  Stephen  Jack- 
son, a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  They  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  that  county,  purchas- 
ing eighty  acres  of  land.  Six  children  were  born 
to    them:   Mary    M.,.born    November    3,     1872: 


Harry  E.,  June  29,  1873;  Eliza  J.,  March  17, 
1875;  Ada  A.,  January  17,  1877;  Philip  E.,  Sep- 
tember 8,  1879;  and  one  who  was  born  Septem- 
ber 28,  1889,  and  died  in  infancy. 

After  living  upon  their  first  farm  for  fifteen 
years,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Horn  removed  to  an- 
other farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Greene  County, 
where  they  remained  fur  six  years.  They  then 
purchased  a  home  in  Ripley,  and  removed  to  that 
place,  where  they  lived  until  the  15th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1892,  when  they  decided  to  separate.  Mrs. 
Van  Horn  went  to  Guthrie  County,  Iowa,  where 
she  earned  her  living  at  general  housework  and 
nursing.  On  the  ioth'of  February,  1894,  she 
was  married  to  Charles  L.  Finch  by  .Squire  Galy, 
of  Aledo,  111.  On  the  12th  of  March,  she  sent 
Mr.  Finch  to  Greene  County,  Iowa,  to  collect  a 
note  of  $300,  and  the  man  probably  secured  the 
money  and  fled,  for  she  has  never  since  heard 
from  him.  Mrs.  Finch  yet  makes  her  home  in 
Oquawka,  where  she  has  a  pleasant  residence, 
and  some  other  property  in  notes,  etc.  Her  busi- 
ness is  in  charge  of  Elbert  W.  Weeks,  an  attorney 
of  Guthrie  Center,  Iowa.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  has  been  a 
constant  worker  in  its  interest,  doing  much  for 
its  upbuilding  and  advancement. 


|~\ETER  C.  BAINTER,  who  is  engaged  in 
yr  farming  on  section  13,  Terre  Haute  Town- 
\2)  ship,  Henderson  County,  claims  Ohio  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Muskingum  County  on  the  25th  of  September, 
1830.  The  Bainter  family  is  of  German  origin. 
The  parents  of  our  subject,  Peter  and  Mary  Bain- 
ter, were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in 
their  family  vvere  seven  children,  namely:  Abra- 
ham, who  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  La  Harpe: 
William  A.,  who  follows  farming  in  Hancock 
County;  Lucenia,  wife  of  Samuel  Gower,  of  La 
Harpe,  111.;  Andrew  J.,  who  died  in  1890;  Peter 
C;  Thomas  J.,  a  farmer  living  in  Kansas;  and 
Mary  J.,  who  died  in  1889. 

The  father  of  this  family  was  engaged   in   agri- 


594 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


cultural  pursuits  throughout  his  entire  life.  In 
an  early  day  he  removed  from  the  Keystone  State 
to  Ohio,  and  there  grew  to  manhood  and  was  mar- 
ried. He  was  numbered  among  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  Muskingum  County.  In  1852  he  emi- 
grated to  Hancock  County,  111.,  locating  in  La 
Harpe  Township,  where  he  purchased  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  wild  and  unimproved 
land.  There  he  successfully  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  for  many  years,  but  at  length  re- 
moved to  La  Harpe,  where  he  spent  his  last  days 
in  retirement.  His  death  occurred  in  1888,  and 
his  remains  were  interred  in  La  Harpe  Cemetery. 
His  wife  survived  him  three  years,  and  was  called 
to  the  home  beyond  in   1891. 

Upon  the  home  farm  Mr.  Bainter  spent  his  child- 
hood days,  and  his  early  education  was  acquired 
111  the  old-time  subscription  schools,  which  were 
held  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  furnished  in  a  primi- 
tive fashion.  His  advantages  in  that  direction 
were  somewhat  meagre,  but  his  training  at  farm 
labor  was  not  limited.  On  attaining  his  majority 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  working  as  a 
farm  hand  for  the  sum  of  $8  per  month  After- 
ward he  engaged  in  operating  rented  land  and  in 
working  for  others  until  the  spring  of  1854,  when 
he  rented  a  farm  near  La  Harpe,  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, upon  which  he  made  his  home  for  six  years. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  13,  Terre  Haute 
Township,  Henderson  County,  a  partially  im- 
proved tract,  on  which  was  a  small  house.  Here 
he  has  lived  ever  since,  but  a  great  change  has 
taken  place  in  the  appearance  of  his  farm.  Its 
boundaries  have  been  extended  until  it  now  com- 
prises three  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  upon  it 
have  been  placed  all  modern  improvements  and 
conveniences,  until  it  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  the  county.  He  has  an  artesian 
well,  and  thus  his  stock  is  supplied  with  good 
water.  In  addition  to  this  farm  he  also  owns 
forty  acres  of  land  elsewhere. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Bainter  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Emily  .Snoots,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  the  following  children:  Nancy,  wifeofRobert 
Veach;  Amanda,  wife  of  Allen  Randall;  Jane, 
wife  of  George  Nevius;  William   H.;  Ada,    wife 


of  Oscar  Beckett;  Adell,  wife  of  Freeman  Doak; 
AdaE.,  wife  of  William  Ross;  Allie  and  Allen, 
twins;  and  Orpha. 

Mr.  Bainter  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democracy,  but  has  never  sought 
or  desired  political  preferment.  He  is  a  self-made 
man,  who  started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  but 
has  made  the  most  of  his  opportunities,  and  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward  from  a  humble 
position  to  one  of  affluence.  He  is  now  the  owner 
of  a  valuable  farm,  and  is  numbered  among  Hen- 
derson County's  substantial  citizens. 


(JOSEPH  N.  STILL,  a  highly  respected  citi- 
I  zen  of  Media,  who  is  now  in  the  employ  of 
(2?  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company,  claims  Vir- 
ginia as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born 
August  8,  1840,  and  is  of  Welsh  descent.  His 
father,  John  Still,  was  a  native  of  Wales,  and  in 
an  early  day  went  to  Ohio.  For  some  time  he 
lived  in  the  South,  and  by  his  well-directed  efforts 
became  quite  wealthy.  He  there  owned  a  fine 
woolen-mill,  but  at  the  time  of  the  Stoneman  raid 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  incendiaries  held 
him,  forcing  him  to  watch  its  destruction  by  the 
flames  which  they  had  kindled.  Thus  he  lost 
all  his  property. 

About  1864,  Joseph  N.  Still  went  to  Ohio,  and 
the  following  year  came  to  Henderson  County, 
111.,  where  he  began  work  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month.  For  seventeen  years  he  remained  with 
one  man,  a  trusted  and  faithful  employe.  On  the 
4th  of  June,  1872,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Rosalie  M.  Stanley,  daughter  of  A.  E. 
and  Hannah  Stanley.  Her  parents  were  both  na- 
tives of  North  Carolina.  The  father  was  born 
July  1,  1827,  and  about  1866  came  to  Henderson 
County,  111.  He  now  makes  his  home  in  Media. 
In  the  Stanley  family  were  five  children,  four  of 
whom  are  still  living,  the  eldest  being  Mrs.  Still, 
who  was  born  May  7,  1853.  Mrs.  Sarah  O'Don- 
nell  is  now  living  in  Iowa.  Mrs.  Mary  O.  Mill- 
iken  is  also  a  resident  of  the  Hawkeye  State. 
Mrs  Sarah  C.  Nicelv  is  now  residing  in   Hender- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


595 


son  County:  and  Susan  A.  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years. 

Three  children  grace  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Still:  Samuel  A.,  burn  September  15,  1873; 
Bertie  V.,  June  8,  1S75;  and  Myrtle  A.,  April 
22,  1879.  All  are  yet  with  their  parents.  The 
mother  and  her  daughters  are  members  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  the  family  is  one 
of  prominence  in  this  community. 

Mr.  Still  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  sup- 
port of  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  a  self-edu- 
cated and  self-made  man,  and  his  success  in  life  is 
due  to  his  own  efforts.  All  who  know  him  es- 
teem him  highly,  and  with  pleasure  we  present  his 
sketch  to  our  readers. 


ROWLAND  J.  MADISOX,  M.  D.,  who  is 
successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  the 
medical  profession  in  Ferris,  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, occupies  a  prominent  place  in  the  front  rank 
among  the  physicians  of  this  locality.  He  has  a 
wide  acquaintance  in  the  community,  and  we 
therefore  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his  life 
will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  He 
was  bom  in  Plymouth  on  the  3 1  st  of  December, 
1852,  and  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a  fam- 
ily of  eleven  children,  whose  parents  were  Ed- 
ward and  Mary  (Rankin)  Madison.  There  are  now- 
only  two  surviving  members  of  the  family,  the 
Doctor  and  his  brother  William,  who  is  Prin- 
cipal of  the  public  schools  in  Lamoille,  111.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  when  a  boy  came 
with  his  parents  to  this  State,  in  1837.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  after  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  and  then  began  farming  in  his  own  in- 
terests. Throughout  life  he  has  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  still  makes  his  home  upon  his 
farm  near  Plymouth,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years. 
In  his  political  views,  he  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and 
the  cause  of  temperance  finds  in  him  an  ardent 
advocate.  His  parents  were  born  in  this  coun- 
try, but  the  family  is  of  English  extraction.     His 


father  was  a  cousin  of  President  Madison,  and  was 
a  Captain  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  brother  had 
charge  of  the  first  naval  battle  of  that  war.  and 
the  sword  which  belonged  to  that  commander  is 
now  in  possession  of  our  subject. 

On  the  maternal  side  the  Doctor  is  of  Scotch- 
Irish  lineage,  but  the  Rankin  family  was  founded 
in  America  in  early  Colonial  days.  His  grand- 
father, Dr.  William  G.  Rankin,  also  did  sen-ice 
in  the  Warof  1812.  He  was  a  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter, and  became  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Hancock 
County,  being  prominently  identified  with  its 
history  in  an  early  day.  His  daughter,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  and 
died  in  this  county  at  the  age  of  fifty  years. 

Dr.  Madison  remained  upon  the  old  home  farm 
until  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  his  boyhood 
days  being  passed  midst  play  and  work  and  in  at- 
tendance upon  the  district  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. After  thus  acquiring  a  good  English 
education,  he  began  teaching  in  his  native  county, 
and  followed  that  profession  for  five  years.  In 
the  mean  time  he  began  reading  medicine  with 
Dr.  Hart,  of  West  Point,  for  it  was  his  desire  to 
make  its  practice  his  life  work.  Later,  he  en- 
tered the  college  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  of 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  after  pursuing  a  thorough 
course  of  study  was  graduated  from  that  institu- 
tion in  June,  1873.  About  a  year  later  he  located 
in  Chili,  where  he  engaged  in  practicing  medi- 
cine for  two  years,  when  he  removed  to  La  Crosse, 
where  he  continued  practice  until  1887. 

In  October,  1873,  another  important  event  in 
the  life  of  Dr.  Madison  occurred,  his  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  Hart,  who  was  born  in  Hancock 
County,  June  27,  1856.  and  is  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
J.  F.  Hart.  They  became  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, but  three  of  the  number  died  in  infancy. 
Those  living  are  Daisy,  who  is  now  attending 
college  in  Carthage;  and  Frank  and  Fred  at  home. 

In  his  political  views,  the  Doctor  is  a  Republi- 
can, but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
belonging  to  La  Harpe  Lodge  No.  195,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  In  1887  he  came  to  Ferris,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  His  skill  and  ability  soon 
won  for  him  a  liberal  patronage,  which  has  steadily 


596 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


increased,  until  he  is  now  enjoying  an  extensive 
and  lucrative  practice.  In  manner,  he  is  pleasant 
and  genial,  and  those  who  know  him  esteem  him 
highly  for  his  sterling  worth. 


HH-^1 


rtOHN  S.  EWELL,  a  grain-dealer  and  general 
I    merchant  of  Adrian,  Hancock  County,  111.,  is 

0  one  of  the  leading,  enterprising  and  successful 
business  men  of  this  locality.  He  was  bora  in 
Greene  County,  Pa.,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas 
Henry  and  Abigail  (Phillips)  Ewell.  His  father, 
a  native  of  Virginia,  was  born  in  1805,  and  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  The  mother  was  a  native 
of  Greene  County,  Pa.,  and  there  T.  H.  Ewell 
followed  fanning  for  about  sixteen  years.     On  the 

1  st  of  April,  1847,  he  removed  by  team  to  Tyler 
County,  W.  Va.,  and  purchased  one  hundred  and 
nineteen  acres  of  partially  improved  land,  to  the 
further  development  and  cultivation  of  which  he 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  throughout  his 
remaining  clays.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Democrat, 
but  never  sought  or  desired  public  office.  He 
held  membership  with  the  Christian  Church,  and 
his  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
His  death  occurred  in  Tyler  County  in  1849,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  on  the  old  homestead  in 
1869,  having  survived  her  husband  twenty  years. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children:  Amos; 
Thomas  H.;  Sarah  Jane,  wife  of  Jeremiah  Bull- 
man,  of  Tyler  County;  George,  deceased;  and 
John  S. 

Mr.  Ewell  whose  name  heads  this  record  at- 
tended school  for  only  about  five  mouths  during 
his  boyhood.  At  the  early  age  of  sixteen  years 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and  has  since 
been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources.  He  be- 
gan working  on  a  farm  for  $5  per  month,  and  was 
thus  employed  for  five  years.  His  wages,  how- 
ever, were  increased  until  he  received  $14.50  per- 
month,  which  was  the  highest  price  paid  for  labor 
anywhere  in  that  vicinity.  In  1853  he  began 
serving  an  apprenticeship  to  the  blacksmith's 
trade,  but  he  found  this  was  injurious  to  his 
health,  and  abandoned  it. 


Mr.  Ewell  was  married  on  the  7th  of  May, 
1857,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Nancy 
Shrever,  a  native  of  Monongalia  County,  Va. 
To  them  were  born  five  sons  and  a  daughter, 
namely:  Marion  D.,  Crayton  (deceased),  Marvin 
Ellsworth,  Waitman,  T.  W. ,  and  Daisy.  In  1 856, 
Mr.  Ewell  had  purchased  eighty  acres  of  laud  in 
Tyler  County,  W.  Va.,  and  he  and  his  wife  there 
began  their  domestic  life,  but  after  a  time  he 
traded  that  farm  for  the  old  homestead,  upon 
which  he  lived  until  1861.  He  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising,  and  met  with  good 
success  in  the  work.  In  186 1  this  farm  was 
traded  for  land  in  Pleasant  County,  W.  Va.. 
where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1866. 

In  the  mean  time,  however,  Mr.  Ewell  entered 
the  Union  service.  On  the  9th  of  August,  1862, 
he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  F,  Four- 
teenth West  Virginia  Infantry.  The  first  import- 
ant engagement  in  which  he  participated  was  that 
of  Gettysburg,  where  he  was  under  the  command 
of  Gen.  Kelley,  of  West  Virginia.  He  was  also 
in  the  battle  of  Little  Petersburg;  but  the  hardest 
engagement  occurred  at  Cloyd  Mountain,  where 
the  Confederate  soldiers  numbered  sixteen  thou- 
sand, and  were  defeated  by  ninety-five  hundred 
Union  troops.  Mr.  Ewell  was  there  twice  wound- 
ed, and  had  part  of  his  mustache  shot  away.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  in  this  engagement,  and  was 
detailed  to  take  care  of  the  wounded  on  the  field. 
On  the  10th  of  May,  they  were  surrounded  by 
Morgan's  men,  while  engaged  in  burying  the 
dead.  They  were  allowed  to  complete  the  task, 
but  were  then  sent  to  Andersonville  Prison,  where 
he  was  incarcerated  until  April  28,  1865.  He 
was  transferred  several  times  in  order  to  avoid  re- 
capture by  Gen.  Sherman's  forces.  At  Black- 
shear,  Ga.,  he  managed  to  escape  from  the  guards, 
and  was  making  his  way  to  his  own  troops, 
but  was  recaptured  at  Brunswick,  within  twelve 
miles  of  the  Union  lines.  He  suffered  many  of 
the  hardships  and  difficulties  of  war,  but  was  al- 
ways found  at  his  post  of  duty,  and  received  his 
discharge  June  21,  1865. 

Mr.  Ewell  then  returned  to  his  home  in  Pleas- 
ants County,  W.  Va.     His  health  had  become  so 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


597 


impaired  during  the  service  that  for  some  time  he 
was  unable  to  engage  in  any  work.  In  November, 
1866,  he  emigrated  to  Rock  Creek  Township, 
Hancock  County,  111.,  and  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  improved  land  on  section  11.  Here  he  en- 
gaged in  fanning  and  stock-raising  for  a  time. 
Later  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  wild  land  on  section  14,  and,  turning  his  atten- 
tion to  its  development,  there  continued  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  1S71,  when  he  came  to  Adrian, 
and  embarked  in  the  grain  business  and  in  gen- 
eral merchandising.  He  still  carries  on  opera- 
tions along  these  lines,  and  is  enjoying  an  excel- 
lent trade.  He  also  owns  a  farm  in  Carthage 
Township,  and  there  carries  on  a  dairy.  On  the 
1st  of  January,  1S93,  in  connection  with  others, 
he  became  connected  with  the  La  Porte  Land  and 
Town  Site  Company,  of  Texas,  and  has  since 
spent  much  of  his  time  in  the  Lone  Star  State, 
looking  after  his  interests  there. 

Previous  to  the  war,  Mr.  Ewell  was  a  supporter 
of  the  Democracy,  but  has  since  been  a  stanch 
Republican.  For  eighteen  years  he  was  the  effi- 
cient Postmaster  of  Adrian,  but  was  removed 
during  President  Cleveland's  administration.  He 
is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  his  aid  and  co- 
operation are  ever  given  to  those  enterprises 
which  he  believes  will  prove  of  benefit  to  the 
community.  A  loyal  soldier  of  the  late  war.  a 
valued  citizen,  and  an  honorable,  upright  man, 
he  well  deserves  representation  in  the  history  of 
his  adopted  county. 

RS.  CATHERINE  JOHNSON,  who  is  now 
living  on  section  6,  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
ship, was  born  on  the  16th  of  July,  1849, 
in  New  Jersey,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  S.  and 
Maria  A.  (Brookall  1  Nevius.  They,  too,  were 
natives  of  New  Jersey,  the  former  born  July  16, 
1820,  and  the  latter  October  16,  1825.  They 
were  married  on  the  8th  of  August,  1846,  and  re- 
mained in  the  East  until  1857,  when  they  end 
grated  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Henderson  County. 
The  father  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 


of  land,  buying  the  same  on  time,  but  as  soon  as 
possible  he  paid  off  the  indebtedness  on  the  place, 
and  not  only  freed  it  from  debt,  but  addel  to  it, 
until  at  his  death  he  was  the  owner  of  four  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  good  land.  He  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence, 
and  during  the  last  few  years  of  his  life  he  lived 
retired,  resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of 
his  former  toil.  He  passed  away  on  the  14th  of 
February,  1888,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Raritan 
Cemetery.  His  widow  is  still  living,  and  now 
makes  her  home  in  Stronghurst  with  her  son 
Simon. 

In  the  Nevius  family  were  seven  children,  of 
whom  five  are  yet  living,  namely:  Simon,  of 
Stronghurst;  Mrs.  Catherine  Johnson;  Sarah  J., 
wife  of  T.  Y.  Gilmore,  who  resides  in  Stronghurst; 
Peter  B.,  who  makes  his  home  in  Raritan;  and 
Brachie,  wife  of  Robert  Humphrey,  one  of  the 
representative  and  successful  fanners  of  Hender- 
son County.     Mrs.  Mary  B.  Powlson  is  deceased. 

Mrs.  Johnson  came  with  her  parents  to  Hender- 
son County  when  a  maiden  of  eight  summers, 
and  here  grew  to  womanhood.  Her  childhood 
daws  were  spent  under  the  parental  roof,  and  in 
attendance  at  the  district  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, where  she  acquired  her  education.  On  the 
4th  of  March,  1873,  she  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Peter  D.  Johnson,  who  was  born  April 
iS.  1847,  ancl  was  a  -son  °f  Jacob  H.  and  Liddie 
W'vkoff)  Johnson,  who  were  also  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1S70.  The  son 
always  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  was  a 
wide-awake  and  enterprising  farmer,  who  success- 
fully managed  his  business  interests  and  became 
well-to-do.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Democrat,  but 
never  sought  or  desired  political  preferment.  The 
best  interests  of  the  community  ever  found  in  him 
a  friend,  ready  to  aid  in  their  advancement.  He 
passed  away  on  the  1st  of  January,  1894,  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him,  and  his  remains  were  in- 
terred in  Stronghurst  Cemetery. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  were  born  four  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Annie,  born 
December  9,  1873;  Aaron.  March  3,  187S;  Simon 
P.,  August  17,  18S0;  and  Eva,  on  the  12th  of 
August.    1 886.      The   children   are   all   with  the 


598  PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 

mother.     The   family    has   a   pleasant   home  in  sons  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising. 

Walnut    Grove  Township,  where  Mrs.  Johnson  She   is   a   member   of  the   United    Presbyterian 

now  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good  Church,  and  a  most  estimable  lady,  who  has  the 

land.     Since   her  husband's  death  she  has  man-  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  she 

aged   the  property,   and  by  the  assistance  of  her  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


INDEX. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 


Bidwell,  Esta 322  Chandler,  C.  V 171 

Black,  S.W 586  Chatterton,  O.  W  275 

Blasberg,  Rev.  Albert 353  Clarke,  M.  1 365 

A  Blazer.  John 317  Cleveland,  S.  G 103 

Bliss,  Isaac 119  Clover,  J.  F 531 

Bliss,   I,.  S 378  Cockeni,  L.  B 134 

Blumer,  Rev.  Adam  434  Coffinan,  D.  P 324 

Boscow,  T.  11 .,  M.  I) 167  Compton,  \v.  A 

Adams,  John 23    Botts.  A.  G 3'4  Cooper,  C.  S 477 

Adams,  J.  Q .39    Bowen,  W.  H     5S4  Cooper,  Ephraim 510 

Akin.  J.  M 483     Bower,  Henry 1 34  Cooper,  F.  M 49' 

Allen.  James 5^5    Bradshaw,  G.  W,  187  Cooper,  John 558 

Allen,  Joseph s<"'    Bradshaw,  Joel 535  Cooper,  Hon   Rauseldou   485 

Allen,  T.  C SOS     Bradshaw,  J.  M 5»  Conlson,  J.C  

Allison,  H.  M     543    Brainard,  C.  II 309  Cox.  J.  M.J 372 

Anderson,  J.  A 315    Brandon,  K.M 178  Craig.  Oliver 227 

Anderson,  Hon.  J.  0 377     Brandon .  CM 4°7  Crose,  J.  B * 

Andrews,  Sardis  373    Breeden,  Hon    K   1.       295  Crouch,  W.  A   M  1. 

Aunegers,  H.  G 585    Bridges,  W.  C. .  .327  Crownover,  Robert 508 

Anton,  Rudolph 399    Brimhall,  Hcrvcy 403  Oram,  C     P  234 

Argast  &  Bossier 381     Brown,  Eli 266  Cutler.  P.   \V 

Armstrong,  James 546     Brown.  J.  C s: 

Arthur,  c.  A 99    Browning,  G.  M 345 

ish    W.  J....  4S9    Bryan.  Jacob 03  D 

Bryan,  S.  F '74 

Buchanan,  James  

Buck,  Joseph 

Bullock,  J    H  -,  •"";■•  A    J 

B  Butler,  B.B...  1*7  "-"'"""    ' 

Dallam,  Philip 

Davenport,  S.  M 412 

Davis,  A,  J 571 

Davis,  T.  A 122 

Dickson,  D    1.  536 


Butler,  J.  II 17s 

Byler,  David 

Byler,  H.  C 408 

Byler,  John...  

Babbitt,  S.  L.,  M.  D 277    Byler  s,  H pv 

Bacon,  Franklin 343    Byler,  W.N..  OS    D.labor,  Mrs.  Rachel. .. .  ...4,0 

Baily.J.l 2„7      "  Ditto.  A.  j 524 

,     .  ',    J    „    „  ,„,  Ditto,  r,     W 304 

Bamter,  P.  C 593 

,    ,        ,,        ,    ,,  .„  Dixson,  Joseph  1 29 

Baker,  Hon.  J.  H     10  ,,  <J 

■w  Dixon.    Ihomaa 149 

Dorman,  Charles 

Dor\',  Victor 158 


Baldwin,  c.  W  226 

Baldwin.  W.  \V 412 


Barnes  E  0  ................  ..469  Caldwell,  William  .435    Dudman,  Prof.  T.J... . 

Barnes  R    H  459  Camp,  I.    W •"!    Duke,  Lewis  1 

Barr    |A     M    D.,  404  Camp.T.H.B  «7     Dunn,  T.  F 

Barrett   W    P  *35  Camp.  W.  M 244    Dunsworth,  J.  M  . . .  ..-349 

Bartholomew,  I.  S  .  34  Campbell,  C.  S  Dunsworth    J.  M.,  J, 

Baumert  Brothers 359  Canady,  Rev. '1     1  Dysmge.    Rev.  Holmes 

Bayne,  W.  F.,  M.  D 33'  Cannon,  Dr.  J.  S. 

Beaty,  D.  A....  443  Carpenter,  G.  D 

lieatv.I.W 137  Catlin.J.H....  ],; 

Becker   I-'    P   Iz6  Caywood,  X.  II  -49s 

Beger.A.  J 347  Chain,  C   C 

Berger,  Herman 37«  Chalfant,  J.  G 

,.,,,v   „,,,,   0   I  "">-■  Chambers,  David  180    Eads,C   J.M    D  146 

Bertschi,  J.  W  '.-  Chandler,  Col.  Charles  '     gastman.G.H  ....273 


INDEX. 


Eckbohm,  M.  C M7 

Edmunds,  ( (liver 550 

Edwards,  Gen.  Oliver 141 

Biting,  r   E "9i 

Emery,  J.  H.,  M.  I) 529 

Emery,  oliu 306 

Krwin,  CM 3*4 

Essex,  Joseph 453 

Essex,  Swauson 434 

Evans,  John,  Jr 555 

Swell,  J.  S ." 596 


Fail-child,  W.  R "4 

Ferris,  H.  G "7 

Fillmore,  Millard 67 

Finch,  Mrs.  E-  J 593 

Fish,  A.J 364 

Forward,  Isaac 4^3 

Foster,  J .  R 485 

Foster,  Z.  A 262 

Foulkes,  Richard 5°3 

Franklin,  W.  H 247 

Froehlich,  G.  F.  W 4'9 

Fry,  Joseph,  Jr '93 

Fuller,  Albert l65 

Fullmer,  F.  I. 2o6 


Galbraith,  Samuel 

Garfield,  J.  A 

Garnett,  \v  K 

Garrett,  J.  T 

Gash,  J.  S 

Geddes,  R.  P 

1  veddes,  Thomas 

Giller,  John 

(Villis,  T.  N 

Gingrich,  J.  H 

Gittings,  Hon.  C.  R 

Gittings,  W.  K 5" 

Glass,  J    M 385 

Goempler,  A.  A 438 

Goff,  J.  W 422 

Goodrich,  J.  R 326 

Gould,  Benjamin.   274 

Grant,  TJ.  S 87 

Cray,  Arthur 532 

Gray,  Mrs.  Mary 467 

Greer,  H.  E 255 

Grigsby.J.  II '92 

Grigsby,  W.  K ..  M.  n 184 

Groves,  J.  M 3=9 

Guthrie,  J.  P a63 


.380 


Haiuliue,  W.  H 310 

Haley,  J.  1 455 

Hamilton,  Artois 258 

Hamilton,  W.  R 135 

Hampton,  D.  H 245 

Hampton,  H.  R 284 

Hampton,  W.  L 284 

Hanna,  Capt.  D.  C 47« 

Hardy,  Thomas 328 

Harris,  E.  E 562 

Harris,  Rev.  Rice 492 

Harris,  Dr.  Ralph 300 

Harrison,  Benjamin 107 

Harrison,  H.  M.,  M.  D 276 

Harrison,  W.  H 51 

Hasehvood,  F.  W 241 

Hawley,  G.  C 281 

Hay es,  R.  B 91 

Helms,  A.  F 176 

Herring,  William 362 

Hession.  P.  J.,  M.  D 207 

Hibbard,  W.  D 396 

Hill,  W.  K 121 

Hodson,  Robert 441 

Hollingsworth.  Joseph 413 

Hooker,  W.  C 557 

Hovey,  W.  C 420 

Howd,  Smith 389 

Huey,  Erastns 330 

Huey,  William 318 

Hugenschutz,  J.  H 578 

Hulen,  T.  T 272 

Hull,  J.  R.,  M.  D - 537 

Humphrey,  J.  C 567 

Humphrey,  R.  S 57* 

Huugate,  J.  H 173 

Hunt,  M.  T 157 

Hnut,  T.  B.,M.  D 143 

Hurdle,  J.  N 205 

Hurka,  Joseph 424 

Huston,  O.  W 198 

Huston,  Preston 182 

Huston,  W.  M.,  M.  D 188 

Hutchins,  I,.  1 460 


•  346 
.468 


Johnson,  Mrs  .Catherine 597 

Johnson,  J.  G 127 

Jones,  Darius 286 

Judd,  Homer,  M.  D 123 


Kemp,  David. 325 

Kendall,  J.  M 359 

Kimball,  Phineas 352 

King,  Rev.  J.  B 528 

King,  J.  S : 375 

Krieg,  Jacob 333 

Kuhl,  Rev.  Conrad 195 


Laird,  John 45S 

Lane,  J.  E 312 

Lathrop.  Isaac .l83 

Lawrence,  Herbert,  M.  D 563 

Leach,  Rufus 341 

Lemaire,  Leon 442 

Lemmon,  S.  P 282 

Lewis,  M.  R 368 

Lewis,  W.  E '■ 268 

Libert,  Rev.  J.  G 244 

Lincoln,  Abraham 79 

Lionberger,  J.  W 538 

Lionberger,  S.  G 386 

Logan,  Judge  John 512 

Logan.  Jasper 576 

Lomax,  Robert 54T 

Long,  Levi 402 

Lovitt,  Daniel 260 

Lukens,  J.  M 472 

Lynn,  A.  W 48ft 


M 


Hageman,  Andrew 517 

Haines,  Amos 44s 


Ingram,  W.  H 256    Madison.  James ...  31 

Irons,  John 583    Madison,  R.  J.,  M.  D 595 

Irwin,  S.  M 367     Magie,  J.  H 561 

Mains.  J.  F 509 

Maley,  W.  M 45° 

Manifold,  J.  E 166 

y  Manifold,  John 566 

J  Manifold,  W.  E 215 

Mapes,  F.  H 301 

Markland,  J.  E 175 

Marsh,  Hon.  B.  F 56S 

Marshall,  J.  A 574 

Martin,  I.  M.  M.  D 446 

Martin,  J.  M 393 

Jacobs.  Stephen. ...  ..  -397    Martiu,  Preston 530 

James,  J,  A.,  M.  D 405    Martin,  W.  P 44° 

Jamison,  N.  H 507    Mathers,  Robert 54° 

Jefferson,  Thomas 27    Matthews,  F.  A 4" 

Johnson,  Andrew 83    Maxwe]|   w  A 259 


Jackson,  Andrew ■  ■ . . .  43 

Jackson,  Asa 4l6 

Jackson,  F.  M.,  M.  I) 239 


INDEX. 


Mayuard.  I. .  r     5S2 

McAllister.  HE 426 

McAllister,  John 3*9 

McArthur.  Rev.  J.  M      592 

McClure,  Thomas 235 

McCord.  J.  W 216 

McCrory,  S.  L 168 

McCulloch.  W.  W 394 

McDonald.  Hugh 454 

McFarland.  Frank 433 

McGaw.  S.  P 343 

McGill,  Clayton 335 

McKou-u,  J.  T..  M.  D 366 

McLellan,  H   K  229 

McLellan,  W.  T 240 

McMahan.  C.  H     495 

McMahan,   R    W   470 

McMillan.  S.  H 444 

McMillan.  R.  T 4*4 

McMurray,  Thomas 526 

McNeall,  A.  E..  M.  D 355 

Merritt.  Richmond 57° 

Mesecher,  E.  A • 185 

Mesecher,  Elkauah 3S6 

Mickey,  Samuel 499 

Millen.  J.  M 4«7 

Miller,  Dr.  J.  R 5°° 

Miller.  Robert 382 

Milliken.  Wesley 482 

Mitchell.  Mrs.  EM 4°5 

Mock.  Joseph 339 

Mohr.  Henry 537 

Monroe,  James 35 

Morey.  J.  P 474 

Morford,  J.  R.  R 54° 

Morgau.  Thomas 542 

Mott.   W.  G.,  M.  I) 49° 

Mumey,  D  W  4"5 

Myers,  W.  H 559 


Nagel.  Conrad 350 

Neece.  Hon.  W.  H 3°3 

Nelson.  Joseph 3°° 

Newman,  N.  F 321 

Nimrick,  S.  H 37" 

Noble,  G.  W 437 


Painter,  C.  T 513 

Painter,  J.  T 202 

Parker.  R.  M..  M.  D 201 

Pearce,  < '..  T 403 

Peasley,  c.  E         - 5S7 

Peasley,  J.  F 57" 

Pence.  Capt.  J.  A 414 

Pence,  Robert 521 

Peoples.  John 4** 

Pickens.  G.  W 589 

Pierce,  Franklin 71 

Pogue.  I.  T 572 

Polk,  J.  K 59 

Poutious,   Byron 3r3 

Popel,  Martin 121 

Porter,  E.  H 142 

Powell.  William 54S 

Prentiss ,  S .  w  379 

Prentiss,  William 5*1 


Ralie.    H    W 119 

Rahn.  Justus 354 

Raich,  W   P 144 

Ramsey.  Enoch ;,;,s 

Randolph.  Hon.  W.  H 151 

Records.  S.  T 474 

Reed.  W.J ' .  .  .456 

Reid,  L.  S 377 

Reimbold,   Rev.  H.  J 525 

Reimbold.   Max 369 

Reiselt,  Jacob 201 

Rhea.   I,.  J.  M.  D 521 

Rheinberger.  J.  J 361 

Rice.  C.  S.,  M.  D 562 

Rich.  W.  G 1"7 

Richey.  C  G 59° 

Ricketts.  J.  H 421 

Ricketts.  S.  A 438 

Risse,  Hon.  J.  H  161 

Roark.  J.  P..  M.  D 265 

Robbius.  E.  M 155 

Roberts.  Mrs.  Ann 522 

Rose.   W.  I! 439 


Sibert.  John 400 

Simmons,  S.  S j88 

Smith.  Geu.  R.  F 

Smith.  T.  C 11 

Smith.  W.  E  .....  45a 

Snodgrass,  w.  H  41s 

Sonic.  G.  W [84 

Soule,  Isaac 204 

Spears,  W.  A... 

Speck.  W.  N..  Jr ;1, 

Stansbury,  S.  M  453 

Stevens.  Hon.  J.  D 145 

SMI.  J-   N 504 

Stillwell,  Greenup  | 

Stine,  John 514 

Stripe,  J.  C  ,; 

Suttle.    P.  K 236 

Swisegood.  D.  H 294 


Tanner,  John 352 

Tarman ,   Robert 1 96 

Taylor.  Zachary 65 

Thomas.  C.  L 475 

Thomas,  IT  523 

Tttomas,  J.  M.  ......  41; 

Thompson,  Joseph  569 

Towler.  W.  A...   .  [86 

Towler,  W.  B 194 

Tressler,  Rev.  D.  L 153 

Trimmer,  Johnson 575 

Tuck,  Henry 34S 

Twaddle,   W.  11 181 

Tweed,  H.  S 41s 

Tweed.  John 500 

Twidwell.  John 291 

Twidwell,  Solomon i: 

Twyman.  H    C  271 

Tyler.John 55 

Tyner,  N.  X 257 


rrban.  Mrs    M    B 


Vaugha 

Watch. 


.  S.  E 

W.  H..  M. 


Oakmau.  G.  M "92    Sample.  James 104 

Oakman.  I.  A 279    Salter,  E.  W..  M.  D 586 

O'Brien.  Rev.  M.  P 133    Savidge.  J.  W 502 

Ochsner,  J.  F 35'    Scanlan,  Charles  371 

Odenwetter,  Isaiah 23S    Schurz,  Rev.  J.  C 126 

,  E.  I" 491    Scofield,  C.  J 309' 

Scott,  J.  F i.vl 

Scott.  Larkin 332 

p  Scott,  Moses 346 

"  Shaffer,  J.  W  319 

Shain,  K.  C 564 

Sharp.  T  C  430    Waggener,  1 :  C 

Waggoner.  G.  C 
WaUace.  R.  R 


Van  Bureu.  Martin 47 


Pace.  G.  W 2y6    shoup.  Abraham 

Pace,  J.  M 323    Shull,  Rev.  Jacob. .   .  .  ...344 


w 


INDEX. 


Walters,  John 423  Wieseuer,  F.  A 3S3 

Walton,  SB 336  Wilcox,  J.  M 261 

Walton,  Wesley,  Si 320  Wilcox,  R.  C 264 

Washington, George 19  Williams,  A.  I) \<u 

Watson,  G.  C 455  Williams,  J.  C 136 

Weaver,  Nathan 544  Williams,  L.  M 254 

Weinberg,  Simon 253  Wilson,  William '.  T . .  .340 

Welch,  J    H 147  Winnard,  W.  I. .,  M.  I) 125 

Westfall,  E.   K..  M.  D 293  Woods,  R.  A 452 

Wetzel,  J.  H 118  Wortheu,  Prof.  A.  H 357 

Wheatley,  Francis 4"8  Wortheu,  F.  F..  I).  M.  I) 365 

White,  J    A  .  Jr 166  Wright,  Dr.  John .246 

Wiegand,  w.  A  nn  Wright,  T.  G 388 


Yetter,  (',.  W. 


Portraits. 


Adams,  John 22 

Adams,  J,  Q 38 

Arthur,  C.  A 9s 

Bradshaw.  Joel 534 

Bradshaw,  Mrs.  Joel 534 

Buchanan,  James 74 

Catliu,  J.  H 211 

Catlin,  Joel 210 

Catliu.  Mrs.  Joel 210 

Chandler,  Charles. 130 

Chandler,  C.  V 170 

Cleveland,  S.  G 102 

Compton,  w.  A 304 

Dixson.  Joseph 42S 

Dorman.  Charles 232 

Edwards,  Gen.  Oliver 140 

Elting,  P.  E 190 

Evans,  John,  Jr 552 

Evans,  Mrs.  John,  Jr 553 

Ferris,  II.  G 116 


Fillmore,  Millard 66 

Forward,  Isaac 462 

Forward,  Mrs.  Isaac 462 

Garfield,  J.  A 94 

Geddes,  Thomas 4S0 

Grant.  U.  S 86 

Hageman.  Andrew 516 

Harrison,  Beujamiu 106 

Harrison,  ~W.  H 50 

Hayes,  R.  B 90 

Jacksou,  Andrew 42 

Jefferson,  Thomas 26 

Johnson,  Audrew. 82 

King,  J.  S 374 

Lincoln,  Abraham 78 

Madison,  James 30 

Monroe,  James 34 

Martin,  I.  M.,  M.  D 446 

Matthews,  F.  A 410 

Mickey,  Samuel 498 


Parker,  Dr.  R.  M zoo 

Pierce.  Fraukliu 70 

Polk,  J.  K 58 

Prentiss.   William 580 

Randolph,  Hon,  W.  H 150 

Risse,  Hon.  J.  B 160 

Scofield.  C.  J 308 

Smith,  Gen.  R.  F 218 

Taylor,  Zachary 62 

Twaddle,  W.  H 1S0 

Twidwell.   John 288 

Twidwell,  Mrs.  Barbara 288 

Twidwell.  Mrs.  Henrietta 2S9 

Twidwell,  Mrs.  Sarah  J    289 

Twymau.  H.  C. 270 

Tyler,  John 54 

VauBuren,  Martin 46 

Washington,  George IS 

Weinberg.  Simon 250 

Weinberg,  Mrs.  Simon. 2si 


